Intestinal worms – those nasty wrigglers can be a real bother. Fortunately, they don’t have to be for long! 

Follow our advice on deworming your dog and you’ll be saying sayonara to those slimy little suckers before you know it.

Why should I deworm my dog?

Worms can really make your pet’s life a misery. Symptoms of a gastrointestinal worm infection can cause tummy pain, diarrhoea, weight loss, weakness and anaemia. They can even be fatal in puppies.

But that’s not all! They can also infect (and sometimes seriously harm) people, especially young children or those living with weakened immune systems.

All this trouble can be easily prevented by regularly deworming your dog!

How to deworm your dog

To make deworming as stress-free as possible, do it on a quiet day when you don’t have any other plans. This way you can keep your pooch calm, take your time giving them their tablet and monitor them afterwards.

It’s also a good idea to give your dog their worming tablet before they’re due to be fed so that they’re hungry and gobble it down. 

Before administering any tablets, always double-check the dosage your pet needs to avoid accidentally giving them too much. If this does happen, you’ll need to ring the vet, pronto!

Depending on what your furry mate prefers, you can split the tablet in half or into quarters, hide it in their favourite treat or just pop it directly into their mouth. Itch Wormer is a pork flavoured tablet (yum) so it can be given as a treat!

Make sure that your dog has swallowed the worming tablet completely and isn’t hiding it in their cheek to spit out when you’re not looking. Sneaky…

What to expect in the first few hours after deworming your dog

Your dog should behave normally after being dewormed but in some cases there are mild side effects.

Dogs may occasionally vomit shortly after taking any oral medication so keep an eye on them for 2 to 3 hours after administering the worming tablet. Giving them some food along with their tablet may help stop this from happening.

If they vomit the tablet whole, take a breather and then try again later. If they vomit and the tablet is partially digested or not visible at all, contact your vet for advice. 

You may notice some other gastrointestinal symptoms such as a lack of appetite or diarrhoea but they’re typically mild and short-lived. If you notice more severe side effects like salivation, muscle twitching or seizures, contact your vet straight away.

How long do dog worming tablets take to work?

Worming treatments will start working pretty much immediately after they’ve been ingested by your dog. It can take up to a couple of days for the worms to be completely eliminated from their system. 

Will my dog or puppy pass worms after deworming?

If your pooch is dealing with a heavy worm infestation, you may see dead worms in their poo (or even their vomit). Don’t be alarmed, this is completely normal! Good riddance, we say.  

What if I see live worms after deworming?

If you see any worms twitching or wriggling in your dog’s poo, it’s nothing to worry about. Rest assured they’ll die soon – sorry not sorry, worms!

How to keep your dog healthy after deworming

Congratulations, you’ve successfully dewormed your dog! But don’t get too carried away – although the worms that set up camp in your doggy’s guts are long gone, there are others waiting to take their place.

It’s recommended that an adult dog is dewormed at least every 3 months. There may be situations when more frequent treatment is necessary, especially in roundworm infestations. If you have a persistent roundworm infestation, please chat to your vet. 

It’s also always a good idea to responsibly dispose of dog poop immediately and practice good hygiene to prevent your furry friend from becoming re-infected or infecting other animals and humans.

Kill the wrigglers with Itch Wormer!

Itch Worming tablets kill all types of intestinal worms commonly found in UK dogs – roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms and whipworms. It’s available as an add-on product to your Itch Flea subscription, and we’ll tailor your pet’s plan accordingly depending on the details you share with us!

Please take note: pregnant animals and young puppies should only be wormed under the supervision of a vet, but you can do the job yourself the rest of the time.

We’re here to help!

We’re a dab hand at fighting fleas if we do say so ourselves. The pet wellness pros in our customer service team are ready to support you with any advice you might need. Drop our team a message or call us on 020 3370 0905 Mon to Fri 8am-4pm.

Let’s beat the blighters together!