The revolting little critters don’t just affect dogs, either. Left untreated, worms (especially roundworms) can spread throughout your pets and your family, and cause nasty conditions such as toxocariasis. They can be particularly dangerous for children and pregnant women, causing birth defects and blindness.
So, an occasional worming tablet is a vital part of your dog’s diet. The tablets contain chemicals that are safe for your dog (at the recommended dose) but highly toxic to worms throughout their life cycle. An infestation of worms should be treated by your vet, but prevention is better and cheaper than cure, and one tablet every three months is usually enough to prevent infection. If your dog has been treated for an infestation of worms, you’ll normally need to give a repeat dose after two weeks, but speak to your vet first.
If your dog won’t tolerate or swallow tablets, there are variations such as flavoured chews, granules and even syrup that might make the treatment process more enjoyable for all involved. Well, except the worms.
For more information on worming your pets, check out this explainer from VetHelp Direct.
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What types of worms might affect my dog?
The two main types of intestinal worm treated by worming tablets are roundworms and tapeworms. Both types live in the small intestine of dogs, cats and humans.
Roundworms can be picked up by adult dogs while out and about on walks, especially if other dog owners haven’t been careful about picking up poop. Puppies commonly contract roundworms from their parents. In both adults and puppies, a mild infestation may go unnoticed for weeks until the poor pooch starts to suffer diarrhoea, and you might start to see live worms in their poop.
Most worming treatments also kill hookworms and whipworms, which are types of roundworm.
Tapeworms shed segments that look like grains of rice in faeces and may be visible around your dog’s bottom and tail. Tapeworms can be passed to your pet by fleas, so it’s important to keep up your flea treatment regime as well as worming.
What are the active ingredients in worming tablets for dogs?
- Fenbendazole is a safe, gentle wormer that kills roundworms, hookworms and whipworms. It works by diminishing the parasites’ energy reserves and preventing them from eliminating waste, eventually killing them.
- Febantel is metabolised into fenbendazole shortly after your dog ingests the tablet, with or without food. So, after a bit of digestion, it’s basically the same thing.
- Pyrantel kills roundworms and pinworms, but again not tapeworms.
- Praziquantel kills tapeworms. Most OTC dog worming tablets contain this ingredient along with febantel, to ensure that all the major types of worm are dealt with.
- Nitroscanate is a relatively gentle dewormer that appears in lots of supermarket worming tablets, and kills tapeworms as well as roundworms. It’s fairly effective but notoriously toxic in high doses, so be extra careful to give your dog the smallest appropriate dose for his or her weight.
- Milbemycin oxime is a strong worming medication that kills all kinds of intestinal worms at any stage of their life cycle. It’s only available on prescription in the UK, so you’ll need to get a script from your vet to buy it.
How can I ensure I don’t give my dog an overdose?
Know your dog’s weight, and only give him or her the appropriate worming dosage for their size. Most of our recommended best worming tablets for dogs come in different dosages for different size dogs, and they all have feeding instructions on the packet. It’s always worth having a chat with your vet if you’re unsure.
How much will I need to spend?
Dog worming tablets are less expensive than flea treatments. For prevention, you can get away with spending under £2 on one tablet every three months for a small to medium adult dog. If you need a prescription-only product, the vet’s prescription may well cost more than the tablet itself, but it will still add up to much less than buying worming tablets direct from your vet.
The best worming tablets for dogs in 2022
1. Drontal Dog Tasty Bone: Best all-round worming tablets for dogs
Price: £1.85 for one tablet | Buy now from VetUK
Drontal is a name well known to owners of dogs and cats, because their treatments (including a worming spot-on liquid) are recommended by vets and target both main types of worm: roundworm and tapeworm. They can treat infestations as well as prevent them, killing worms within around 24 hours.
Like most worming tablets, Drontal Tasty Bone tablets have a meaty flavour to make them more palatable for your pooch. You can break them up for easier feeding, and they don’t have to be taken on an empty stomach, so you can hide them in your pup’s food (or inside a tasty treat) to help the medicine go down.
Like many of our recommended best worming tablets for dogs, Drontal and all its variants are available at good prices from Pet Drugs Online, a UK site with free delivery if you spend over £29. You can also buy pet food and prescription medicine here (if you have a prescription, of course), so it’s easy to reach the free delivery spend. In fact, Drontal Tasty Bone are available in package sizes of one or – if you want to stock up – 102 (£170.48), so you can get a lifetime’s supply with free delivery.
Key details – Format: Tablet; Flavour: Beef; Active ingredients: Febantel, pyrantel, praziquantel; Suitable for: Small to medium adult dogs
