Worm Treatment for Dogs

Worms are detrimental to the well being of the dog and predispose the dog to other conditions. The types of worms that affect dogs include to tapeworms, hookworms, roundworms.

To ensure that your dog stays worm free, worm treatment should be done regularly to keep your dog healthy.

Worm treatment involves the use of various drugs that target specific stages of the parasites growth and also inhibit multiplication of the parasite.

Some worm treatments are also helpful in killing as well as eliminating worms for a period of time. Drugs that are effective against worms are known as anti-helmintics.

A good worm treatment has the following characteristics

- Broad spectrum

It should be effective against the different kinds of worms mentioned above.

- Non-toxic

Shouldn’t cause harm to the dog.  Therapeutic index should be around 4. The therapeutic index is a ratio of the quantity of drug that is effective to the toxic level of the drug. Thus, the higher the index the safer it is for use.

- Have high efficacy

Worms like most parasites exist in different stages. Though most worms are destructive during their adult stages, an effective treatment should act against the larval stages

- Long lasting

If the treatment is good, you shouldn’t have to take your dog to the vet every now and then. A good treatment will give your dog protection for at least 3 months or longer.

- Easy to administer

Most worm treatment medications are offered as tablets or solutions that are given orally to the dog.

The characteristics of worm treatment mentioned above are ideal. It would be wise to go for a worm treatment that has meets most of the criterias. Most commercial preparations in the market are effective even when used alone. Nevertheless, consult your vet to find out which treatment is best suited for your dog. You can get tips on how to choose a good vet for your pet here...

You can ensure that worm treatment for your dog is minimised by playing your part by ensuring your dog is free from fleas which transmit tapeworms. In places where mosquitoes are common, use insecticides to repel these insects as they transmit the dog tapeworm. Puppies tend to eat indiscriminately and thus their diet should be checked. Ensure that faeces are well disposed off since they serve as a source roundworms and hookworms.

Puppies should be given worm treatment preferably at four weeks and the treatment repeated two weeks later or a week later depending on which treatment you are using. Dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors are more likely to be exposed to sources of worms.

Thus, for these kind of dogs regular faecal examinations for eggs and other stages of these parasites is necessary. To detect presence of heartworms, a blood check is done. In general, outdoor type dogs will need worm treatment at more regular intervals.

Various classes of drugs have been known to be effective against worms. To get the best of all worlds, most drug manufacturers will combine two or more of these drugs. This is in order to increase the efficacy of the treatment as well as to take advantage of the action that different drugs offer.

Enough said on worm treatments, prevention is always the best cure.

Click here => http://gooddogtrainingadvice.com/drdog.html