Dog Deworming Schedule: How Often to Deworm Puppies and Adult Dogs?

Puppies are dewormed every 2 weeks from 2 weeks of age until 12 weeks, then once a month until 6 months. Most adult dogs are then dewormed every 3 months for life, or more often if they spend a lot of time outdoors. Your vet will fine-tune this to your dog’s age, weight and lifestyle.

This table shows the schedule most vets in India follow for puppies and adult dogs:

Your vet may adjust this schedule for your dog’s health, weight or where you live. A dog with lots of outdoor time in a humid city has a different risk from a mostly indoor dog. An annual health check, which can include a stool test, helps confirm that the schedule is working.

Many dogs with worms show no signs at all, especially early on, which is why deworming is done on a schedule rather than only when signs appear. When signs do show, they can include:

• Worms or small rice-like segments in the stool or around the bottom

• A pot-bellied or bloated look, especially in puppies

• Scooting or licking around the bottom

• A dull or rough coat

• Weight loss, or poor growth in puppies, despite eating normally

• Tiredness

• Loose stools or vomiting with no other obvious cause

These signs can be associated with worms, but they have many other causes too. If you notice more than one of them, ask your vet to check your dog. 
Once your vet confirms the right treatment, explore our dog deworming collection or browse the Supertails pharmacy for your dog’s vet-recommended medicines and preventive 

Worms spread through everyday routes:

• From the mother: puppies can pick up roundworms before birth or through their mother’s milk.

• Soil and grass: worm eggs and larvae survive in soil, especially in warm, humid weather, and some can enter through the skin of the paws.

• Fleas: a dog can swallow a flea carrying tapeworm while grooming. See our guide to ticks and fleas in dogs.

• Food: eating raw meat, offal, prey or scraps found outdoors.

• Other animals: contact with the stool of infected dogs or cats.

Even a dog that rarely leaves the apartment can pick up worm eggs from shoes, other pets or soil carried indoors, which is why indoor dogs also need a regular schedule.

Worms matter for families, too. Some dog roundworms can infect people, particularly young children who play on the ground and put their hands in their mouths. Regular deworming, picking up your dog’s stool promptly, and washing hands after handling pets or soil protect both your dog and your family.

• Stool test: a vet checks a stool sample under the microscope for worm eggs or larvae. A single negative test does not always rule worms out, because eggs are not passed all the time.

• Physical examination: the vet checks body condition, coat, gum colour and the belly, particularly in puppies.

• Blood test: used for heartworm, which lives in the heart and blood vessels rather than the gut. Your vet will advise whether heartworm testing and prevention are needed where you live.

Deworming uses antiparasitic medicines, usually given by mouth as a tablet, or as a liquid for young puppies. Different medicines work against different types of worms, so vets often choose a broad-spectrum dewormer that covers the most common intestinal worms in one product.

The right product and amount depend on your dog’s weight, age and health, and on which worms are suspected. Weigh your puppy regularly, because the amount changes as they grow. Your vet can tell you which dewormer to use and how much to give at each stage.

For a healthy adult dog with average exposure, every 3 months is the usual schedule. Research from European parasite experts suggests that deworming only once or twice a year is not enough for most dogs.

Monthly deworming is usually advised for puppies under 6 months, and for adult dogs at higher risk, such as dogs that roam outdoors a lot, are raw-fed, hunt or scavenge, or live with several other animals. Your vet can help you decide. The aim is to match the schedule to your dog’s real risk: neither too little, nor more than needed.

Routine deworming can be done at home, but some signs need a vet’s attention.

See a vet soon if:

• Signs continue or get worse a few days after deworming

• Your dog keeps scooting or licking around the bottom

• Vomiting or diarrhoea keeps coming back

• Your dog’s appetite drops noticeably

• There is unexplained weight loss, or a puppy is not growing well

• Your dog seems unusually tired

Seek urgent veterinary care if:

• A puppy is weak, not feeding or has pale gums

• There is severe or bloody diarrhoea, or repeated vomiting

• Your dog vomits up a large number of worms, or the belly becomes very swollen and painful

• Your dog has difficulty breathing, collapses or has a seizure

• Your dog may have swallowed a medicine meant for another animal or person

Puppies can become unwell quickly from heavy worm loads and dehydration, so do not wait if a young puppy seems weak. Have questions about your dog’s deworming or symptoms? Book an online vet consultation for guidance, or visit your nearest Supertails+ clinic for an in-person check-up. For urgent signs, go straight to the nearest veterinary clinic—don’t wait for an online consultation.

These steps are supportive only and do not treat worms, but they help keep your dog comfortable and give your vet useful information:

• Keep your dog’s living area and bedding clean, especially if there is diarrhoea

• Gently discourage excessive scooting or licking

• Keep an eye on appetite, water intake and energy levels

• Note when the signs started

• Take a photo of anything unusual in the stool, or bring a fresh sample to the vet

• Wear gloves or wash your hands well after cleaning up

• Avoid changing food or starting several new products at once

• Do not guess the amount or use a product made for a different weight, age or species. The right amount depends on your dog’s current weight.

• Do not give human deworming medicines to your dog unless your vet specifically tells you to.

• Do not rely on home remedies such as raw garlic, turmeric or pumpkin seeds. They are not proven to clear worms, and some, like garlic, can be harmful to dogs.

• Do not skip a dose because your dog “seems fine”. Most worm infections show no signs at first.

• Do not double up on doses to make up for a missed one. Give the missed dose and ask your vet when the next one is due.

• Follow the age-appropriate deworming schedule, without skipping or delaying doses

• Keep up with tick and flea prevention, since fleas spread tapeworm

• Pick up your dog’s stool promptly, at home and in public spaces

• Stop your dog eating raw meat, dead animals or scraps outdoors

• Wash bedding and clean living areas regularly, especially in the monsoon

• Deworm all pets in the home on the same schedule, so one does not keep reinfecting another

• Wash hands after handling your dog’s stool, soil or sand, and teach children to do the same

• Book a yearly health check, which can include a stool test

A deworming schedule is one of the simplest ways to protect your dog’s health: every 2 weeks as a young puppy, monthly until 6 months, then every 3 months as an adult, or more often for higher-risk dogs. Set a reminder, weigh your dog before each dose, and ask your vet if your dog’s lifestyle changes. Regular deworming also helps keep your family safe.

There is no proven natural cure for worms in dogs. Claims about garlic, pumpkin seeds or turmeric are not backed by good evidence, and some can harm your dog. A vet-recommended antiparasitic is the reliable option.

Yes, giving a routine dose at home is normal, as long as the product and amount are right for your dog’s weight and age. For a puppy’s first schedule, a pregnant or nursing dog, or a dog that seems unwell, involve your vet first.

This article is for general information and does not replace an examination by a veterinarian. The right deworming product, amount and schedule depend on your dog’s weight, age, health and lifestyle, so please speak to your vet.

About the Author:
Dr. Anjushree completed her Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry degree from Bombay Veterinary College in 2022. Following which she worked as a veterinarian in Mumbai for 1.5 years. Post this she did an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and currently works as a category manager for the pharmacy category at Supertails.