Panacur Dewormer For Dogs: Dosage and Uses

It is not uncommon for pets to become infested with parasites, such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, pinworms, lungworms, or tapeworms. Some worms are visible to the naked eye. Others, such as hookworms, are not visible and need to be diagnosed by a veterinarian. We spoke with Dr. Shagufta Mulla, a veterinarian with a DVM degree from Colorado State University with 20 years of experience as a small animal veterinarian, to find out more.

Internal parasites are unpleasant, however, in cases where worms are visible in the dog's stool, it's not always necessary to take a trip to the veterinarian to get a prescription dewormer. There are several over-the-counter dewormers, such as Panacur C Canine from Merck Animal Health, which can be administered to your dog at home. Panacur is the brand name for fenbendazole, and Panacur C Canine Dewormer is a nonprescription formula that contains the active ingredient fenbendazole.

Fenbendazole also comes as an equine dewormer in a Panacur paste version with a pleasant apple-cinnamon taste, but using the horse dewormer version for dogs is unnecessary since there is a formula that is specific to canines.

You'll want to choose the wormer that is appropriate for your dog based on your dog's body weight. Dewormers come in three different size packets, and the recommended dose would be calculated based on body weight.

"You want to use the appropriate combination of 1 g, 2 g, and 4 g packets depending on your pet's weight," explains Dr. Mulla. The 1-gram packet would be used for dogs up to 10 pounds, the 2-gram packet would be used for dogs 11 to 20 pounds, a 1-gram plus a 2-gram packet would be used for a 30-pound dog, and a 4-gram packet would be used for a 40-pound dog. For larger dogs, the appropriate combination would be used to ensure the proper dosage is administered. For instance, a 60-pound dog would receive a 4-gram and a 2-gram packet, while an 80-pound dog would receive two 4-gram packets.

To administer the medicine, mix the daily dose of Panacur with a small amount of your dog's food, making sure your dog eats all of the food. "If the food is dry, you will have to add a little water, or canned food, so all the granules are eaten and don't just settle at the bottom of the bowl," says Dr. Mulla.

Panacur works by binding with the parasite's proteins and damaging their structure, which prevents their cells from functioning. This inhibits the metabolism of a variety of worms, including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and lungworms. "Panacur is also effective against one type of tapeworm but does not work against other types of tapeworms that dogs can get, including the one that is commonly caused by fleas," says Dr. Mulla. It is also not effective against stomach worms, which may be better treated with an Ivermectin-based product. Ivermectin may also be used to treat heartworms in dogs.

"Dogs are not affected by hairworms or pinworms," says Dr. Mulla. "And bots and bot flies aren't treated with Ivermectin in dogs but they are in horses."

Administer the packets to your pet once a day for three consecutive days. "However for some parasites like hookworms and whipworms, longer treatment may be needed," explains Dr. Mulla. "Treatment may also need to be repeated in 2 to 4 weeks." Some worms, like hookworms, won't show up in your pet's stool and will have to be diagnosed by your veterinarian, who will look for microscopic eggs in a stool sample. Whipworms also may take a while after your pet is infected before showing up in stool as worms. "If your pet shows any signs of being sick before, during, or after treatment with Panacur C Canine, call your veterinarian," says Dr. Mulla. "Reinfection can occur with worms, which can make repeat treatment necessary. But primarily, the repeat treatments are to kill remaining parasites as they mature from their immature stages."

Some worms, like hookworms, won't show up in your pet's stool at all and will have to be diagnosed by your veterinarian, who will look for microscopic eggs in a stool sample. Whipworms may also take a while after your pet is infected before showing up in stool as worms. A follow up with your veterinarian after treatment is finished is always a good idea to ensure that the parasites have been totally eradicated.

This product is safe to use on dogs who are pregnant, are aging, or are puppies more than 6 weeks old. One of the cautions of this drug is that it is best to avoid using this product on sick pets without consulting a veterinarian. Even the safest of drugs can have potential side effects, so as a safe-guard, if your pet shows any signs of being sick before, during, or after treatment with Panacur C Canine, call your veterinarian. As with any drug, fenbendazole should be kept safely out of the reach of children.

Panacur C Canine, also known as fenbendazole, is a nonprescription dewormer made specifically for dogs. It can be used at home to treat a wide variety of parasites, including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and one type of tapeworm.