Dog deworming schedule: how often, from puppy to adult

A typical dog deworming schedule starts at 2 weeks of age, repeats every 2 weeks while the puppy is young, then moves to monthly until about 6 months for higher risk puppies, and to between 1 and 12 times a year for adults depending on how the dog lives. ESCCAP and CAPC set this out. Your vet picks the product.

Key points

• Puppies: first dose at 2 weeks old, then every 2 weeks. ESCCAP says until 2 weeks after weaning. CAPC says until the puppy moves onto a monthly product at 4 to 8 weeks.
• Mother dog: dewormed alongside the first puppy treatment.
• Adults: ESCCAP sorts dogs into four risk groups, from 1 to 2 times a year for indoor dogs up to monthly for dogs that hunt or eat raw meat.
• If nobody has assessed the risk: at least 4 times a year. ESCCAP says 1 to 3 times a year isn't enough.
• Not veterinary advice. Products, doses and local worms differ. Your vet decides.

When should puppies be dewormed?

Early, and often. Roundworms can pass from mother to puppy, so both big guidelines start at 2 weeks of age.

• ESCCAP, the European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites, says: first treatment on day 14 after birth, then every 2 weeks until 2 weeks after weaning. If the puppy keeps facing extra risk, puppy playgroups for example, treat monthly up to 6 months of age.
• CAPC, the US Companion Animal Parasite Council, says: start at 2 weeks, repeat every 2 weeks until the puppy is 4 to 8 weeks old and placed on a monthly product.

Both also say the mother should be treated with the litter. Most of these early doses happen before a puppy leaves the breeder or shelter, so ask for the dates in writing when you collect your puppy. If you don't get them, tell your vet.

What does a dog deworming schedule look like by age?

Age	ESCCAP, Europe	CAPC, US
2 weeks	First dose	First dose
4, 6 and 8 weeks	Every 2 weeks	Every 2 weeks
Weaning plus 2 weeks	Last fortnightly dose	Move to a monthly product at 4 to 8 weeks
Up to 6 months	Monthly if risk stays high	Monthly product
Adult	1 to 12 times a year, by risk group	Year round parasite control that covers roundworms
Faecal tests	An alternative to dosing, at the same frequency	2 to 4 times in the first year, then 1 to 2 times a year

How often should adult dogs be dewormed?

This is where the two guidelines differ in style. ESCCAP asks how your dog lives. CAPC recommends year round control.

ESCCAP's four risk groups are the clearest thing I found on this:

ESCCAP group	The dog	Roundworms	Tapeworms
A	Lives indoors only, no contact with other dogs, no raw meat, slugs or prey	1 to 2 times a year, or faecal tests	Not listed
B	Goes outdoors, but doesn't eat slugs, snails or grass	4 times a year, or faecal tests	Not listed
C	Goes outdoors and eats slugs, snails or grass	4 to 12 times a year, lungworm included	4 to 12 times a year
D	Roams, hunts, eats prey or raw meat, and eats slugs or snails	4 to 12 times a year, lungworm included	12 times a year

If you can't tell which group your dog is in, ESCCAP's fallback is at least 4 times a year, for roundworms and tapeworms both. It also says studies show 1 to 3 dewormings a year don't give enough protection. My take: if you've been deworming once a year, these guidelines are fairly blunt that it falls short for most dogs.

CAPC recommends year round broad spectrum parasite control that works against roundworms. Ask your vet whether the monthly product your dog already takes for heartworm covers that, because then you may not need a separate dewormer.

Which dogs need deworming more often?

ESCCAP lists a few cases that override the basic group:

• Homes with small children under 5 or 6, or with elderly or immunocompromised people. Monthly deworming, or monthly faecal tests, depending on risk.
• Dogs fed raw meat. Tapeworm treatment every 4 weeks, unless the meat was cooked for 10 minutes at a core temperature of 65 °C or frozen for a week at minus 17 to minus 20 °C.
• Show, sport and kennel dogs. A dose up to 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after an event.
• Fleas. One tapeworm treatment once a flea infestation is found, since fleas carry a tapeworm.
• Travel to areas with Echinococcus tapeworm. Every 4 weeks from 4 weeks after you leave, with the last dose no later than 4 weeks after you return.

The point about small children surprised me when I first read it. It's worth raising with your vet if you have a toddler at home.

How do I remember a deworming schedule?

Put it somewhere that nags you. Three monthly doses are easy to forget, and the switch from a puppy's fortnightly doses to an adult's quarterly ones is an easy place to drift.

I built Pawlarm: Pet Care Reminders for routines like this. For dogs it sets a monthly flea and tick reminder and a monthly heartworm reminder from day one. It doesn't add a separate deworming reminder by default, because the right interval depends on your dog and your vet. Add one yourself, monthly or every 3 months, whatever your vet says. Pawlarm is on the App Store and Google Play. See Pawlarm.

For the vaccine side of the same first year, see my dog vaccine schedule and puppy vaccine schedule reminders.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I deworm my puppy?

ESCCAP and CAPC both say every 2 weeks from 2 weeks of age. ESCCAP continues until 2 weeks after weaning, then monthly up to 6 months if risk stays high. CAPC moves puppies onto a monthly product at 4 to 8 weeks. Your vet confirms the product and dose.

How often should adult dogs be dewormed?

It depends on how your dog lives. ESCCAP ranges from 1 to 2 times a year for indoor only dogs to monthly for dogs that hunt or eat raw meat. If the risk hasn't been assessed, at least 4 times a year. CAPC recommends year round control.

Is deworming once a year enough for a dog?

For most dogs, no. ESCCAP says studies show 1 to 3 dewormings a year don't give enough protection, and its fallback is at least 4 times a year. Only its lowest risk group, dogs that live indoors with no contact with other dogs, is listed at 1 to 2 times a year.

Does heartworm prevention also deworm my dog?

Some monthly products also cover roundworms and other intestinal worms, and some don't. CAPC recommends year round control that works against roundworms. Check the product label or ask your vet whether your dog's monthly dose covers intestinal worms before you skip a separate dewormer.

Can I test my dog's poo instead of deworming?

ESCCAP says faecal tests can replace routine dosing for roundworms and lungworms if they're done as often as the treatments would be, with treatment based on the results. It notes tests are less reliable for most tapeworms, so it still advises tapeworm treatment at least 4 times a year.

How I wrote this

On 24 October 2026 I read the ESCCAP worm management fact sheet for dogs, version 8, and the CAPC guidance on roundworms, and checked Pawlarm's dog reminders in the app's code. I'm not a vet, and this post summarises their guidance rather than adding to it.

This is general information, not medical or veterinary advice. Ask your doctor or vet.

By John Osakwe, founder of Etest Tech Hub. I have built apps and websites since 2015, including Etest CBT, FizzFree and Pawlarm.