How often do you worm your dog and do you worm for lungworm?

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NellRosk

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Passing the vets tonight for de-fleaer because she's scratching and I've just thought she hasn't been wormed for a while. How often do you worm? Also do you worm for lungworm? I've seen ads on the TV about it but have never wormed for it and the vet has never mentioned it when I go in to buy wormer.
 
In theory I worm three times a year, as long as I remember. I buy online, it's cheaper. They do send reminders.
I believe lungworms is more prevalent in some areas than others and my vet said we were a low risk area.
 
Im the same, roughly three times a year when i remember or they start looking a bit bloated/itchy arse.
 
Okay thanks! I've just put my area into the lungworm risk calculator and it says there has been 152 cases within 50 miles of my area. I don't know if that's a high risk area or not!? I'll ask the vet when I pop in tonight.
 
We are technically a low risk area but have had a spate of confirmed cases recently, it's best to speak to your vet for the most up to date picture.

I've given up using flea prevention, they're groomed frequently enough that I'd spot fleas and due to R's dust mite allergy the house is sprayed with Indorex anyway so an infestation is unlikely to take hold.

For intestinal and lung worms I'm using Milbemax as often as I remember, probably three/four times a year. Both had a clear lungworm blood test last year (through work, we tested all the staff dogs before we rolled out the new in-house test for clients).
 
I use milbemax from the vets and it covers the lung worms anyway. Well, it helps if they have it and stuff but it wont prevent it
 
Why not try getting your vet to send off/analyse a faecal sample and then worm accordingly, if required? I have one 13 year old dog that has only been wormed probably four times in his entire life as a result of the above approach.
 
We use advocate monthly as a preventative for lungworm as well as everything else it does, and then just tapeworm every 6 months.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone!! I went to the vets and apparently the wormer they've always sold us is Milbemax so she has been covered for lungworm, I just didn't realise :o asked for some de-fleaer and the receptionist tried to flog me a pill that cost £30 and stops fleas for 3 months. Does anyone know if this works? I just went for frontline because I couldn't afford 60 quid for both dogs!
 
gunnergundog said:
Why not try getting your vet to send off/analyse a faecal sample and then worm accordingly, if required? I have one 13 year old dog that has only been wormed probably four times in his entire life as a result of the above approach.
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How much does this cost? I could do but tbh think she will definitely have worms, she rats a lot and eats poo at any given opportunity!
 
I must be in the minority, my dog hasn't been regularly wormed from about the age of 2 or 3. She's in her mid-teens now.
 
Wormed drontal when I cant remember when I last did it. About three times yearly.

Advocate december and august time.

I don't have a garden anymore and they dont eat anything I am aware of outside so prob low risk for heartworm?
 
I worm when I remember, am trying to be more vigilant now I've got littleun, but I doubt I will remember much more - I even write it on my calendar, so it's not like I have an excuse!!

I don't think the poo testing for lungworm is very reliable - when my retriever had a bad cough that she spent a long time chewing after they sent one off, but said it doesn't nececcarily show anything up and you often need two or three samples, by which time the treatment has worked anyway.

We treated her regardless ( no reported cases in any of the postcodes I took her to) and by the next morning I had a completely different dog - she had gone from a lethargic coughing yellow lump to a bouncing bonkers crazy thing within 36 hours. We never did get conformation of what was wrong with her, but we were all happy that advocate treated it !!
 
I use advocate every month as my dog gets flea allergy dermatitis. I worm for tapeworm with milbemax every 6 months.
If you are only using milbmemax it is licensed to cover for lungworm if you use it monthly.

Was the tablet Bravecto or Nexguard? Have heard good things about both, not something I have first hand use of.
I think the cost is supposed to wok out the same as three months worth of advocate?

I live in a high risk lungworm area and have seen and nursed a few cases of lungworm in young dogs. It is horrible and most of the dogs have detiorated very quickly and died quite horrifically. I know of one survivor and he has on-going neurological and heart problems. He faints when he exerts himself too much and is only 1 years old :(
 
Racergirl said:
I don't think the poo testing for lungworm is very reliable - when my retriever had a bad cough that she spent a long time chewing after they sent one off, but said it doesn't nececcarily show anything up and you often need two or three samples, by which time the treatment has worked anyway.

!!
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This is why for faecal testing (for any worms) that the vets normally advise that you collect a sample each day for three days and then mix into one!

Nellrosk.....re how much it costs depends if your vets have a lab on-site or if they need to send the sample away (when it can become expensive, I admit!) However, my personal preference is that I would rather pay the extra and only put chemicals into the dogs when absolutely necessary.

My gang also, aren't known for their gourmet tastes and frequently dine out on cow pats, horse poo and freshly shot rabbit still in its fur coat, so it doesn't necessarily follow that they will have worms.
 
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blackcob said:
We are technically a low risk area but have had a spate of confirmed cases recently, it's best to speak to your vet for the most up to date picture.

I've given up using flea prevention, they're groomed frequently enough that I'd spot fleas and due to R's dust mite allergy the house is sprayed with Indorex anyway so an infestation is unlikely to take hold.


For intestinal and lung worms I'm using Milbemax as often as I remember, probably three/four times a year. Both had a clear lungworm blood test last year (through work, we tested all the staff dogs before we rolled out the new in-house test for clients).
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You know milbemax is only licensed for use against lungworm at monthly intervals? x
 
Yup, and that's the advice given to clients, I just personally don't think it necessary - for various and probably scientifically unproven reasons. :p
 
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