Malaysia Veterinary Forum (Archive)

filet0fish · Joined: 13 Jul 2007 Posts: 30 Location: Pee Jay

hello vets,

need to clarify certain things with regards to "deworming pills".

my 2 girls are taking Heartgard Plus monthly to combat roundworms and hookworms. but recently, i learned that Heartgard Plus is NOT enough to combat worms. and that i must administer more dewormers for the girls.

i did some reading and found that for different worms, i should be using different drugs. for example, to combat tapeworms, it is best to use Praziquantel. and for whipworms, it is best to use Fenbendazole.

my question is, when someone says "my vet gave my dog deworming pills", what is the most common drug that vets use? what do you use?

also, are Praziquantel and Fenbendazole used more for prevention or treatment? if for prevention, how often should i administer the drugs to my dogs?

i understand that most articles i read are from foreign countries. how worried should i be of tapeworms and whipworms in Malaysia? has there ever been a huge outbreak which all dogs must be protected against tapeworms and whipworms?

please advice.

thanks.

Dr HanMRCVS · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 566 Location: Johor Bahru

i seldom encounter tapeworms in dogs and more often see them in stray cats being brought in by good samaritans. thus, i seldom have to resort to praziquantel for dogs (this is my sole preference).

i do however see dogs with whipworms every now and then esp those reared on farms, large grassy bungalows or even stray dogs.

i personally use all the mentioned above on a regular basis and also more modern deworming agents, and as each drug has their pros and cons, i will choose the most suitable drug for my patients depending on their worm burden, cost, compliancy and ease to administer. as far as i know, at least for me, theres no deworming particular for 'prevention' or deworming esp 'treatment'. it depends on what your vet is used to using.

as to how often should you deworm your dog, i think your vet is the right person to give you a recommendation as he or she will know how exposed your dogs are for infestation.

lastly, i have not heard of any outbreaks of tapeworm or whipworm infestation here in Malaysia.

filet0fish · Joined: 13 Jul 2007 Posts: 30 Location: Pee Jay

thank u Dr. Han.

i understand better now. thank u very much!

Dr Nat · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 1834 Location: Klang Valley

One suggestion. If you dont feel too confident in just the regular dewormer, you can opt to get regular fecal test for worms instead. And when tapeworms or whipworms are found, you can use the drug and dosage more effective for those worms.