Dog Deworming Schedule and How to Give the Tablet

Short answer: the commonly followed pattern in India is to deworm puppies starting at 2 weeks (14 days) old, repeat every 2 weeks until 12 weeks, then monthly to 6 months, then move to every 3 months for life as an adult — your vet sets the exact product and dose for your dog's weight and worm risk. For a dog that spits the tablet straight back out, hiding it in the centre of a small, soft, non-dairy treat and following it with a "free" treat works far better than forcing it down.

The deworming schedule most vets follow

Worms are common in dogs, especially puppies, and regular deworming is standard preventive care — not something you do only if you spot a problem. The pattern below is the one commonly followed by vets in India; it's a starting point, not a substitute for your vet's own plan.

Age	Usually given
2 weeks (14 days) old	First deworming dose
4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks old	Repeated every 2 weeks
3–6 months old	Monthly dose
After 6 months (adult)	Every 3 months, for life — the commonly followed baseline
Nursing mother	Dewormed alongside her puppies, since worms can pass through her milk

An adult dog with known heavy exposure — regular street access, a multi-dog household, frequent boarding — may need dosing more often than every 3 months; that call belongs to your vet, based on your dog's lifestyle and local risk.

Should I deworm before vaccinating?

Yes — the commonly followed order is to deworm first. A heavy worm burden in a young puppy can blunt how well its body responds to a vaccine, so the first deworming dose (from 2 weeks old) typically comes before the first vaccination, which usually starts from around 6 to 8 weeks. Your vet confirms the exact start date for both based on your puppy's weight and general health.

What's actually in a dewormer

A broad-spectrum dewormer usually combines a small set of active ingredients chosen to cover the most common worm types in dogs — roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. Ingredients like fenbendazole, pyrantel pamoate, praziquantel and milbemycin oxime are commonly used, alone or combined, depending on which worms a product targets. Which product, and at what dose, is a decision for your vet based on your dog's weight, age and worm risk — not something to pick off a shelf on your own.

Getting the tablet into a dog that refuses it

A dog that spits the tablet out, or eats around it and leaves it in the bowl, is one of the most common frustrations owners tell us about. A few things that usually work better than forcing it:

• Hide it inside a small, soft, non-dairy treat. A little ball of boiled chicken or plain rice, a piece of banana, or a spoon of plain peanut butter (check the label has no xylitol) rolled fully around the tablet so nothing is visible. We keep this to non-dairy options on purpose — cheese and curd are common tricks elsewhere, but dairy isn't part of the daily routine we recommend, and some dogs are lactose intolerant besides.
• Offer it when your dog is genuinely hungry — first thing in the morning or before a meal — and follow it immediately with a second, tablet-free treat so the exercise ends on a normal note.
• Never crush or split a tablet without checking with your vet first — some coatings are there for a reason, and crushing can change how the medicine works or taste bitter enough to be refused outright.
• If it's still spat out, place the tablet directly at the back of the tongue: gently tilt the head back, open the jaw, drop the tablet as far back as you comfortably can, close the mouth and stroke the throat until you see your dog swallow.
• Still a no after a few honest tries? Tell your vet. Many dewormers are also available as a liquid or a chewable that's simply easier for a fussy dog to take.

Mild side effects, and when to call the vet

A little tiredness, a skipped meal, or one loose stool or bout of vomiting in the day after dosing is common as the dead worms clear out, and usually settles on its own. Call your vet the same day if your dog has repeated vomiting, blood in the stool, won't eat or drink at all, or seems unusually weak — especially in a young puppy. If loose motions keep coming back well after a normal reaction to deworming has passed, our guide on why a dog keeps getting loose motions again and again covers the other common causes worth ruling out.

If you're also keeping up a daily gut supplement alongside your dog's deworming and vaccination routine, our dose-by-weight guide keeps that part simple.

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