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What you should know about parasite prevention for dogs

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Dogs should be on parasite prevention year-round.

Veterinarians recommend a broad-spectrum parasite preventive that treats, prevents, or controls intestinal parasites like roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, and whipworms; heartworms; fleas; and ticks.

"Many adult dogs may be asymptomatic carriers," according to Kelley Lay, a relief veterinarian who practices in Nashville, Tennessee. "Parasites are not always able to be seen in feces and so you may not even know the problem is there. This can lead to infections that linger undetected for a long time."

Veterinarians recommend keeping dogs on a broad-spectrum parasite preventive all year, not only in the spring and summer months. Different parasites are active during different months, and parasite activity varies. Parasites can also become active earlier than expected, including during the winter.

"You cannot fully predict or control the environment your dog is in," Smits said. "I live in Colorado, which overall has a low incidence of heartworms and [has] freezes with no mosquitos in the winter. Except, I have killed mosquitos in my house in February. My dogs find rodents in the backyard with tapeworms and potentially fleas. We just found tapeworms in February."

Your veterinarian can help you choose the best product or combination for your dog.

Although different parasite preventives cover many different parasites, no one product covers every single internal and external parasite that could affect your dog. For instance, one product may cover fleas, heartworm, and intestinal parasites, but not ticks. Another may cover fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites, but not heartworm. Talk to your veterinarian to help you decide which product will be best for your dog.

"This is the most important part of having a relationship with a veterinarian in your area," Smits said. "We are trained to know what parasite problems we have in our area are, what lifestyle risks are important to consider, and overall, what is best for an individual pet and lifestyle."

You should always take your dog to the vet before giving them a dewormer.

If you suspect your dog has worms, it's important to take them to the veterinarian for a physical exam and a fecal test to determine what type of worms they have.

"Not all intestinal parasites are created equal and there is not a one-size-fits-all when it comes to deworming medications," Lay said. "Your veterinarian will perform the appropriate tests to diagnose which type of intestinal parasites are present, and therefore which medication will appropriately target the problem."

Even though some dewormers do not require a prescription, do not skip the vet visit since different drugs treat different worms. Although a broad-spectrum dewormer kills several different types of worms, certain single-celled microscopic parasites (protozoa), including coccidia and Giardia, cause symptoms similar to those caused by intestinal parasites, but they are not true worms. They require different prescription medications to treat them.

In addition to conducting a fecal test, your vet can also determine if your dog may have other health issues that need to be addressed. Depending on the type of worms found, your dog might need follow-up deworming and a follow-up fecal exam to ensure no parasites remain.

Natural dewormers aren't necessarily a better option.

Check with your veterinarian before using natural dewormers with your dog. "While 'natural' deworming products may have some effect on intestinal parasites, I've consulted with numerous clients over the years who have tried them with repeated failure," Lay said. "Also, there's unfortunately still many unknowns and variables when it comes to many of the natural products."

Lay noted that conventional, veterinarian-recommended dewormers are both effective and safe to use. "Like any medication, we can't assume there will be zero side effects 100% of the time, but the veterinary-approved products have been around a long time, have gone through stringent drug trials and studies, and are proven to carry minimal to no risk," she said.