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Is it safe to deworm puppies for suspected worms without a vet?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | unspayed | 2 years and 5 months old | 55 lbs

Loki has 7 five week pups who are on amoxicillin, and one recently pooped out what looked like a roundworm, and what one of the vets on pet coach said was a roundworm. So we bought rfd dewormer that works for roundworm and hookworm, we haven’t had worms confirmed by our vet with a fecal sample, is it still okay to give all of the puppies dewormer? Would it be harmful to them if they did not have worms. My vet does not open till Monday, and I would like to give it to them tonight, if possible.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on March 3rd, 2018

In looking up RFD dewormer, it is safe to use on puppies as young as two weeks of age, so you can use it on Loki's puppies. Dose their according to the their weight and follow the dosage instructions on the package. If Loki has worms, then it is likely her puppies have worms as well because they are contagious. I do recommend giving them the deworming treatment. I hope this helps!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Is it safe to deworm my 2-week-old puppies and how often?

Hello, and thank you for your question. It is safe to administer at the frequency written on the bottle, but it is not essential. I typically deworm every 2 weeks, starting from age 2 weeks all the way to 16 weeks. Make sure to weight them each time prior to administering, so that you are giving them the correct dose. I hope this helps, and that your puppies are doing well so far!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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My 4-week-old puppies have worms. Can I treat them safely at home?

No, do not do this. It is not safe if it's labeled for puppies over six weeks of age, and even cutting the dosage in half is not safe. I would get Panacur for them. It's safe to give puppies their age, and you may be able to get it at a pet store.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My 2-month-old puppy has worms. What can I give him before the vet?

Looks like roundworms. There are many OTC dewormers that should work just fine. You can look for one that contains Pyrantel. It is still a good idea to have a vet diagnose what worms or other intestinal parasites are present. And Cujo will need re-treatment in 3 weeks to kill adults that hatch from eggs in the intestines right now. Here is a good product: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/8-in-1-safe-guard-4-canine-dewormer?bvstate=pg:2/ct:r

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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Can I deworm my 3-week-old puppies if I see live worms in poop?

You can buy a puppy wormer from your vet or a pet shop and worm the puppies exactly according to the instructions on the packaging and their weight, Please do not over or underdose them. Make sure the dewormer is suitable for puppies.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog has worms. Is dewormer safe for a nursing dog and her litter?

Pyrantel (roundworms, hookworms and whipworms) and Drontal plus (also effective against tapeworms) are safe for nursing female dogs. Intestinal parasites are zoonotic/transmissible to humans by fecal/oral contact so be super diligent about hand washing after handling her or her pups. It is likely that all her pups have worms now too but they should be at least 6 weeks of age before deworming with its pyrantel. Good luck and congrats on the puppies!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Can I safely deworm my tiny 2-week-old puppy without a vet's help?

You should really have a vet do that. It is very easy to overdose a puppy that small and that could be deadly. Not only that, but the dewormer you can buy over the counter is not very good and only usually is effective for one type of worm and often not safe to use in puppies that young. Your vet will have the best and safest products to use. Please let your vet do that for you. It is better to be safe than sorry. Hope this answers your question. Please feel free to post again if you need more assistance. Best wishes!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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Is 1ml dewormer safe for my 4-week-old, 5lb puppies?

This is correct. That medication has a very wide dosing range and it is very safe. Resistance to this medications is starting to becoming a problem so we have started to use the higher end of the dose range.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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