Q. I would like to know how many times and for how long I can give the dewormer praziquantel to my dog. She is 7 months old and has parasites.
A. There are two main groups of parasites in puppies. Most puppies get some combination or roundworms or hookworms; others also get tapeworms. The medication you mentioned is for treating tapeworms.
I would recommend combining this medication with fenbendazole, the dewormer for roundworms and hookworms, and giving it on a monthly basis until your dog is about 1 year old. If your dog is already receiving monthly heartworm medication, you only need to give the praziquantel, because the ivermectin in heartworm preventives also controls roundworms and hookworms.
Most dogs who have tapeworms often get them from ingesting mice or other small animals. If this is one of your dog’s hobbies, do everything you can to discourage it. Once you have given several doses of praziquantel, you can have a fecal analysis done at your veterinarian’s clinic to confirm that your dog is parasite-free.