How often should I give worming treatment to my puppy and kitten?
The general guidelines are:
- Every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks
- Every month until they are 6 months
- Every 3 months for the rest of their life.
With the leap into the digital age, there are now companies that will ship your flea and worm products out to you just before you are due to give them, which is a great idea as it reduces the chances that you will miss a dose accidentally when life gets busy. Veterinary clinics can often set up a reminder to send you a text just before your next dose is due if you ask them to. Or there's the good old fashioned calendar!
Do I really need to worm my cat or dog?
I personally recommend worming treatments in adult cats and dogs every 3 months. If you have a puppy or kitten they need more frequent dosing (see above).
What people don’t often realise is that worms can make your pet, especially young or immune compromised pets rather sick. Diarrhoea, weight loss and anal irritation are the most common problems we see from a heavy worm burden.
Worms also possess a zoonotic risk to children- the most common way of infection is children playing on a lawn or sandpit where a cat or dog has defecated and ingesting worms that migrate to their eye and can cause blindness. No parent wants this for their child!
Worming tablets are relatively inexpensive as veterinary medicines go so I wholeheartedly recommend starting a 3 monthly programme of worming your pet.
There are a large variety of worming products on the market, so its good to look at the packet to make sure it treats for all types of worms including tapeworm so your pet is fully protected. If you are unsure take a photo or remember the name of the product and ask your veterinarian for a recommendation on its effectiveness.
