Natural Worm Control
Many dogs and cats have a mild parasite infestation and show no symptoms. Most
puppies and kittens will be infested, as they have undeveloped immune systems and
gastrointestinal systems. Animals can become infested by eating feces, ingesting
fleas, coming in contact with dead animals or eating contaminated food. Common symptoms
can include:
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Gastrointestinal disturbances
- Anemia
- Scratching, particularly around the base of the tail
- Vomiting
- Mild to severe coughing
- Eating a great deal without putting on weight
- Bad breath
Animals with roundworm may appear to have a pot belly. Hookworm may cause anemia.
If you are seeing worms in your dog's or cats’ stools, fur or bedding, then you are
likely seeing tapeworms. If your companion has tapeworm, you must first make sure
there are no more fleas in the environment (home/yard) before administering de-worming
remedies or medications so that they do not become re-infested with tapeworm (see
our article,
The Natural Approach to Flea Control). For worms other than tapeworm, accurate
diagnosis to determine the type of worm your animal has requires taking a stool
sample to a veterinarian for analysis.
We carry two natural remedies for expelling worms.
Only Natural Pet Para-Gone is an herbal formula and the
HomeoPet Wrm Clear is a homeopathic combination remedy. Both remedies require
consistent dosing 3 times per day for 10 to 14 days. We do not recommend giving
both remedies concurrently, but you can give one and then follow with the other
if need be.
It can take 3 days or more for the worms to begin to be eliminated, depending
on the overall health of the animal and whether or not the animal is constipated.
The worms will pass out of the animal’s system in their stools. If the animal is
constipated, a laxative herb such as
Only Natural Pet Laxa-Herb is recommended to aid digestion and elimination since
constipation will hinder the de-worming process.
The effectiveness of Para-Gone and Wrm Clear, as with ANY herbal or natural
remedy, will vary with the health of the animal. A healthier animal being fed a high-quality
diet will respond better than an ailing animal on a poor quality diet, (see
What You Need to Know About Your Pet’s Food). The animal’s system needs support
in healing from within. The Para-Gone and Wrm Clear will only eliminate the worms
currently in the system – the SOURCE of the worms must be eliminated also – i.e..
fleas, eating feces, etc., or the animal will be continually re-infested.
For a more detailed discussion of worm infestation and information on
heartworm prevention, please read our article,
Intestinal Worms and Heartworm). If after using natural remedies to
eliminate parasites you are still seeing problems, consult a veterinarian.