Drontal® for dogs
Treats: Intestinal worms (roundworms, hookworms, whipworm, tapeworms),
Pet type: Dogs and puppies from 2 weeks
Application type: Oral (chews, tablets, liquid)
Dosage: According to product label
Worms can cause several health issues in dogs and puppies, and some can cause disease in people, so it’s important to make sure your dog is treated routinely for worms. Drontal Allwormer for dogs works fast to fight intestinal worms. Regular treatment will help combat worms in your dog to keep them (and your family) happy and healthy. Drontal for dogs is available as tablets, chews and an oral suspension for puppies.
Effective against roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms and whipworm, Drontal chews and tablets contain three active ingredients that work together to kill intestinal parasites. Drontal chews are highly palatable, easy to administer and can be given with or without food.
It is recommended that an adult dog is treated for intestinal worms every three months. However, if you live in an area with the hydatid tapeworm or the sheep measles tapeworm, treatment is recommended every 6 weeks. Check with your veterinarian on the right treatment protocol for your pet.
Drontal kills every type of intestinal worm commonly found in Australian dogs:
- Roundworms (Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina)
- Hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum, Ancylostoma ceylanicum, Ancylostoma braziliense and Uncinaria stenocephala)
- Whipworm (Trichuris vulpis)
- Tapeworms (Echinococcus granulosus, Taenia spp. and Dipylidium caninum)
As with all medication, side effects can occur on occasion. If you notice any adverse signs after using Drontal, talk to your Vet or contact our Customer Care Line Team.
Drontal for dogs can be given with or without food. Drontal chews for dogs are often taken voluntarily by dogs as they are meat flavoured.
It is common for puppies to be born with roundworm larvae already present, having been exposed to them while still in their mother’s womb. Also, puppies can become infected with roundworms and hookworms through their mother’s milk after birth. It is advisable, therefore, to start a worming program when a puppy is two weeks of age, and to continue worming once a fortnight until 12 weeks of age. Drontal tablets and chews can be used from two weeks of age, but as an alternative, if you prefer, Drontal Worming Suspension for Puppies can also be used from two weeks of age. It kills roundworms, whipworm and hookworms, and is available as an easy-to-use liquid.
Unfortunately, yes. Humans can become infected with roundworms after ingesting microscopic worm eggs. For example, they may pick them up on their hands from contaminated soil.
The larvae of the worm can do real damage once they are released in the gut from the egg and then migrate around the body. For example, if the larvae end up in the eye, they can lead to blindness. This is rare, but obviously devastating when it does occur, and one of the reasons why regularly worming our pets is so important.
Hookworm larvae can also cause problems for pet owners. If the larvae come in to contact with your bare skin, they can burrow into it, causing a condition called cutaneous larva migrans (CLM) or ‘creeping eruption’. Once in the skin, the hookworm larvae migrate, causing itching, irritation and visible tracks. One hookworm species can also feed on blood and produce eggs in human intestines.
While not nearly as common, people can become infected with tapeworms if they swallow infected fleas. People can also develop “hydatid disease” if they eat the eggs of the hydatid tapeworm. This can lead to cysts developing in organs and can be extremely serious as the cysts can grow very large and compress surrounding organs. Hydatid disease is associated with high morbidity and can be fatal.
Absolutely. Drontal can be used in conjunction with flea and/or tick treatments such as Advocate, Seresto and Advantage.
Fleas can be infected with the larval stage of the flea tapeworm. If your dog swallows an infected flea, they can develop a tapeworm infection.
The problem is that often, you can’t – in many cases you simply won’t know if there are worms hidden inside your dog’s gut. Mature tapeworms start shedding egg-filled segments, which irritate your dog’s bottom as they wriggle out (and may resemble grains of rice in your dog’s faeces). This irritation often causes the classic symptom of tapeworm infection known as ‘scooting’, when your dog drags their bottom along the ground to relieve the itch. Apart from this, common signs include lethargy, vomiting and diarrhoea. However, more specific signs depend on the worm and can include anaemia or a pot-belly appearance.
Unfortunately, no. You can’t completely stop your dog from coming in contact with worms in the first place, but using a wormer like Drontal regularly will help combat any unwanted passengers.
Cleaning up your dog’s faeces is a great way to reduce the risk. A single dog roundworm (Toxocara canis) can produce up to 200,000 eggs a day, and these are all excreted when your dog passes faeces. If you don’t clear it up, all of those eggs will remain in the environment ready to infect other dogs – and possibly humans, too.
There aren’t always visible signs that your dog has worms. However, your dog can be exposed at any time, and most owners would agree that their dog would be healthier and happier without a parasitic worm living inside them! And it’s worth remembering that worms can cause disease in people, too. Regularly worming pets helps protect their health and also reduces the risk to you and your family.
