My puppy still has flat white worms after deworming. What to do?

I'm a bit confused by the description of the medication you used, as I'm not familiar with an over-the-counter powder praziquantel medication, and typically I give praziquantel for tapeworms as a single (tablet) dose, which in some cases is repeated several weeks later if needed. The product that is typically given as a powder daily for 3 consecutive days is Panacur, with an active ingredient of Fenbendazole, which only gets select species of tapeworms. So, a few thoughts to answer your questions. No, I would not recommend re-dosing if you just finished treatment 2 days ago. Sometimes it can take a few days for the parasites to be expelled from the system, and I wouldn't typically re-treat until at least 2 weeks later. Keep monitoring Buffy and see if those tapeworm segments continue to decrease, or if you still see them a week or two from now. Additionally, dogs tend to get tapeworms from ingesting fleas, so make sure Buffy is treated with an effective flea preventative. Finally, I strongly recommend having Buffy's stool sample checked by your vet, and rather than treating with something over the counter, get the medication your vet prescribes. Not all dewormers are created equally, and in my experience the over-the-counter meds are not nearly as effective as those available through a vet. Also, given your puppy's young age, it is very possible she may have other types of intestinal parasites in addition to tapeworms - tapeworms are the most visible, so they may be the ones you're seeing, but other types of worms are more often shed as microscopic eggs and wouldn't be detected unless you're using a microscope. So, I know that's a lot of information, but I want to make sure you're effectively treating Buffy's condition, and in order to do so it is worth getting the appropriate medication from your vet. I hope this helps!

Hello. There have been some reports of drug resistance with tapeworms. I would talk to your vet about either upping the dose of the praziquantel or trying an alternate drug called epsiprantal. And make sure your vet sees a stool sample containing the tapeworm segments just to make sure there is not something else going on. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there. Short, flat worms that you can see in the stool are tapeworms. Over-the-counter dewormers will not get rid of these, so you'll need to get a prescription dewormer from your vet to treat them effectively :)

Great question! You are correct that Sassy could have tapeworms based on your description. Tapeworms require praziquantel to treat, which is available by prescription only from your vet. The OTC deworming treatments won't have that medication in it, so that's why it isn't working. I would have Sassy seen by a vet tomorrow to get Drontal (it contains praziquantel). It is an excellent deworming treatment, and also kills roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms in addition to tapeworms. Sassy will need another Drontal two weeks after the first treatment to kill all the tapeworms, and then she should receive it every three months. I hope this helps!

Those look like tapeworms, which requires praziquantel to treat. That is a prescription medication, so you will need to take Kiko into the vet to get Drontal (which contains praziquantel) to treat it.

Yes, it's very common to see the worms after giving the deworm medication. This type of deworm medication works by inhibiting the nerves in the worm. While this usually does kill the worm, they may be somewhat alive still when they are passed in the stool. The fact that the worm came out indicates that it is at-least debilitated. If this was Millie's first deworm tablet, then it's best to give another one (like drontal plus) in two weeks to make sure you get all the worms. I hope that helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This means that Ace would benefit from being started on another dose of deworming medications. The best medication for this is usually chosen based on a fecal examination to determine which parasite is affecting Ace. The same deworming medication can be given to your other dog. I recommend that you have them evaluated by a your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!