Worms are parasites that could frequently infect your dogs. These nasty critters come in a variety of types and as such can negatively affect Fido in a number of ways. Getting rid of worms is an essential part of taking care of any of your pets. That’s why I am now going to show you 5 of the best dewormers for dogs.
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Best Dewormers for Dogs: Aspects to Consider About Products
Does Your Dog Have Worms?
As a dog owner, it is necessary to be aware of the different signs and symptoms that your pet might be infected.
Does your dog have diarrhea? Have you caught your pet scratching or rubbing its hindquarters? Are there visible red marks or sores on your dog’s skin?
If your dog shows any of these symptoms, he or she might have worms. As with any other health problem, you should pay attention to anything that is out of the ordinary.
All these signs are very noticeable, but keep in mind that sometimes there would be no explicit signs and symptoms.
Before you freak out, this isn’t unusual or uncommon. It happens with most dogs one or more times during their lifetime. Even if your dog isn’t infected, like most pets, dogs should be dewormed once a year as a precaution.
Some of the ways in which worms spread are through fleas, from contaminated foods, contact with feces or even from a pregnant dog to her unborn pups. The different worms and parasites have different effects on your pet’s health. The more severe and extensive an infestation becomes the more adverse its effects. Some parasitic infections like heartworms could even be fatal.
Even less serious infections can still make your pet very uncomfortable. Other important reasons to treat and prevent worms in your dog is to prevent the parasites from infecting other pets as well as humans who interact with your pet.
How to Deworm Your Dog?
Usually, your vet will treat your pet for these parasites at their annual checkup. However, there are other options available. As worms are the most common health problems in dogs, it’s lucky that there are many ways to deworm your pet at home too.
You will be able to find over the counter dewormers at pet stores, department stores, and veterinary stores. Nowadays they can also be bought online.
With so many products available it is difficult to choose one to buy for your dog. It can be tempting to grab the first and cheapest product that you see. However, not all products are the same, and not all of those available are effective.
What Do You Need to Think About When Buying a Dewormer for Your Dog?
Choosing a dewormer isn’t as simple as we might want it to be. There are a lot of things to consider when you buy a deworming treatment. Let’s look at the essential criteria by which a product should be measured.
1. Safety
Whenever you buy something for your pet it’s your responsibility to make sure that it is safe to use. Make sure that the brand or source of the treatment can be trusted. When you browse for products, check whether they have been approved by the appropriate government bodies.
Part of this is making sure that you give your pet the correct dose of the medication. You should also buy a treatment that isn’t ideal for your pet’s species and breed. Dewormer for other pets aren’t suitable for dogs. In addition to this, see whether the medicine is for large, medium or small breed dogs.
The treatment should not make them sick and should not have too many side effects.
2. Effectiveness
Besides safety, the second most important aspect to think about is whether it will work. Not all products are of the same quality.You should do some research beforehand to find out whether the remedy will get rid of the pests. A handy way to gauge its effectiveness is to look at other reviews. The closer the stories are related to yours and the more positive experiences other customers had, the better.
3. What Parasites Does It Target?
The effectiveness of the treatment is impacted by the specific parasites that it targets. Your pet might only be infected with one type of worm or with more than one. They aren’t all killed by the same remedy.
Some of the most common worms are hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms.
Parasites on a pet’s skin are more straightforward to identify than intestinal worms. With severe infestations, worms can sometimes be visible in their feces. You might want to take your pet to the vet to find out what parasites they are infected with.
4. What Form Is the Medication in?
Many of the dewormers that are available are in the form of chewable tablets. These tablets are usually flavored so that your dog will enjoy eating them.
This is probably the easiest way to administer the treatment. Other forms like pastes etc. can be tricky to use with pets that aren’t accustomed to them.
I will use all these features to review 5 of the top dewormers that are available on the market.
The 5 Best Dewormers for Dogs
Editor's Picks | Product Name | Price |
|---|---|---|
Best Choices | 8in1 Safe-Guard 4 Canine De-Wormer | |
Best for Treat Pregnant Dogs | Panacur C Canine Dewormer | |
Best for Small, Medium and Large Breed Dogs | Bayer Quad Chewable Dewormer | |
Specifically for Large Dogs | Sentry Worm 7 X Way DeWormer Large Dogs | |
Suitable for Both Buppies (from 2 weeks) and Older Dogs | Nemex 2 Dewormer |
For: small, medium and large breed dogs
Quality
Price
Our rating
Safe-guard’s name says it all. It is an all in one dewormer that helps to treat your pets and protects them against future infestations. Its active ingredient is Fenbendazole. The remedy has options for small, medium and large breed dogs.
A benefit of this product is that it only needs to be administered for three days and is effective in preventing worms for up to six months. Unlike many other products on the market, this medicine treats dogs for more than one type of parasite. It targets hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms as well as whipworms. This is very helpful considering that most of the times pets are infected with more than one parasite, and it can be challenging to narrow down exactly which ones your pet has.
This remedy comes in the form of granules. These granules can be conveniently mixed into your dog’s food which makes it very easy to administer. To make it even easier the three doses are packaged separately in the box.
Overall, this product gives good results without breaking the bank.
Pros
Cons
For: The treatment is very safe and can even be used to treat pregnant dogs
Quality
Price
Our rating
The active ingredient in Panacur C is also Fenbendazole. It comes in the form of a powder that can be mixed with your dog’s food. This remedy targets and kills hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms as well as whipworms in dogs.
This potent powder is sold in packages of 1 g, 2 g and, 4 g. To easily administer the medication, the manufacturers recommend that it be mixed with wet food. The treatment is very safe and can even be used to treat pregnant dogs. Before you give it to a pregnant dog, however, you might want to take consult a vet.
The packages do not necessarily contain the full dose, so it’s possible that you will need to buy more than on. Work out how much you will need based on your dog’s weight before you buy the product.
The treatment lasts for three days after which Fido should be parasite free.
Pros
Cons
For: small, medium and large breed dogs. Usefully, it also comes in a box for puppies.
Quality
Price
Our rating
The Bayer Quad Dewormer comes in the form of chewable tablets. These tablets can be fed to your pets as is or it can be put in their food. Bayer is a well-known supplier and producer of health products and pharmaceuticals with a good reputation and long history.
This product has more than one active ingredient that helps it to target multiple parasites. Bayer Quad Dewormer is reported to work well in the majority of cases. The treatment comes in packs for small, medium and large breed dogs. Usefully, it also comes in a box for puppies.
To make them extra irresistible, they are beef flavored and most dogs will not even realize they are eating medicine. It’s also a long-term solution and out only need to give one dose at a time.
Pros
Cons
For: Although this product is specifically for large dogs, this brand also has treatments available for smaller breeds.
Quality
Price
Our rating
Sentry worm 7 X is a broad spectrum dewormer. It’s two active ingredients, pyrantel pamoate and praziquantel, have also been used in veterinary remedies.
The medicine comes in the form of two flavored chewable tablets that should be given to your pet once a month. Although this product is specifically for large dogs, this brand also has treatments available for smaller breeds.
In my personal experience, and according to popular opinion, most dogs love the taste of these tablets and gulp them right down. Partly because it is in tablet form, it’s only suitable for older pups (over 12 weeks) as it could be a choking hazard.
Pros
Cons
For: suitable for both puppies (from 2 weeks) and older dogs.
Quality
Price
Our rating
Nemex 2 Dewormer is the only remedy on this list that comes in a liquid form. The active ingredient in this suspension is Pyrantel Pamoate. The suspension is flavored and can be mixed with their food. You can give it to your pets with a dropper or a syringe among other methods.
Owners of pets who dislike chewable dewormer tablets often prefer liquid dewormers like Nemex 2. This liquid opens up a variety of methods of administration and you can mix it with just about anything. The medicine also deworms more than one type of parasite. It helps for both hookworms and roundworms.
Pros
Cons
So, Which Is My Favorite?
If you’ve found out that your dog has worms, you will want to get rid of them as soon as possible right?
But getting rid of parasites is a tricky business, so you need to make sure that you have the right tools for the job. That’s why you need to keep all these facts in mind when purchasing these products. So, which is best?
First of all, here is a summary of the products:
8 in 1 Safe-Guard | Panacur C Canine Dewormer | Bayer Quad Chewable Dewormer | Sentry Worm 7 X Way DeWormer | Nemex 2 Dewormer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Price | $ | $ | $$$ | $$ | $$$ |
Doses | Three | Based on weight | One | Consult vet | One |
Form | Granules | Powder | Tablet | Tablet | Liquid |
Parasites effective against | All (less effective against tapeworm) | All | And, all | All | Hookworms, roundworms |
Best feature | Easy to mix with food | Very affordable | Tasty flavor | Eliminates almost all parasites | Easy to administer |
Final Choice
My personal choice of product in this comparison is the 8in1 Safe-Guard 4 Canine De-Wormer for Large Dogs, 3 day treatment.
This medication is safe and is one of the most effective and targets one of the broadest spectrums of parasites. It can kill no less than four types of worms.
As Safe-Guard protects your dog for up to 6 months, it without a doubt offers the best value for money.
To top it off, for the most part, dogs enjoy the taste of this dewormer, or if they are not so keen on it, the flavor can be masked by their food.
If you can’t find Safe-Guard, the others are good alternatives. But Safe-Guard comes tops in most categories for this review of store-bought dewormers.
One Final Tip:
It’s always in the best interest of your pet to consult a vet before administering any medication. One never knows what other problems could be lurking or what complications may arise. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Hey there, I’m Ruby Smith, founder of Pet So Fun, and I’m here to provide you with useful information about your precious pet. All pets deserve the best care, don’t they? But not all pet owners have access to the right products and tips for their pets. And the central core of my work here is to change that.