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My puppy still has tapeworms after deworming. What should I do next?
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | unspayed | 3 months and 19 days old | 32 lbs
I saw segments of tapeworms in my dog's stool. Treated with praziprantel combo for 4 kinds of worms otc 2gm powder x3 days . Finished 2 days ago. Today i still see segments on her stool not alot but still see them. Should i repeat. She is 32 lbs puppy , did i give her the right dose?
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Answered By Anna M., DVM
Veterinarian
Published on July 7th, 2017
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!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpfulRelated Answers from Veterinarians
Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA
Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer
Published on May 27th, 2017
This worm looks like a tapeworm segment, which would explain why the dewormers he has had so far have not been effective - tapeworms are more difficult to get rid of than most other intestinal parasites. Over-the-counter dewormers and Sentinel will not kill them. You will need to get a special prescription dewormer from your vet that contains praziquantel in order to get rid of the tapeworms - typically one dose now, then another in 14-21 days to ensure that all life stages of the parasite are killed.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on April 16th, 2018
I'm not sure what deworming treatment you used, but if it didn't contain praziquantel, then it will not kill tapeworms if Willow has them. Tapeworms require praziquantel to kill. In addition, the life cycle of intestinal worms is around 2-3 weeks, so when a puppy does have worms, he needs to initially be dewormed every two weeks at first to kill all the worms. The first treatment kills the adults present while the second one kills the worms that had not yet hatched at the time of the first treatment. After that, he can be dewormed monthly. I would give him another deworming treatment now, one that includes praziquantel such as Drontal. Give him another dose in two weeks, and then deworm him monthly until he is six months old. After that, he should be dewormed every three months.
As a side note, it is never recommended to give dogs pork. Raw pork contains parasites called trichinella spiralis larvae, which can cause the parasite infection known as trichinosis. In addition, pork can be high in fat and full of salt, both of which are not good for dogs. If you want to give him some meat with his dog food, boiled white meat chicken (no bones) or boiled low fat ground beef are better choices. Best of luck, I hope this helps!1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Claudia Fioravanti
Veterinarian
Published on November 5th, 2018
Hi, the looks like the proglottis of tapeworms.I would recommend praziquantel for deworming but also you need to treat him for fleas as the two parasites go hand in hand.
For the time being you could buy a Praziquantel dewormer and when you see your vet discuss ongoing care. Hope this helps !1Pet Parents found this answer helpful