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My dog has worms. Are natural remedies safe or should I use meds?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Border Collie | Female | spayed

Is there a natural remedy for worms instead of just medication prescribed? I have no issue taking her to the vet, I was honestly just wondering.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 19th, 2018

Intestinal worms need to be killed. There is no alternative or natural remedy that kills worms. The easiest and safest way to do that is to use a worming medication that does exactly that. If dosed properly according to the weight of the animal, worming medications will only affect the worms and will not affect the animal. There are some exceptions: Ivermectin should not be used in collies and other dogs with MDR1 defect. However, there are many safe alternatives to ivermectin and in general all other wormers are safe and effective.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Stephanie Echols, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 13th, 2019

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! No there are no natural treatments for tapeworms. You need praziquantel to kill them. You also need a medication to kill fleas because most of the time a pet has tapeworms from ingesting fleas. Good luck and kisses to George!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 24th, 2019

    Unfortunately no, there are no natural remedies for worms. You need to give Wulfie a deworming treatment like Panacur or Drontal. Do not try any "natural" remedies you may find online. Some of them are extremely dangerous and can be fatal.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Medications
My dog has worms, natural remedies aren't working. What works?
There are no natural remedies that works for worms, this is why when we get worms we take medications as well. Drontal is an excellent product and it will work for sure, you can use it once every 3 months after the next dose.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My dog reacts to meds. Are there safe natural flea/heartworm options?
Hi. Unfortunately there is no "all natrual" and effective flea/tick/heartworm prevention medications. It takes an actual medication and antiparasitic medication to prevent these. The natural products you see when you look in to these are not nearly as effective or studied as those recommended by your veterinarian. This is obviously completely your decision, but from a medical standpoint I do not recommend the all all natural medications or collars for this. If your pet is having reactions to vectra and interceptor, please discontinue them and speak to your veterinarian about other options such as revolution, heart guard, simparica or Brevecto. Good luck.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My 8-week-old puppy has worms. Are home remedies safe or effective?
Unfortunately, there are no home remedies for worms in puppies. She will need a deworming treatment for her worms, and you can get one OTC from your vet's clinic (you don't need an exam) or from the pet store. I recommend giving Zura Panacur.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My dog has worms. What's the safest and most effective treatment?
Tobacco is highly toxic to dogs, cats and children. Please buy a dog wormer against round worm available either from your veterinarian or at a pet shop and dose it according to the labels on the packaging. Please do not use tobacco.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
What homeopathic remedies work for dog and cat worms and liver?
Unfortunately, there are no homeopathic remedies you can use to kills worms in cats and dogs. These require medications to kill, and I would recommend using Panacur. As for the liver, there are many homeopathic liver remedies you can give your cats and dogs, but you can try HepatoPET.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
What deworming medication side effects should I watch for in my puppy?
Yes. Any deworming medication has the potential to cause side effects in your puppy or dog. Common side effects from tablets or liquids given to treat gastrointestinal worms include loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Some medications, like Ivermectin, should not be administered to particular breeds of dogs. For instance collie breeds experience seizures, muscle twitching, and hypersalivation when treated with Ivermectin. Other deworming medications should not be given to pregnant or lactating dogs or puppies under certain ages. The safest and most effective deworming medications, or wormers, come from your vet or can be obtained with a prescription for your pooch.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Medications
My puppy has tapeworm. Best safe all-in-one parasite control?
The dewormer i usually recommend is called Drontal plus, bear in mind that unlike the flea/tick products, dewormers do not protect your dog from future infestation, it only kills the worms on spot. for fleas and ticks i usually recommend Bravecto tablet or Advantix spot on. all these medications are considered to be high quality and safe.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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