Worming

[Woody's Mum]

Hi There,

I have seen the threads on worming but am still confuddled!!!  

Daisy is now 21 weeks old and was last wormed at the vets when she had her last injection (when she was 12 weeks old)

Is she due a worming yet and can I just get a wormer myself? Which are the best ones (from Pets at Home/Sainsburys etc) or is it best to take her back to the vets?

Ta    

[PennyB]

I wormed mine once a month until they were 6 months old then now they're wormed 4 times a year as they scavenge and are more likely to pick worms up (especially if they come into contact with poo from unwormed dogs, even sniffing it!).

I get mine from the vets as its a lot better than the stuff from petshops.

You don't need to take her for a consult, just buy from the practice nurse/receptionist as they'll have your dog's details. I often take mine though just to be weighed (as weight is a factor when they are young), and to get used to the place (important if you need to go when there is something wrong as mine love the place as they associate it with nice things as well).

[suki1964]

Just back from the vets getting Alfies Wormer. He was last wormed at 4 months and is 6 months today. from now on it will be every three months - 9,12,15 etc

Do go to the vets for the wormer as they are better then what you can buy in a supermarket - cover a wider range of worms - and also the one you get from the vet (Drontal) is one dose rather then 2 or three tabs to be taken every fortnight. Just take Daisy in to the receptionist and they will weigh her to work out the dosage. One tablet is around £3

[AmandaA]

My dogs have program plus it's a wormer and flea all in one.1 tablet each month with food . No messing about with two things.  

[devondumpling]

If you buy Drontal from www.vetmedic.co.uk it's about £1.70 a tablet.
Met them at Discover Dogs on Saturday. Lot cheaper than the vets.  

[Sue H]

At the Blue Cross we use Drontal and administer one tablet for every 10 Kg of body weight.  Puppy Drontal (which is a liquid) is adminstered again by weight, but needs to be done every two weeks until the pups are 12 weeks old but only covers roundworm.

Please don't buy Supermarket pills/sprays for worming or de-flea'ing as they just don't work - depending where you live (ie do you walk in places where there are cattle or sheep?) then ticks can also be a problem .... Don't try and get them off yourself unless you are confident, as the mouthparts can stay embedded and cause an infection ....  On a short-haired dog you can maybe smother them with petroleum jelly, but on multiple infestations, Zap them with Frontline !!

Dogs don't seem so often affected, but at the Blue Cross we have had kittens brought in which have been sooooo covered with lice and ticks that they are actually sucking the life out of them .....  On their little tiny bodies, these parasites are really life-threatening !!

[suzysu]

My dogs have program plus it's a wormer and flea all in one.1 tablet each month with food . No messing about with two things.

I hav'nt heard about this one - I use Drontal for worms and Frontline for flea's

Does anyone know if the Program Plus is as effective - it would be easier.

Thanks

[tobycat]

My dogs have always been wormed monthly until they hit 6 months of age and after that they go to 4 times a year. We usually use Drontal tablets from the vet. Just a word of warning though to anyone who breeds - my vet told me that for both cats and dogs you should not use Drontal during pregnancy or whilst feeding babies (the animals not me   ). When my cat had her litter of kittens we switched her on to Panacur paste.

For fleas/ticks we used to use the normal Frontline Spot-On (and with the cats too) but lately it hasn't seemed so effective. We are currently trying out the new Frontline Combo which treats your house as well as your animals  

So tonight I've zapped both the dogs and 2 of the cats....I just have to find the other 3 cats and to remember to stop there and not do my son and husband too