Updated 2 Oct 2026
Worms are not the kind of guests you want settling in. Puppies can acquire intestinal worms from their mother and their environment. With their developing immune systems, they need more frequent treatment than adult dogs while they are growing.
Regular worming helps protect your puppy and reduces the chance of some parasites spreading to other pets or people. Follow our puppy worming schedule to understand when each dose is due and how to keep these unwanted guests off the list.
Worms commonly seen in puppies
Four common intestinal worms can affect dogs and puppies:
Roundworms
Hookworms
Whipworm
Puppies also need protection against heartworm, a worm which is transmitted by mosquitoes. Unlike intestinal worms, adult heartworms live in the heart and blood vessels of the lungs, so heartworm prevention follows its own schedule and may be provided separately or as part of the protection provided by abroad-spectrum product.
How do puppies get worms?
The route of transmission depends on the parasite. Puppies can be exposed before they come home, through their mother, contaminated soil or faeces, infected fleas, prey or mosquito bites.
Worm | How puppies become infected | Can affect people? |
|---|---|---|
Roundworms | Before birth, through their mother’s milk, or by swallowing eggs from contaminated soil or faeces | Yes |
Hookworms | Through their mother’s milk, by swallowing larvae, or when larvae penetrate the skin | Yes |
Whipworm | By swallowing eggs from contaminated soil or faeces | Rarely |
Tapeworms | By swallowing an infected flea or eating infected prey, raw meat or offal | Some species |
Signs your puppy may have worms
Some puppies show no obvious signs of worms until a significant burden is living in their intestines. When signs do appear, they may include:
Poor growth or weight loss
Dull or poor coat condition
Lethargy or weakness
A pot belly
Rice-like tapeworm segments in your puppy’s poo or around their anus
Diarrhoea
Vomiting
Scooting or excessive licking around their anus
A cough
Pale gums (possible anaemia)
These signs can have other causes, so their presence alone cannot confirm a worm infestation. If your puppy seems unwell, or has weakness, pale gums, blood in their stool or ongoing vomiting or diarrhoea, book a consult with your vet.
How to worm a puppy
Puppy wormers come as tablets, chews, liquids and some spot-on treatments. Tablets can be given the same way you would give medication in pill form, while many chews can be offered like a treat or hidden in food if the label allows. Liquid wormers can be easier to measure and give to very small puppies, though may not cover all worms.
Whatever the format, choose a product approved for your puppy’s age and weight, weigh them before dosing and follow the label exactly.
Puppy worming schedule
Current guidelines recommend intestinal worming starting at 2 weeks of age. The exact frequency can differ between products, so always check the label and follow the recommended dosing.
Puppy age | Recommended intestinal worming frequency |
|---|---|
2 to 12 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
After 12 weeks to 6 months | Monthly (first monthly dose at 16 weeks of age) |
Over 6 months | Follow an adult worming schedule. This is commonly every 3 months for intestinal worms, but may be more frequent depending on products used. |
Most puppies go to their new home at around 8-12 weeks of age, partway through this schedule. Ask the breeder or rescue carer for a written record of the date, product and dose of wormers your puppy has received. Continue from the last recorded treatment rather than starting again. If the history is unclear, ask your vet what they would recommend.
Intestinal worming is only one part of puppy parasite protection. Puppies also need protection from heartworm, fleas, ticks, and other parasites that are of concern in your area.
To protect your puppy from key parasites of concern, you may choose to use:
A monthly all-in-one flea, tick and worm protection that covers heartworm and selected intestinal and external parasites and incorporate a regular compatible intestinal wormer to cover worms the “all in one” misses.
Separate but compatible products that protect against intestinal worms, heartworm, fleas and ticks, each given according to its label.
Does monthly all-in-one protection replace puppy worming?
Not always. Many all-in-one parasite protection products cannot be used before 7-8 weeks of age, and most do not cover all intestinal worms of concern.
Your vet may still recommend using an intestinal wormer according to the puppy worming schedule in addition to an all-in-one product until your puppy is 12 weeks of age.
Take your puppy off the menu
A reliable worming schedule gives these intestinal invaders fewer chances to make themselves at home. Stay up to date with flea, tick, and worm protection to keep your pet safe from parasites.
Not sure which parasite protection suits your puppy? Ask your local Petbarn or Greencross Vets team for advice about what is best for your puppy.
Frequently asked questions about worming puppies
About the Author
Rebecca Daly BVScVeterinarian & Content Writer
After graduating with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science from the University of Queensland in 2017, Rebecca spent two years working as an equine veterinarian in New Zealand. Upon returning to Australia, she completed a Bachelor of Communications from UQ in 2023. Rebecca is passionate about educating pet parents so they can provide the best lives for their pets. She is the pet parent of a cat named Edith, a domestic short hair adopted from a Petbarn Adoption Centre.
