【“Chemical club” worm treatment? That's what experts say

How harmful are wormers for dogs?

Deworming is very popular among some dog owners controversially discussed: Some conclude that such regimens are pointless, unnatural and even harmful. Worms, some have concluded, are a completely normal part of a dog's life – after all, wild animals cannot be dewormed either.

Unfortunately, this view is not correct: Worms can cause incredible damage to dogs and even wild animals. If the parasites establish themselves and infect the four-legged friend over a long period of time, they are serious Organ damage the logical consequence.

Worms are also one of the main reasons why wild animals have a significantly shorter life expectancy. In order to guarantee that your darling can accompany you healthily for a long time, it is actually Obligation to take countermeasures immediately if the dog is infested with worms.

Veterinarians recommend medical worm medications

The Advice from veterinarians is pretty clear: they recommend having your dog dewormed regularly. Experts attach great importance to this medical worm medications be used. They are approved as veterinary medicinal products and have been tested in clinical tests.

Many dog ​​owners initially cringe when it comes to medication for their four-legged friends. The term “chemical club” is often thrown around. And to a certain extent it is understandable that you don't want to give your loved one more medication than necessary.

Harmful for parasites, gently for dogs

However, most modern dewormers are surprisingly gentle on dogs. The active ingredients are usually designed to only destroy the structure of the parasites:

• Febantel disrupts the tubulin development and thus destroys the protein structure of the worms, eggs and larvae.
• Praziquantel punctures the cells of the pests and paralyzes the worms so that they can no longer cling to the intestinal walls, for example.
• Pyrantel also has paralyzing properties on the parasites.
• Milbemycin destroys the cell membrane of worms.

The clinical trials of these agents are designed for regular, long-term use. The dose of a worm treatment is such that it is suitable for dogs As a rule, no damage is expected are.

Side effects generally rare & light

However, it can happen from time to time Side effects come. You can also find these in the package insert for the respective preparation. Most undesirable effects are of a mild nature and are in no way life-threatening; they often only occur for a short time and then subside later.

In rare cases, modern commercially available medications primarily lead to

• Diarrhea
• Vomit
• Dog discomfort & apathetic behavior
• Itching and occasionally too
• Fur irritation or hair loss.

Exceptions for certain active ingredients & breeds

But there are a few special cases, in which certain dewormers can be very critical. So there are some dogs that have a so-called MDR1 defect have. MDR1 is a transporter that helps regulate foreign bodies such as drugs. It then prevents too much active ingredient from reaching the brain; instead, the excess is returned to the blood.

If there is a MDR1 defect, this means of transport is not available in sufficient quantities. A partial (MDR1+/-) or total (MDR1-/-) defect can be identified using a specialized blood analysis prove.

Some deworming medications are highly toxic to these four-legged friends and even have deadly potential. Known active ingredients that must then be avoided include:

• Ivermectin
• Doramectin
• Milbemycin oxime
• Oxidectin and
• Selamectin.

You can recognize poisoning by, among other things, dizziness, diminishing eyesight/dilated pupils and convulsions in the dog. An MDR1 defect occurs not only in some dewormers, but also in many other medications. If your dog is affected, you should under no circumstances administer medication yourself, but always ask the vet for the green light.

How works What is the effect of a worm treatment on dogs?

In most cases, the side effects of worm treatments are very manageable. Experts are therefore almost unanimously of the opinion that such means are clearly more benefits than risks entail.

substance of the parasites is destroyed

This is because the materials used Not toxic to the dog at all are. Basically, the worms are not poisoned either: Instead, they are paralyzed or their substance – for example in the form of the cell structure – is destroyed.

Since invertebrate parasites are structured very differently than mammals, a fatal effect on worms does not mean that dogs also have to suffer from it.

become worms excreted within 24-72 hours

The worms that have been killed or rendered harmless can then no longer survive in the intestines or other organs: accordingly, they are destroyed along with other digestive by-products eliminated.

This usually happens within 24 to 72 hours after deworming. You will also find the worms in the feces of severely infected four-legged friends. Due to the still existing Risk of infection – some parasites can also infect people – you should in the meantime special caution when handling the dog and cleaning up “leftovers”.

Only works Parasites that are in the body

However, you must note that medical worm medications only work against parasites that are in the body at the time of taking them. This means that the dog is more or less worm-free afterwards – but the dose cannot prevent new parasites from finding their way into the body immediately afterwards.

So you should Don't be lulled into a false sense of security: Fighting parasites in dogs is an ongoing endeavor. Unfortunately, antiparasitics are building no permanent immunity to worms on.

No all-round protection regular use is recommended

You should also keep in mind that unfortunately no guarantee ensures that all worms are actually rendered harmless:

• Many active ingredients only help against a certain type, for example against tapeworms, but not against roundworms.
• Furthermore, there is always the risk that some parasites will remain in the body; eggs and larvae in particular can be very stubborn.

The latter limitation in particular leads to many veterinarians recommending regular worming treatments to carry out. Then parasites can stay in the body, but they can hardly cause any damage: As soon as they have reached adult size or have multiplied excessively, they are rendered harmless by further ingestion.