Albendazole for Dogs – What It Is, What It Is For and Dosage

Albendazole is a drug from the benzimidazole family and is indicated as anthelmintic and antiparasitic broad spectrum against nematodes, cestodes and some flukes. This drug works by inhibiting the growth of the larvae, preventing them from feeding and using glucose until they die.

The benzimidazole medications They are a very effective option against these parasites, since in addition to killing them, they are cheap and quite safe for your dog.

The administration of this antiparasitic is usually done orally. If the pet refuses to ingest it, other alternatives can be tried, such as hiding the pill in food or crushing it and mixing it with water to give it with a syringe.

This drug can be found in different presentations: powders, pastes, pills, suspensions, among others. Depending on the degree of infestation, the type of parasite and your dog’s diet, the vet will prefer one presentation over another.

If you think your dog may have parasites, visit our article How to deworm my dog ​​to choose the correct way to do it, whether they are internal or external parasites.

Not all dewormers work for all types of parasites. Albendazole is usually a drug of frequent choice to kill worm infestations, especially against worms. gastrointestinal nematodes. It is effective against the pig worm, the roundworms, and helps to reduce the cysts that cause the excretion of the worm.

It is important that you pay attention to your pet’s behavior to notice if there are changes in his health or in his mood that could indicate a parasite problem. This way, you can treat it as quickly as possible.

Symptoms of intestinal parasites in dogs

Worm infestations can cause serious problems for your dog, including death, so if you have observed or observe any of these symptoms in your dog, do not hesitate to go to the vet:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Lethargy
• Worms in your stool
• Belly swollen or larger than normal. This usually happens in puppies that have contracted parasites from the mother. Puppies should be dewormed to prevent disease at vulnerable ages. Visit When to start deworming a puppy to find out how.
• Loss of appetite
• Rapid weight loss

If worm infestation in dogs is not treated, it can cause damage to the internal organs of the animal. Except for a few, most of intestinal parasites are easy to diagnose and treat. Other types of parasites are more dangerous, such as the heartworm, which can cause serious damage to the heart of dogs. That is why it is so important to frequently deworm your pet and prevent diseases.

In our article How often to deworm my dog, we tell you everything you need to know to reduce the chances of your pet getting sick.

The dose of albendazole to be administered is designed, above all, to eliminate intestinal worms in dogs. Here we indicate the most common doses depending on the species of parasite. However, the ideal is that you go to the vet to be the one who diagnoses your pet and decides the best treatment for it.

• Toxocara canis: 50 mg / kg / day x 3 days
• Strongyloides stercoralis: 100 mg / animal / 2x / day x 3 days.
• Capillaria plica: 50 mg / kg / 12 hours x 10-14 days.
• Filaroids hirthi: 50 mg / kg 2x / day x 5 days, repeat at 21 days
• Philaroid osleri: 25 mg / kg 2x / day, x 5 days
• Paragonimus kellicotti: 50 mg / kg / day x 21 days
• Giardia spp: 25 mg / kg 2x / day x 4 days

How to give albendazole to a dog

As we have mentioned before, the most common is that the veterinarian is responsible for administering the antiparasitic to your dog, but if you do not have that possibility, you can do it yourself at home. There are dogs that refuse to take medication, especially if it is pills, so you can try the following:

• Scoop the lozenge into some of your dog’s favorite food and offer it to him. They tend not to realize it is there and eat it.
• Crush the pill and mix it with a little water, put it in a small container and make sure it is drunk.
• If he doesn’t drink it, you can put the water in a syringe and give him the medicine by mouth. Raise its lip and place the syringe behind one of its fangs, slowly discharging the liquid.
• If all of the above does not work, open his mouth with one hand from the back and with the other put the lozenge as far back as possible on the palate so that he does not spit it out later. Finally keep your friend’s mouth closed until he swallows the pill. You can massage the throat, this will stimulate the swallowing action. Be patient and careful, as you could harm him.
• If you can’t get your dog to swallow the pill, go to the vet, he will change the presentation of the pill or tell you what to do.

Like all medications, albendazole has contraindications that you must take into account before administering it to your pet. Among them are:

• This drug can cause allergyTherefore, it must be refrained from administering it if the patient has a history of allergy to any antiparasitic from the benzimidazole group or if the dog is known to be allergic. It will be the veterinarian who will choose another drug to administer.
• If the dog is taking any other medication, it is necessary to notify the vet, as there are drugs that make albendazole ineffective.
• Do not administer in lactating or pregnant bitches, as it could be toxic to both the bitch and her puppies.

To know what to expect and how to respond in case your pet does not like the medicine, it is important that you know what are the possible side effects of albendazole for dogs:

• May cause blood cell toxicity
• Leukopenia (low white blood cells)
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite

If you observe any of the symptoms listed above, go to the vet to make sure everything is fine with the medication and with your pet.

If you want to read more articles similar to Albendazole for dogs: what it is, what it is for and dosage, we recommend that you enter our category of Pets.