How Much Does It Cost to Deworm a Puppy?

Puppy care can be expensive. Alongside fees associated with vaccination and wellness exams, you'll also have to pay for over 10 deworming sessions in the first six months of your pup's life. 

But routine veterinary care aside, how much does it cost to deworm a puppy? Is it even necessary? 

On average, deworming medication can cost anywhere between $5 to $150, depending on the brand, the required dose, and the type of parasite the pup has. 

This doesn't include veterinary visits and checks, which can cost an additional $50 to $150.   

What Are the Expected Costs for Deworming a Puppy? 

Deworming a puppy can cost as low as $5 to as high as $150, depending on the medication used, the required dose, the type of parasite, and the age and weight of the puppy. 

This rate doesn't include fecal exam costs and consultation fees, which can cost around $50 to $75. 

Prescription puppy dewormer, including fecal exams, can cost an additional $50 to $200. 

Factoring these costs in, expect to pay between roughly $100 to $200 for a single vet visit. 

Over-the-counter (OTC) puppy dewormer costs significantly less than prescribed medication, but vets rarely recommend them. 

This isn't because OTC dewormers don't work; they do, most of the time. They also have the added benefit of saving you an expensive trip to the vet. 

However, prescription dewormers are usually more potent than OTC drugs, and can be used to treat specific intestinal conditions. 

Remember that certain types of dewormers work for certain types of worms. 

Since there are over 20 types of parasitic worms that can infect your dog, it's best to consult a veterinarian to make sure your puppy is getting the right care for the right parasite. 

Here's a list of popular dewormer brands, alongside average costs: 

Are There Any Other Additional Expenses? 

Sometimes, you'll have to pay additional expenses when deworming your pup. 

These expenses depend on your pup's medical diagnosis or unique circumstance prior to the deworming session. 

Your vet may recommend some wellness add-ons, such as a change in food or additional medication alongside the dewormer. 

How Much Does Heartworm Treatment And Severe Cases of Worms Cost for Puppies? 

Like roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms, heartworms fall under the category of parasitic infections. 

However, unlike the former three, heartworm infection is a serious, progressive disease and can potentially be fatal if left untreated. 

It can cause heart failure, severe lung disease, organ damage, and death in dogs. 

Dogs with heartworm infections don't live past the age of two years without proper treatment. 

If a pup is diagnosed with heartworm disease, hospitalization and treatment can cost from $500 to over $1,500, depending on the size of the dog, the state of the disease, and related veterinary bills. 

Likewise, later-stage roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm infection may require a more hands-on veterinary intervention. 

Blood transfusions and hospitalization for severe worms can cost between $500 to $1,500.

If left to fester without medication, intestinal worms in puppies can cause decreased appetite, severe weight loss, diarrhea, poor growth, organ damage, and even death.  

How Many Rounds of Dewormer Do Puppies Need? 

In total, a puppy needs around 12 sessions of deworming until the age of six months. 

Puppies should be wormed for the first time at 2 weeks old, and every fortnight thereafter until they reach the age of 12 weeks. 

This means that after the first worming session at 2 weeks, you'll have to revisit the vet when your pup turns 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks of age. 

Once the 12-week mark has passed, your pup should be wormed monthly until he reaches the age of six months. 

Luckily, most over-the-counter deworming medication sells its doses in bulk. 

Trifexis, for example, costs $90 but contains enough doses to complete a six-month treatment. The same is said with Sentinel and Tri-Heart Plus, costing $50 and $30 respectively for a six-count pack. 

Can You Skip Deworming? 

With how expensive deworming can be, some owners would skip the deworming process entirely. Don’t do this mistake. Deworming is a vital part of puppy care. 

It's so important that, in many jurisdictions, it's illegal not to deworm your dog. It's just as crucial as vaccinations. 

Deworming a pup at the tender age of two weeks may seem a bit too early, but it's standard procedure even when the pup doesn't have worms. 

Dewormers are generally safe for dogs and don't have much impact on the system, other than to expel worms from inside a dog's body. 

Though not all puppies have worms, the majority of them do. 

Almost all puppies are born with worms—particularly roundworms and hookworms—as these worms are passed through a mother's milk or during the pregnancy stage. 

Skipping the deworming stage might save you a couple of hundred dollars early on, but you're potentially harming your pup in exchange. 

Severe cases of worms require hospitalization, which can cost you well over $1,000—more than how much you'd normally pay for an entire 12-month deworming session. 

Furthermore, certain parasites, like roundworms and hookworms, can infect you and your family. Avoid this risk and costly medical fees by regularly deworming your pup.

If you want to save some cash when deworming your pup, you can either purchase OTC deworming medication (under your vet's discretion) or get pet insurance. 

Alongside free or reduced costs of annual wellness exams, vaccines, and standard fecal tests, some insurance plans include reduced fees for deworming.

Paul S.

Paul has been creating content for the dog niche for many years. The information he shares comes his first hand experience growing up in dog lovers household and then owning multiple dog breeds of his own as an adult. Paul enjoys doing the hard research to collect, analyze and present our dogtemperament.com readers with the best answers to their questions.