Our Dogs World 101

Top 15 Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Worms in Dogs

Intestinal worms can affect your dog. Conventional de-worming medications can be harsh and have some side effects. However, you can naturally
get rid of worms in dogs at home by using common foods or herbs.

What are the Symptoms of Worms in Dogs?

Dogs often show signs of worms such as:

  • Abdominal pain
  • You may lose your appetite
  • Coughing
  • Dull coat
  • Diarrhea or vomiting
  • Mucus covered stool
  • Lethargy
  • Dehydration
  • Fever
  • Bloating
  • Bloody stool
  • Scooting

How do Dogs Get Intestinal Worms?

Dogs can get different worms in different ways. Some worms can come from the soil, feces, raw meat, or fleas your dog eats. Insect bites or skin contact can transmit worms to your dog. Puppies can be infected by worms even before they’re born.

Types of Intestinal Worms in Dogs

These are the most prevalent types of worms dogs can get.

Whipworms in Dogs

Whipworms are characterized by diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss. They are spread to dogs when they swallow eggs in soil or water.

Whipworms can grow to 2 inches in length, and they are tapered at one side like a whip. They attach themselves to the mucous membranes within the colon and cecum and feed off your dog’s blood. You will not be able to see them unless your dog passes them in a small clump in his stool.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms can be found in the intestines. They can be transmitted to dogs by their licking the fleas off their bodies. Tapeworms are a possibility in dogs that have fleas. They can also occur in your dog’s diet if it eats meat from animals such as pigs, cows, and deer with tapeworms. You can freeze raw meat to kill tapeworms.

Whole tapeworms can be flattened and measure 6 inches in diameter. The broken-off white segments of tapeworms can be seen in the dog’s poop.

Roundworms in Dogs

Your dog may be infected by roundworms from the environment or from eating animals with the same infection, such as rodents or birds. Adult roundworms don’t pose any health risks, but pregnant dogs could pass them on to their pups. For puppies, roundworms may cause malnutrition, vomiting, growth problems, and diarrhea.

Roundworms can often be found in dogs’ poop. They look similar to spaghetti and can measure between 1 and 7 inches in length. Your dog may appear lethargic or potbellied. Roundworms may cause diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, weight loss, and stomach upsets. They live inside the small intestinal tract.

Hookworms in Dogs

Hookworms in dogs can lead to vomiting and diarrhea. Pregnant dogs may pass these worms onto their puppies just as roundworms. The hookworms pass on to the puppies from their mothers through breast milk. This can cause anemia (insufficient blood cells), weakness, lethargy, and pale gums.

Hookworms measure about 1/8 inch to 3/4 inch in length. Their hook attaches to the intestine lining. Hookworms can be dangerous because they can ingest blood and can cause anemia.

How to Diagnose Worms in Dogs

It is possible to test your dog’s feces for worms if you suspect it. You can’t see most of the worms with your eyes. It is possible that your vet will need to examine your dog’s stool and look for eggs under a microscope.

Patricia Jordan DVM, the holistic vet, suggests that you get a fecal exam to confirm the diagnosis of worms. Parasites usually shed their eggs during this time.

Parasites of the Intestinal Organs that Aren’t Worms

Giardias (or coccidia) are two other intestinal parasites. These parasites reside in the dog’s intestine. Even though adult dogs rarely experience symptoms, parasites may cause diarrhea. If not treated, severe diarrhea can result in malnutrition, death, and dehydration for puppies.

Worm Medicine for Dogs: Why You Shouldn’t Use it too often!

Dogs are routinely de-wormed
by vets and breeders. Conventional vets will usually prescribe antiparasitic medicines if your dog suffers from worms. Many vets will recommend worm preventatives to decrease your dog’s chances of contracting worms.

Long-term side effects can result from deworming medicines (also known as worming pills). Regular de-worming should not be done on puppies if they are healthy. Antiparasitics act by poisoning the parasites, but they’re not selective. The drugs can also be harmful to beneficial organisms within your dog’s digestive system.

Black and white dog staring at the cameraThis can have a negative impact on important functions, such as digestion and how your dog absorbs nutrients.

Here are some other side effects known to be associated with these drugs:

  • Loss of appetite
  • Vomiting
  • Death
  • Diarrhea
  • Seizures
  • Lethargy
  • Liver damage

Instead, consider home remedies to get your dog worm-free.

How to Get Dogs Worm-Free

First, a healthy diet will help build an immune system. To keep your dog worm-free, a healthy diet that is primarily based on whole foods and raw meat is the best. Parasites love starch, sugars, and kibble, so dogs that consume kibble are more susceptible to getting worms.

You don’t have to feed worms. There are many foods that you can eat and herbs you could use to get rid of them. If your dog isn’t familiar with the remedies, you can slowly introduce them to her and gradually increase the dosage.

PRO-TIP

It is possible for worms to be controlled with just food.

1. Bone Broth

Use a few tablespoons of Aloe Vera gel to give your dog a treat or add it to his food. To give your dog an extra boost, add some pure aloe to her food.

Bone broth supports digestive health, which can help the immune system eliminate worms. It’s particularly effective when the moon is full.

2. Oregon Grape

Your dog should be given 12 drops of Oregon Grape Tincture for every 20 pounds of their body weight. Oregon grapes should also be given to dogs with milk thistle. It’s because the Oregon grape is very hard on the liver. Milk thistle will protect it. 14 teaspoons of milk thistle tincture should be given for every 20 lbs of body weight.

Oregon grape is antiparasitic, anti-bacterial, and liver tonic.

Caution: Oregon grape is not recommended for pregnant dogs that are lactating. Dogs with liver disease should not consume it.

3. Grated Fruits and Vegetables

You can easily treat tapeworms with pomegranate. The digestive tract is cleansed of worms by the compounds found in pomegranate.

For every 10 lbs of your dog’s body weight, add 1 tsp to his meals at least twice daily. You can include vegetables in your dog’s food to provide essential fiber.

Fruits and vegetables on a chopping boardYou can help your dog get rid of worms by adding certain fruits and veggies to their food. These will make your dog’s digestive system less welcoming. Cucumber, watercress, and greens are good choices. Pineapple can also be a great choice. Bromelain, an enzyme that digests proteins, is also found in pineapple. It can also help to boost your dog’s immune system and fight against worms. The papain enzyme can also combat worms.

4. Pumpkin Seeds

Use raw organic pumpkin seeds when feeding your dog. Do not feed her with any salted seeds. These are not safe.

To get rid of parasites, grind seeds and add 1/4 teaspoon per 10 lb weight. Pumpkin seeds can be safely consumed by pregnant dogs.

Pumpkin seeds are one way to kill worms. Cucurbitacin is an amino acid found in pumpkin seeds. It paralyzes worms and then eliminates them completely from your dog’s stomach.

5. Garlic

Garlic can even be as effective and efficient as conventional dewormers. You can use garlic to treat worms in dogs if given in moderate quantities. Allow the garlic to sit for up to 15 minutes before you give it back to your dog.

This will help to release the beneficial compounds that combat the worms. Then, you can give your dog these amounts.

  • Small dogs: up to 1/4 clove twice daily
  • Medium dogs: up to 1/2 clove twice daily
  • Large dogs may consume 3/4 cloves twice daily.
  • Giant breeds can have up to one clove twice daily

Caution: If your dog is bleeding or pregnant, don’t use garlic for worm relief.

6. Fermented Vegetables

Fermented foods are a great way for dogs to have a healthy digestive tract. Fermented foods are good for your dog’s health and immune system. The gut accounts for almost 90% of our immune system.

Therefore, adding fermented vegetables can improve your dog’s health and help protect him from parasites. You can buy or make fermented vegetables. Start slowly with fermented vegetables and add 1 to 3 tablespoons per day for every 20 lbs.

7. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

Apple cider vinegar is a great option for de-worming dogs. It’s more appealing to parasites because it creates an alkaline digestive system.

Use 1/4 to 1 tsp of raw, organic, unfiltered Vinegar per day in your dog’s water or food.

8. Wormwood

While wormwood may be a bit harsh on dogs, it is also effective in removing all types of worms. If all other options have been exhausted and you still wish to try this herb, you should seek the advice of a holistic vet. This herb can cause severe liver and kidney damage in dogs.

Attention: Wormwood should never be given to dogs suffering from seizures, kidney problems, or liver diseases.

9. Diatomaceous Earth, (DE)

To reduce the number of worms in your dog’s body, you can use food-grade diatomaceous earth. However, tapeworms can make this a difficult option.

  • Small dogs – 1/2 tablespoon per day
  • Dogs over 55 pounds – 1 tablespoon per day

Be careful: Do not mix diatomaceous earth with your dog’s food. It can irritate your dog’s lungs, so don’t let her inhale it. Avoid DE ingestion by pregnant or lactating animals.

10. Black Cumin Seed

Black cumin is used to control most worms. It is best to buy whole seeds whenever possible. Black seed oil is also available in small amounts, but you should reduce the amount.

You can give your dog 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the seeds every day. You can remove the bitter taste by heating the seeds in a skillet.

11. Chamomile

Chamomile is a great herb to help prevent whipworms from growing and can also help to expel them. This herb has a slower action but reduces inflammation due to the worms.

You may also use chamomile to make glycerin for worms’ tincture. Daily, you should give 0.25 to 0.05 ml of chamomile for every 20 pounds of your body weight. You should check for allergies before you give chamomile to your dog. Apply a small amount on the dog’s skin.

You should be cautious if your dog’s pregnant or breastfeeding.

12. Parsley

You may also use parsley as a way to get rid of worms. You can boil fresh parsley, and then strain the solids. Then freeze it to make ice cubes. Give one cube each day.

13. Olive Leaf

Oleuropein, a compound found in olive leaf extract, can help to expel parasites from your dog’s intestines. You should choose an extract that has 12% oleuropein and keep it for at least 8 weeks.

  • Small dogs – 300 mg twice daily
  • Medium dogs – 500mg twice a day
  • Large and gigantic dogs – 1000mg twice daily

14. Black Walnut

Black walnut dewormers are safer than other options, but they can be harmful to your dog if you don’t use them correctly. You should only use black walnut if you have tried other gentler options. Black walnut is a good choice for dogs. Ask your holistic vet for help.

It is also important to know that black walnut does nothing to treat the underlying cause. It will kill the worms. If these methods fail to work, then your dog’s immune systems may be at fault.

15. Vegetable Juice

Add fresh carrot, beet, or cucumber juices to your dog’s food. These juices can make your dog’s intestinal tract less attractive to worms.

Glass of carrot juiceDaily, add 1 teaspoon for every 10 lbs of your dog’s weight.

Anti-Worm Food Supplement

You can mix different remedies together to provide a general treatment.

You may use the following combination to kill worms in your dog: 2 parts of raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds, 1 piece of garlic powder, 1 cup of fennel seed, and 1 cup of yucca root.

You can either grind the pumpkin seeds or leave them whole. For every pound of food, add 1 tsp. You should feed your dog with this mixture for 5 days. After that, take 2 days off. Continue feeding this mixture to your dog until they no longer have worms.

Caution: Do NOT give this mixture to pregnant or lactating animals.

Conclusion

In order to prevent worms in your dog, you should boost her immune system. You want your dog to be able to expel any worms she finds on her own without you being aware.

You should start by feeding your dog with whole, unprocessed foods. This will promote a healthy immune response. You should also avoid vaccines and unnecessary drugs that suppress your dog’s immune system.

If you have any more questions regarding worms and your dog please leave them below in the comments section and I will get back to you with the answers.

As always, “May Your Home Be Filled With Love And Dog Hair”

Mark

Founder of Our Dogs World 10

9 thoughts on “Top 15 Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Worms in Dogs”

  1. This is a very educational site. I did not realize there was so many ways to treat for worms in dogs naturally. This will help with not having to give my dogs medicines that contains so many side affects. Is there a pacific natural remedy that you prefer using over the others? Or, is the anti-worm food supplement at the end what you yourself use?

    Reply
    • Hi Marty,

      Yes vets and pharma companies don’t really like telling you about natural remedies for worms as its a money loss for them.

      I am lucky enough to work with a vet who practices both western and holistic medicine so I get a lot of the information I write about in Our Dogs World 101 from him.

      I use the frozen parsley and the vegetable juice for my two dogs and they have never had any issues with worms and they absolutely love the taste of both.

      Mark

      Reply
  2. Hi Mark. Thank you for another great article. My dogs had worms few times and in past I was always using medicines to deal with this issue. Yet it wasn’t too good for their health, I noticed that dogs were vomiting and loosing appetite quite often. But your advices are really helpful. I had no idea that there are so many natural possibilities to get rid of warms and Im sure I will test them in practice.

    Reply
  3. I always prefer a natural method for alleviating health problems so I was happy to come across this post.  I have had many dogs and never realized that worms can be expelled by including certain foods, herbs and supplements into their diet!  My granddaughter now has a new puppy so I’m going to pass this information along to her.

    Reply
  4. Treating dogs by conversational deworming can be costly than using home remedies. Their is no doubt about that besides, the effects that come with treating dogs with dewormers.

    Oh what really quote my mind is, boosting the dogs in immunity instead of treating it each time and then. Thanks for the post I found it valuable.

    Reply
  5. Wow Mark, this is a very helpful post on natural remedies to use for worms in dogs. I have always just used de-worming tablets when I needed it for my dogs, but have never really considered that natural remedies might be possible. And of course it makes so much more sense to use natural products, far better for your dogs.. I have bookmarked this page to refer back to. Thanks for some great advise.  

    Reply
  6. Great article on natural remedies to de-worm dogs! As a dog owner myself, I always find myself worrying about my dog contracting worms even though he takes his medicine every year. I didn’t really think there were many side effects to think about with them, but your article has shown me how wrong I was! If my dog ever gets worms, I am glad to know that I now know enough to try some home remedies before I take the medical route. 

    Reply
  7. A very good day to you. Thanks so much for this wonderful article on natural remedies that would help on get rid of worms in dogs. I so much love the fact that you have recommended natural remedies. This would make it somewhat easy for one to have access to this remedy for dog worms.

    Reply

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