Can I Worm My Pregnant Dog? The Facts You Need to Know

It’s very exciting caring for a pregnant dog, but it’s also just as nerve-wracking because of the many things you need to learn! There are a lot of things to look into and I’m sure one of the many things you’ve asked yourself was, “Can I worm my pregnant dog?” While there are different answers you can find online, the answer really depends.

So if you really want to learn about deworming your dog, read on! I’ll be talking all about the process if you can do it, and when to worm them. This is to ensure better health throughout the pregnancy.

can i worm my pregnant dog
Veterinary clinic worming your dog American Staffordshire

Can I Worm My Pregnant Dog?

There are a lot of parasites that affect dogs, causing a host of serious health problems and diseases. Pregnant dogs are no exception, which is why many wonder if it’s safe to deworm them even while they’re carrying a litter.

I’ve read online that caregivers and owners doubt the deworming, as it contains some chemicals which may or may not harm a pregnant dog. However, that is NOT the case. In fact, You MUST deworm your pregnant dog, but you have to make sure that you do it at the correct time to maintain good health for her and her puppies.

This is because the worms don’t only affect the pregnant dog, but the puppies she carries as well. And because both pregnant dog and newborn puppies had extremely low resistance, these parasites can hit hard. You don’t want any of the deadly symptoms to happen!

But there are some things to take note of as you deworm your pregnant dog since it isn’t just about giving her the medicine immediately and let her be. I’ll be getting into the benefits and when exactly you should worm your pregnant dog in the next sections.

Importance Of Worming Pregnant Dogs

You’re probably wondering: Why is it really important to deworm a pregnant dog, are they still susceptible to parasites? The answer is a huge YES. Deworming, for all dogs, aims to prevent intestinal parasites, killing any off to avoid serious health issues.

With pregnant dogs, they actually have the lowest resistance and are even more susceptible to these parasites. In fact, during the late stage of pregnancy, she is very stressed and this would have the parasites become more active. With her low resistance and stress combined, pregnant dogs have more of a risk in developing significant parasite loads, which would harm her and the puppies.

How Does It Affect The Puppies?

Worm infestation is possible to be passed from the pregnant dog to her puppies within the womb. The puppies may already have parasitical problems even before they were born because of a mom not being dewormed!

Besides that, when the puppies are born, they have sterile guts and they need the good bacteria from their mothers from breastmilk. This helps build up their digestive system. BUT, the same breastmilk the puppies feed on may transmit parasites, including worms, if your pregnant dog isn’t dewormed.

That’s why it’s extremely important to deworm your pregnant dog correctly and ensure that they are safe while doing so. Again, deworming won’t only benefit you and your dog, but the future litter as well. There’s no point running around and panicking about worm infestation when you have the chance to prevent it already.

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When Do I Need to Worm Her?

To sum it up, you CAN deworm your pregnant dog, but there are recommendations to do so. It’s all in a matter of time AND the type of deworming medicine you give her.

With that being said, deworming your pregnant dog is different than usual. Typically, you give one big dose once every three months.

With pregnant dogs, I highly recommend that you deworm a pregnant dog ten days before her delivery date. Afterward, you’ll need to continue deworming her every three weeks while she nurses her puppies. Small doses are better than one big dose for pregnant puppies, as the individual doses are down but the active ingredients are still there to keep the dog and breastmilk free from worms.

Besides this, you also have to take note of the type of dewormer you choose for your dog. You’re able to purchase and administer it yourself, though I highly recommend that you ask the veterinarian for advice on when to deworm your dog and what dewormer to use.

Many have had positive results with external deworming and using fenbendazole. To deworm your pregnant dog, do so according to the medicine and your veterinarian’s instructions to avoid administering it wrong and making the dewormer ineffective without knowing it.

As for puppies, that’s another story. They’ll also need small doses and it should be administered every two weeks from 2-12 weeks old.

Deworming does cost a bit for pregnant dogs and newborn puppies, but it will be worth the investment compared to medicine bought if they get sick!

Learn more about how to deworm a pregnant dog in this informative video:

Wrapping It Up

Deworming your dog is absolutely crucial to ensure her and her puppies’ health. By deworming her correctly and at a specific time, it will keep those nasty parasites away and have her focus more on her health. Just remember to do it correctly and you won’t have a problem!

Hopefully, this article answered your question, “Can I worm my pregnant dog?” Now that you know what to do, begin learning more about what to prepare for delivery and labor of dogs now.

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