You have certainly heard of dewormers for dogs, but do you know exactly what they are for? Those who have pets need to be aware of a series of precautions to keep their pets' health up to date - and using this remedy at the right time is one of those indispensable measures for the protection of the pet. As the name implies, the medication prevents diseases caused by worms, such as the Dirofilaria immitis , Toxocara canis e Giardia sp However, there are still many doubts about the ideal dosage of dewormer for puppies, the intervals of use and whether it should be administered before or after the vaccine so as not to compromise its effectiveness. To better understand these and other questions about dog dewormer, stay with us and check out the article with tips from veterinarian Marcela Nauman:

Vermifuge for dogs: learn about the main diseases that the drug prevents

It is not for nothing that it is recommended to give dewormers to puppies already in the first days of life: just like vaccines, this remedy is indispensable to keep the pet protected from diseases - in this case, caused by worms. The three main complications that are avoided by the use of medicine are the following:

1 - Giardia: Caused by a protozoan of the genus giardia, giardiasis is an infection that is accompanied by symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea or pasty stools with a very unpleasant odor. In adult dogs, the symptoms may be more difficult to identify.

2 - Canine dirofilaria Popular disease known as heartworm, canine heartworm disease is caused by the parasite Dirofilaria immiti. Symptoms, which only usually appear in more advanced stages, include chronic coughing, heart failure, difficulty breathing, weight loss and fatigue.

3 - Toxocara canis Despite mild symptoms such as diarrhoea and abdominal distension, it can lead to death if not treated properly. It is caused by the nematode toxocara canis.

4 - Cutaneous larvamigrans Known as geographic worm, this worm creates lesions on the dog's skin as if it were drawing a map - which justifies the popular name. In addition, it also causes redness, a lot of itching, and attacks the intestine.

Puppy wormers: how many doses? Before or after vaccination?

As you already know, it is important to use a dewormer in the first days of your pet's life! According to veterinarian Marcela Nauman, deworming can be started at 15 days of life - divided into three doses so that there is no risk that the animal with worms will suffer an intestinal obstruction. "I always do it in intermediate doses - which would be 75% on the first day; 85% on the second day; and100% on the third. 15 days later, we do a booster dose - and then, yes, if the stools are normal over these three days, I do the full dose right away ", he explains. And for those who have doubts about the need to repeat the medicine after 15 days, the professional explains the reason: "It is necessary to do this to close the parasite cycle. We can only eliminate the parasite when it arrivesin adulthood - so we usually file that way".

Contrary to what many people think, the worm medicine does not compromise the effectiveness of the vaccine; in fact, it even helps to make the animal's body stronger and prepared to absorb the proper protection that comes with it. So, an important tip is not to leave to deworm your puppy only after vaccination. You can even do both on the same day if soprefer (and if you have not had the dewormer applied in the first 15 days of life, since the vaccine can only be given from 45 days onwards); it is just not recommended to postpone the use of the worming remedy because it is essential to keep the puppy's health up to date.

How often should I give adult dogs dewormer?

After the application of dewormer in puppies, many owners end up forgetting to continue the use of the remedy throughout the pet's life. However, as worms are parasites that continue to prowl the environment, it is essential to maintain the correct frequency so that your pet's health remains intact. The veterinarian says that the ideal is to keep the dewormer 30 days apart until ...the 6 months of life; then, with the dog already adult, it is important to evaluate the routine of the animal to define the routine of use of the remedy. "Normally, we conduct the use of the vermifuge according to the exposure of the animal to the environment and the parasites that may exist there. If he has a lot of access to bushes, earth, carcasses of other animals, has the habit of smelling feces and attending daycare centers, he needs tobe dewormed with a deadline of 3 months, "he points out.

On the other hand, if the dog goes little to the street, has almost no contact with other animals, does not live in endemic regions of some disease and drinks filtered water, this interval can be every 6 months or even once a year. "But even in these longer intervals, it is important to close the cycle: do a dose and repeat 15 days later," says Marcela.

Taking all this into account, the veterinarian who accompanies your pet will define the correct frequency and the best dewormer - as well as the appropriate dosage, considering the animal's weight to arrive at a result. It is important to have the proper follow-up with a professional because both a low dosage and an overdose can bring complications to the dog's health - and that iseverything you don't want, right?

Important: if your pet is showing any health problems when it comes time for the new dose of dewormer, do not give the new dosage before the condition is stabilized. "If the animal has, for example, a liver disorder and you enter with the medication, it can compromise liver function beyond what it already was. So if the pet has any kind of malaise, it may not be a good time to give it a new dose.The ideal is to wait for him to become stable and, after that, institute the preventive therapy against worms ", explains veterinarian Marcela.

How to give dewormers to dogs: tips for giving the medicine to puppies who do not take the pill well

If your dog has trouble accepting medicine, you'll need some tactics to give him the dewormer! One effective tip is to hide the tablet inside a treat or in the middle of his food. But if he's smart and notices something different in his food, another solution is to dilute the medicine in water and provide a syringe to apply it in drops.

It is also worth holding the dog and depositing the medicine very close to its throat so that it can swallow - but, in such a situation, it is important to be careful that it does not get stressed and bite you. For Marcela, however, making a positive stimulus may be enough to fulfill the mission, especially if the medicine in question has some special flavor to make life easier for the guardian. "A positive stimulus can be enough to make life easier.The tip I always give is to play beforehand. When offering the product, shake the box well, as if it were something very cool that he is going to win. Make an affectionate voice and say something like 'What a delight, look at this!' Anyway, stimulate the dog positively before opening the medicine that has great chances of working ", he indicates.

Do dog wormers have any side effects?

In some cases, the dog may experience some side effects after using the dewormer - such as excessive salivation, apathy, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If he has a reaction to the constituents of the product, allergies and even fevers may appear; and in very extreme and rare cases - such as intoxication - impairment of organic functions.

But, according to Marcela, it is possible to avoid these problems by taking some specific precautions. "In addition to seeing if the animal is healthy to receive the dewormer, you have to respect the package insert and the species. That is, if the product is directed to dogs, it has to be respected; if it is directed to cats, it has to be respected; if it is for dog and cat, then ok. But everything has to be done with enough time.To complete, she still gives the tip to always look at the package insert of the remedy to check if in its composition there is any active ingredient that the veterinarian has already claimed to be harmful to the animal.