Another question
Do you worry about worming them all the time since they are on a raw diet?
I usually just worm my dogs in the summer- from April to September.

I use Interceptor, now do I have to worry about it doing more harm then good just like vaccines?

Thank you
:-)

I only ever worm my dogs as needed regardless of diet - raw shouldn't make any difference.

I have however had my dogs pick up worms in the middle of winter, time of year also doesn't make much difference, especially if we have such a mild winter again as last time!

Thanks :-) I'll just worm them as I have been doing.
I was more worried cause my one dog likes to go eat the pigeon poo and sometimes gets to it b4 we do- plus my children
don't go and clean it up 1st b4 letting dogs out so always worried about that. We have lots of pigeons so trying to rid that problem
safely so no harm comes to them. The huge owl does nothing lol- now putting netting so they cannot roost up on our roof.

Interceptor does not cover tapeworms, it is mainly a heartworm med but also covers roundworms. 

However, regardless of whether your dogs are fed raw, you should be worming them at some frequency or other for tapeworms...

Tapeworm? What I give them will not prevent that, How do they get tapeworm?

By scavenging or eating raw meat such as rabbits or rabbit droppings.

All dogs should be routinely treated for round and tapeworm.  This is especially important if you're feeding raw - it's unlikely there would be worms in human grade meat, but possible - they would be destroyed by cooking, usually... If you're feeding something like tripe, much more likely to have tapeworm... 

Besides meat, dogs can also get tapeworm from eating the faeces of wild animals, from eating dead animals on walks, from drinking from water bowls shared with other infected dogs (ie public dog water bowls) etc.

Tapeworms are zoonotic (can be caught by people from their dogs) and that's why it's especially important to treat for them.

Oooh yuck!

Right now I am feeding already prepared raw food do I have to worry about that in this food as well?
http://www.mountaindogfood.com/

I don't allow them to eat roadkill or any dead thing just lying about- Rabbit droppings we do have around here but I don't allow them to eat
that either. Moose always has a ball in her mouth when we walk- as long as the ball squeaks she will carry it all day lol and the boston's
heads are always up- well for that matter lol they all walk with their heads up :-) cause I was always worried about them grabbing something.

fleas can carry tapeworm so I would still make sure I was worming regardless

You're talking about eggs so tiny they are not visible to the eye.  So you might not let them eat rabbit poop, but if you throw a ball and it lands in rabbit poop... or if they chew a stick which had previously touched poop or had a dead animal decompose on it...  Or if another infected dog had just licked its bum and then drank out of a public water bowl which your dog then drank out of... And as the previous poster says fleas carry tapeworm, so a bite from a flea can transmit it - even if the flea is subsequently killed by some flea product.

Tape and round worming is just routine for all dogs and so it should be... 

How often should I be deworming them for that?

I usually on do them during the summer months- its for a total of 6 months.

You are talking about heartworm still - that comes from mosquitos in north America, so is more prevalent in the summer.  But roundworm and tapeworm dogs can get equally, year round.

It's usually recommended that you worm every 3 months for round and tapeworm.  I wouldn't suggest doing it at the same time as you give the heartworm med - space it out.

> I wouldn't suggest doing it at the same time as you give the heartworm med - space it out.

The heart worm meds usually cover other worms too (not sure about tape worm) which is why you hear less about worming in USA as most dogs in high risk areas are on year round heart worm preventative anyway.

So you need to se what the meds yoru already giving cover, so as not to double up needlessly and possibly harmfully.

All the breeders I have contact with take stool samples of litters for testing and only worm if a need is found, no routine puppy worming as here.

Interceptor does not cover tapeworm:
http://www.ah.novartis.com/products/en/interceptor_dog.shtml

I don't think the risks for tapeworm are any less in the US than UK.  Of course if you're submitting stool samples regularly you don't need to worm, but is there anyone who submits stool samples every 3 months?

I wasn't refering to tapeworm, just worming in general, the every three months advice is for usually aimed at Toxocara. 

I only do tapeworm in the summer as my towny dogs don't get opportunity of eating dead animals so their main risk is from fleas picked up.  If I feed any road kill, or wild bunnies (rare) it will be checked for parasites.

The stool checking again was puppies.

I'll def ask my vet next time they are due for an appt. I get all that stuff off them.
Have never had flea's (cross fingers). If hubby decides to go hunting am hoping to get some
deer for us as well as the dog- of course the meat will be frozen for at least 5-7 days b4 I feed it to my crew.