How often do you worm your dog, and why?

[TheLivelyCat]

How often do I need to worm my dog?
I understand that the guidelines are every 3 months on average, however my vets have recommended I do monthly due to my dogs lifestyle, hiking, mantrailing, our location beaches, woodlands, farms ect and breed (Labrador) as they are known scavengers, shes very much a town and country dog.
I have no issue worming monthly if she is high risk, but the vet was saying that over the counter wormers like drontal dont cover lung worm, and I will definitely need to cover her for that too.
So in total im looking at £24pm to cover both wormer and flea and tick prevention. Vet doesn't do pet plans ect, and private perception works out more expensive after paying for the perception.

More nastiness. Why won’t you leave me alone I wonder? Have you ever thought your irrational need to one-up others is a narcissistic trait? Worth some self-reflection, exploration and working on.

The difference between us is I have manners and good courtesy and I’m degree educated in parasitology and pharmacology to masters level. No googling required. Not that I’m against Google. Maybe if you’d have found some reputable sources whilst you were googling you’d be more to do date.
and accusing me of googling (again not that there’s an issue with google) is that another nasty move on your part to attempt to discredit me? I’m not the only person on here posting so why have you chosen to bully me in particular? Have you thought about why it is you feel the need to do that because I have also studied human psychology and have some ideas…

We do understand risk differently that is true. The difference I think is I understand this is not in fact a problem it’s just that contextual and situational knowledge influence decision making.

I'll just say this @mintleavesandthyme because I'm sorry but you are sounding a little unhinged now...
At 11.08 you said: "do you worm count monthly? I do think it’s the way forward".
Except you didn't. You said: "do you worm monthly? I do think it’s the way forward"
But then you edited it.

By the time I copied it, it said "worm count". So, of course my question about why you mentioned the environment made no sense.
Unless it was my mistake and I read it incorrectly. Which I may have done but, if so, then another poster also made the same mistake.
If I did read it incorrectly, then please accept my apologies.

Glad to hear about your masters. I hope you have the cert hung up in the downstairs loo? That is where my PhD cert hangs.

I don’t routinely do either. He’s had fleas once in 6 years, he’s very fine coated with sensitive skin so we knew immediately and treated them. He’s been wormed maybe 6 times in his life.

Both flea and worm treatment are dreadful for the environment.

@redboxer321 The 11:08 post always said 'worm count' and that it was the way forward. A following post said worming was bad for the environment and the worms build up a resistance to the drugs anyway.

The contradiction for me is that with saying all that, @mintleavesandthyme still worms her dog monthly. Why do that if you believe worm counting is a better approach?

The point is that wormcounting will pick up if your dog has worms before they are a public health issue. Wormcount 3 monthly and there is no public health issue.

It is great that you are being conscientious but people that worm count are also being conscientious and are not increasing any risk at all to humans or their dogs.

Wormcounters are looking at the bigger picture of the impact of over medication to the environment.

Worming when there is no need is having a mega environmental impact - choosing not to wormcount in my eye is not being conscientious.

Ah, ok. Then that was my mistake.
Thanks @SpanielsGalore

And sorry for misreading @mintleavesandthyme

Hi @SpanielsGalorei think I’ve covered your question in a previous post but I’m happy to say more. I think it’s a fair challenge and I agree there is a paradox. I think it comes down to availability and convenience. You have to admit that giving a tablet and knowing you’ve covered any risks is much more convenient than collecting your dog’s poo over 3 days, storing it during that process and taking it to the post office every month only to then need to order treatment too. I’m not a perfectly virtuous person.

i think at the moment this is a barrier to more people testing but I do think attitudes will shift on this and soon it will be more standard. But it may involve vets refusing to prescribe without a positive test, and with the critique of vet costs at the moment, I wonder how that will go down??

Every 3 mths

No problem. Do you always choose weird hills to die on?

Very rarely, had spaniels for 25 years+ and only flea once a year and never worm

It is so easy to do. I have been wormcounting for over 30 years.

I have had 1 positive test in 30 years so only needed to treat any of my dogs the one time.

Pick up the poo I do that anyway
pop a bit into a container
pop into prepaid envelope
pop into a post box- no need to go to postoffice
next day emailed results
48 hours later get lungworm result by email
Generally no need to get treatment but you are reassured that your dog does not have worms.

@mintleavesandthyme Perfectly happy for vets to only prescribe if they have a positive test. I think that is an excellent idea.

I can't say I particularly enjoy poo collecting for wormcount - and especially not today because I got some on my ungloved hand - but the benefits far outweigh the inconvenience of it for me. I guess we are all different but it feels a small price to pay to me.

I'm not sure you are as nice, well-mannered and courteous as you think you are.

FYI, I tend to get sucked into arguments. I try not to but failed today. But I do post - and please bear in mind before you accuse me again of targeting or bullying you that we were replying to each other and you have said some pretty offensive things about me - when I think a thread covers an important topic. And I think the over-medicalisation of pets is an important topic.

@mintleavesandthyme You might be right about me having narcissistic traits. I mean, it is the most human of human conditions. And as we are all on social media then I'd be a good company. Social media platforms being a natural hangout for those with narcissistic traits and even full blown narcissism. I imagine you would understand that having studied human psychology.

But, and here's the but, it wasn't me who accused you of having narcissistic traits. Quite the opposite in fact. So, I shall just leave this here. Might be a good idea to take a look over the weekend.

Narcissists and the Art of Accusation | Narcissistic Exposed