Puppies and Kittens
Intestinal parasites are very common in both puppies and kittens. These young pets can become infected before they are even born, or later through their mother's milk.
The veterinarians at Weir Veterinary Service recommend puppies and kittens be dewormed at their first vaccine appointment. We then send another dose home for administration 2 weeks later. Another dose is given at the next booster vaccine (one month from the first vaccine).
Adult Dogs and Cats
The veterinarians at Weir Veterinary Services recommend your adult pet be dewormed at least twice a year. A good time to do it is spring and fall. As long as you know your pet's weight, you don't even need to bring your furry friend! We can give you the correct dose over the counter to take home.
If your pet does not have a lot of access to the outdoors, you may not need to follow the above schedule. The veterinarian will recommend a fecal floatation be done once a year at the time of vaccines. This requires you bringing in a sample of your pet's feces, and an examination is done under the microscope for parasites and their eggs.
Some pets spend most or all of their time outdoors, and may need to be dewormed more often. Unfortunately, deworming pills do not provide any prevention to re-infection. They only kill whatever parasite population is already present. Some topical products, like Revolution and Advantage (both of which are good for flea control) will provide protection for a month, but they do not cover as many parasites as the pills do.
If you have any further questions about deworming your pets, please phone the clinic at (780) 875-2281.