I don't know why I am very interested in the role of the immune system in controlling parasties. I'm wondering do you guys deworm your puppies, dogs, cats, and horses once or often in while? Do you find them developing resist to parasties?

I would like to hear more things from breeders and owners who never or rarely deworm their animals. Do their dogs/cats/horses get parasites often? How do they keep worms under control without using medication? Have they tried to use herbal medication strength their animals' immune system so it can fight off the parasites without need to deworm? Has anyone been successful doing that?

I talked with a breeder who had issues with puppies getting worms all the time. She admits that she medicated them aggressively with pyrantel pamoate and now they are developing a resistance. She's not able to keep worms under control so she is using pancur. I'm concerned that the roundworm that she has is going to be resist to pancur someday.

I found something interesting about parasites. http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/parasites.htm

"The same is true for my German Shepherd dog, Shasta. Her healthy immune system protects her against all types of parasites. I believe that a strong immune system can protect people or animals from any type of parasites. Read what Dr. Brown and Dr. Pollak say about our animal's health and immune system. Shirley"

My dog hasn't been dewormed since she was at the breeders.

Worming isn't really a preventative thing, IMO.

I believe that worming only when necessary is a good way to help maintain the vigor of the dog's immune system. It's pretty easy to drop off a sample every now and then (and watch for obvious poop clues) and treat only if there's an infestation.

I don't worm unless I have a litter of puppies around. I have lots of dogs, and cats too...oh, and a couple horses, and I don't worm regularly. I hardly worm at all. I have never had a problem. I did worm all mine once when I ended up w/a very wormy litter of pups.

Neb was dewormed at the rescue as a puppy at 6 weeks, for sure.

Luc was dewormed when I got him and on meds b/c he had giardia, hookworm and another worm I forget. He'd tested positive while in his foster home a week before I brought him home (probably had them from the shelter).

I don't deworm any of my animals - cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs - as a preventative. I have only dewormed when an animal has tested positive for worms. A week after Neb came home Luc and Teagan both developed crazy diarhea - it was NASTY - but all fecals were negative. Fasted them for a day and a bit and started them on a bland diet and they were fine. We did not give them anything until we knew the results of the fecal though (which were negative).

I'm wondering why some breeders feel like they need to deworm puppies every two weeks until they are 15 weeks old? Even if they are or aren't infected with worms.I used to work for a vet almost four years and he never said anything about puppies needed to worm every 2 weeks or so. I grew up with like six or seven different dogs and some had been around since puppy. We don't worm our pervious dogs even when they were young so far their poops had been negative.

Last August 2009, my parents bought American Eskimo puppy from a breeder in Dallas, Tx. They flew in Dallas from Tucson to pick up the puppy and the breeder told them to deworm Teddy every two weeks until his third poop sample has been negative. Well, my parents had him wormed and then three weeks later.

All of sudden he had worms so I picked up his fresh poop with worms. The next day I took it to the vet, but the worms in the stool disappeared. However, they tested it which was negative. I don't know what happened, so they decided to give him a tapeworm medication. So far now, his stool has been good.

Personally I worm as an annual event and even then just for the common bugs like hookworm and round worm. I haven't had to do tapeworm in quite a few years. Happily they seem to be the most noticable worm to mess with.

With puppies I worm at 4 weeks, 7 weeks, 9 weeks and 15 weeks.

Any new dog that comes to the house gets fecaled *before* they are allowed out into the yard. I also endevor to keep stray cats, raccoons, and possum off the property.