How often should I worm my adult dog?

Most adult dogs need worming every one to three months depending on lifestyle. Dogs that hunt, eat raw food, or live with young children may need monthly treatment. Follow your vet's recommendation.

When should puppies be wormed?

From two weeks of age, every two weeks until twelve weeks, then monthly until six months. Puppies can acquire roundworms from their mother before birth.

Do I need lungworm prevention?

Lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) has spread across much of the UK. Vets now recommend monthly lungworm prevention for most UK dogs — ask your vet about local risk.

Can I buy dog wormers from a supermarket?

Some products are sold over the counter, but many are less effective or do not cover lungworm. Your vet can prescribe licensed products matched to your dog's needs and local parasite risks.

Dog Health

How Often Should I Worm My Dog UK?

Published 19 July 2026Last updated 19 July 20262 min read

Quick answer

Most UK adult dogs need worming every one to three months — monthly if they hunt, eat raw food, or live with young children. Puppies need treatment every two weeks from two weeks old. Use vet-prescribed products that cover lungworm. Ask your vet for a schedule matched to your dog's lifestyle.

Key takeaways

Most adult dogs need worming every one to three months depending on lifestyle. Dogs that hunt, eat raw food, or live with young children may need monthly treatment. Follow your vet's recommendation.
From two weeks of age, every two weeks until twelve weeks, then monthly until six months. Puppies can acquire roundworms from their mother before birth.
Lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) has spread across much of the UK. Vets now recommend monthly lungworm prevention for most UK dogs — ask your vet about local risk.

Puppy worming schedule

Puppies acquire roundworms from their mother. UK guidance:

Age	Frequency
From 2 weeks	Every 2 weeks until 12 weeks
3–6 months	Monthly
From 6 months	Adult schedule

Underdosing is a common reason treatment fails — use products matched to your puppy's current weight.

Adult dog schedule

Most healthy adult dogs: every 1–3 months.

Monthly worming recommended for:

Dogs that hunt or scavenge
Raw-fed dogs
Households with young children or immunocompromised people
Dogs in high parasite-risk areas

Your vet adjusts frequency based on lifestyle and local prevalence.

Lungworm — do not forget

Lungworm in dogs is spread by slugs and snails and has spread across much of England, Wales, and Scotland. Not all wormers cover lungworm — check your product covers Angiostrongylus vasorum.

Many UK vets recommend monthly lungworm prevention alongside intestinal worm treatment.

Worms affecting UK dogs

Worm	How dogs get it	Notes
Roundworm	Mother, environment, prey	Common in puppies
Tapeworm	Fleas, raw meat, scavenging	Flea control helps prevention
Hookworm	Environment, skin contact	More common in kennels
Lungworm	Slugs, snails, frogs	Potentially fatal; monthly prevention advised
Whipworm	Environment	Persistent in soil

Why vet-prescribed products matter

Supermarket wormers may:

Use older, less effective active ingredients
Not cover lungworm or tapeworm adequately
Be easy to underdose for your dog's weight

Your vet prescribes licensed products matched to weight, age, and local parasite risks.

When to ask your vet

Starting a new puppy on a worming schedule
Your dog scoots, has diarrhoea, or visible worms in faeces
You are unsure whether your current product covers lungworm
A household member is immunocompromised

Sources & further reading

Facts in this guide are rewritten in plain English from publicly available UK advice. We name the organisation where a specific point comes from their guidance. Links below go to the original pages — use them to read the source material directly.

PETHEALTH+ is independent. These organisations do not sponsor, approve, or partner with this website. Guidance checked against sources listed below (last updated 2026-07-19).

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I worm my adult dog?: Most adult dogs need worming every one to three months depending on lifestyle. Dogs that hunt, eat raw food, or live with young children may need monthly treatment. Follow your vet's recommendation.
When should puppies be wormed?: From two weeks of age, every two weeks until twelve weeks, then monthly until six months. Puppies can acquire roundworms from their mother before birth.
Do I need lungworm prevention?: Lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) has spread across much of the UK. Vets now recommend monthly lungworm prevention for most UK dogs — ask your vet about local risk.
Can I buy dog wormers from a supermarket?: Some products are sold over the counter, but many are less effective or do not cover lungworm. Your vet can prescribe licensed products matched to your dog's needs and local parasite risks.