How often should I treat my dog for worms in New Zealand?

It's only natural for our furry-legged friends to sniff, chew and lick their way through life, all New Zealand dogs are likely to be affected by intestinal worms at some stage in their life. In fact, it’s not hard for them to become infected by simply exploring your backyard!

Roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms or the larvae of these parasites can be found in the faeces of other infected pets or animals, in soil and grass and even on the fur of your own flea-ridden pooch.

If an infection is left unchecked, it can cause serious health problems and even be passed to humans. Worms live in the intestines where they feed on your dog’s nutrients or blood to survive. As a result, infected dogs can experience weight loss, increased appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, dry or coarse-looking fur, weakness and among puppies; stunted growth.

That’s why it’s important to proactively treat your dog for worms on a regular basis. It’s better to prevent intestinal worms developing in the first place than treating your pet for the parasite as well any other problems it might cause, such as a skin infection.

How often should I deworm my puppy?
Puppies are still developing their immune system, so if infected, their symptoms can be particularly severe.

Puppies should be dewormed every two weeks until they’re twelve weeks old, once monthly until they’re six months old and then at least every three months for life after that. Your vet should prescribe you with deworming tablets until they’re six months, but in the meantime, select a Vetty Plan now and schedule it to arrive when your puppy is six months of age.

How often should I deworm my adult dog?
At a minimum, adult dogs should be given preventative treatment every three months. However, as some flea and tick treatments protect against worms too, only a booster or annual treatment may be required to ensure your dog is fully protected. Having said that, you’ll need to ensure all products are compatible, and dosage may be at different times throughout the year, although our treatment plans have those complexities all figured out for you.

As there’s no vaccine for intestinal worms, and a large part of being a dog is simply being around other dogs and sniffing grass, a regular prevention programme is a non-negotiable part of being a responsible pet-owner. Make it easy for you and save money while you’re at it with a cancel-at-anytime Vetty subscription plan.