How to Prevent Worms in Your Dogs

Keeping your dog’s parasite care on track takes more than picking up the yard. Start with a plan from your veterinarian, then make the everyday parts of that plan easier to follow.

1. Keep Veterinary Checkups on the Calendar

Ask when your dog needs an examination and parasite testing, including stool testing. Bring the sample your clinic requests and a list of products your dog already receives.

2. Use an Individual Prevention Plan

Puppies and adult dogs do not all need the same schedule. Your veterinarian can recommend appropriate products and testing based on your dog, local risks, and activities. Follow the directions your veterinarian gives you and ask before changing the plan.

3. Include Flea and Tick Control in the Conversation

Ask which parasites your current products cover and whether anything is missing. The Companion Animal Parasite Council’s guidelines recommend veterinarian-guided testing and year-round broad-spectrum parasite control. Cleanup supports that plan; it does not replace it.

4. Keep Up With Waste Pickup

Pick up immediately on walks and check your yard daily. Use a bag or cleanup tool, avoid bare-hand contact with waste, and wash your hands after cleanup. These hygiene steps are also included in CAPC’s guidance.

5. Discuss Food and Outdoor Habits

Tell your veterinarian if your dog hunts, scavenges, eats other animals’ waste, or travels with you. Those details are more useful than assuming every dog has the same exposure.

6. Notice Changes Without Guessing the Cause

If you see something unusual in your dog’s stool or notice a change in appetite, weight, or behavior, contact your clinic. A photograph or a stool sample collected as the clinic directs may help the conversation. Don’t choose a treatment based only on appearance.

7. Keep Care Records Together

Write down testing dates, product names, and the next steps your veterinarian recommends. Share the instructions with anyone caring for your dog.

8. Dispose of Waste Properly

Use the designated waste receptacle on walks and follow your local waste provider’s instructions at home. Keeping bags near the leash and cleanup supplies in one place makes the routine easier to maintain.

Parasite prevention is an ongoing part of care. Your veterinarian is the right person to tailor it to your dog.