Home Remedies to Eliminate Intestinal Parasites

All dogs deal with intestinal parasites at various points in their lives, along with other types of internal worms that can affect their lungs or heart. That's why regular deworming is so important.

This type of worm can be transmitted to humans, so we should be even more careful. At SoyunPerro we've put together a series of home remedies for eliminating worms in dogs — we hope they're helpful.

Are Home Remedies Effective?

Yes — natural medicine, available to everyone right in our kitchens, is effective for preventing and controlling intestinal worms, according to scientific studies.

However, they should always be used under veterinary supervision, to make sure they're working and properly protecting our dog. Never use them on your own without an animal medicine expert's guidance, since every dog is different.

In cases of heavy infestation, anti-parasite drugs from the ivermectin group are preferred for how quickly they work. Combined therapy with anti-parasite tablets and natural medicine can be used, always under professional supervision.

Home Remedies for Worms in Dogs

Let's look at the products and foods that, thanks to their composition, are excellent for treating worms. Remember to always use the amounts your vet tells you, since depending on the dog's age and weight, doses vary a lot.

Some of these remedies are beneficial in small amounts but very harmful in large ones — please don't experiment on your own, since you could put your dog's health at risk.

Pumpkin

The part of the pumpkin we'll use is its raw seeds. Pumpkin seeds contain up to 35% cucurbitacin, an active compound with anthelmintic properties. The way to use them is grinding the seeds and adding them to its food, since they're a very effective natural dewormer. The rough dose is one small spoonful of crushed seeds per ten kilos of weight.

Pineapple

Did you know dogs can eat pineapple? Thanks to the anti-inflammatory and immunostimulant activity of bromelain (according to scientific reports from the Escola Paulista de Medicina at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo), pineapple's active compound, we can use it in pets with parasites to ease the gastrointestinal damage these parasites cause.

Garlic

We need to be very cautious with garlic, since in high amounts it can be quite toxic. However, in small amounts it's an excellent antibiotic and immunostimulant with a strong anti-parasite effect, helping eliminate worms.

Areca Palm Seeds

These seeds act as a powerful anti-parasite and also effectively reduce infestation symptoms, also helping regulate the dog's nervous system. As with pumpkin seeds, we should crush them and give them in its food, in the amount the vet indicates.

Wormwood

In vitro studies have shown wormwood extract has an anthelmintic effect. It's worth noting that some parts of the plant contain a substance called tannins, which can be quite strong for your dog and irritating to its liver and kidneys.

Carrots

Carrots are an excellent snack for dogs, and it's been shown that dogs who eat carrots are less prone to internal parasites. By cutting small pieces to add to its food, they won't be fully digested and will help carry worms out along with the stool.

Fasting

Always under a vet's supervision, fasting can help a dog get rid of a large portion of its worms. Without receiving food, they'll be expelled or even come out on their own through the rectum along with the stool.

How to Know If a Dog Has Worms?

You can tell through unusual symptoms in your pet, such as mucous (phlegmy) and bloody stool, listlessness, loss of appetite, and excessive licking of the anus.

If the infestation is mild, often the eggs won't be visible in the stool. On the other hand, if the process has been going on for a while, worms will show up in the stool.

That said, the worms affecting the heart and lungs aren't visible at first glance, which is why it's always necessary to have the dog checked at a vet clinic. Keeping our dog free of internal parasites will make it a healthier, happier, and longer-living dog.

What Does Non-Natural Treatment Against Parasites Look Like?

Facing a heavy parasite infestation, natural medicine is slower compared to the many kinds of damage parasites cause your pet, so we can use it combined with industrial anti-parasite products, always under professional prescription.

Every vet clinic sells tablets from the benzimidazole group, which we should give our dog once every three months to keep it healthy and protected. These pills are fairly cheap and just need to be mixed into its food.

But depending on the type of worm it has, some, such as giardia or the well-known heartworm, need more aggressive treatments with antibiotics to be effective. Hence the importance of always having a vet supervise deworming.