Deworming Protocol That Every Pet Parent Should Follow

When it comes for deworming your dog or a cat, different analogies come forth and sometimes you become quite confused about what to follow or not. The best solution for your dilemma is to visit your veterinarian and find all the answers for worming your lovable pet friend.

Deworming is quite a sophisticated process throughout your pet’s lifetime journey. It’s not so simple to just treat once and forget it all for the rest of your furry friend’s life. Starting from their birth, you need to be quite proactive to keep your pretty pup or kitty free from worms along the journey of their life. You have to deworm regularly to help your lovable companions to be safe and healthy. Though the schedule of worming your pets is quite tricky, you can easily manage to do it, if you plan a head and maintain a proper deworming calendar for your furry friend.

To help you get along with your furry friends deworming schedule whether it’s a dog or a cat, here our animal shelter partners have detailed out a profound protocol for you to jot down.

For Newborns:

Puppies	Kittens
Start the initial treatment at 2 weeks of age.	As prenatal infections is not possible in kittens, start initial treatment at age of 3 weeks.
Repeat deworming treatment at 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age and continue with monthly heartworm preventive treatment.	In kittens, repeat worming at 5, 7 and 9 weeks of age and then carry on monthly heartworm preventive treatment
A year round monthly heartworm prevention treatment including intestinal parasite preventive is enough for deworming puppies.	A year round monthly heartworm prevention treatment including internal parasite control works best to prevent gastrointestinal worm infection.
If not using any heartworm preventive, then it is mandatory to deworm your puppy at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age and then monthly until 6 months of age.	If not using monthly heartworm preventive, continue worming kittens as per the above schedule and then continue again at 12 and 16 weeks of age. Then move on deworming at 6 months and 1 year.

Note: Heart preventive treatment for both cats and dogs also controls gastrointestinal worms like roundworms, tapeworms, whipworms and hookworms.

For Nursing Dams:

For nursing dams, there is no separate schedule for deworming them. Follow the same pattern as you follow for pups and kitties.

For Adults:

Dogs	Cats
Treat adult dogs twice a year for life with standard dewormers to prevent intestinal worm infection.	For cats that are strictly indoors: treat them with dewormers once a year.
If your dog is not on monthly heartworm preventive treatment (which also prevents intestinal worms), then have a fecal test once or twice a year and treat them accordingly.	For outside cats: Worm them two times a year.
	Cats that hunt: administer deworming treatment thrice a year.

Note: Heartworm monthly treatment is also necessary along with deworming to protect your pets from heartworm infestation.

Orphaned and Newly Acquired Animals

If you have bought a pet from an animal shelter or rescue center, follow deworming treatment according to their previous health records. You can even visit your vet to perform a fecal test for diagnosing intestinal worms. Depending on the test reports, your vet will recommend the worming schedule.

If you have found an orphaned pup or kitty, worm immediately, and continue the deworming treatment after 2 weeks. Then, you can follow the above worming protocol.

Well, planning a worming schedule for your pooch or a kitty is of great help, as you will help prevent different types of intestinal worm infection and keep them healthy. 

For best deworming treatments, visit: http://www.bestvetcare.com/dogs-wormers-treatment-101.aspx