All pets require regular attention to ensure they remain healthy and well. One essential is their worm treatment, which stops intestinal parasites from taking hold. Worms can be picked up in various ways — scavenging, fleas, other animals’ faeces — and then passed on, so routine treatment matters for your dog’s health and your family’s.
⚠️ Quick Answer: For routine roundworm and tapeworm treatment, an over-the-counter combination wormer with praziquantel and pyrantel (such as Beaphar WORMclear) every three months is the standard adult routine. But two things genuinely need your vet, not a shop shelf: lungworm protection (only prescription products cover it) and worming for puppies under 12 weeks. This guide is informational — your vet knows your dog’s risk profile.
Wormers You Can Buy Without a Prescription
1. Beaphar WORMclear Tablets for Dogs — Best OTC All-Rounder
Veterinary-strength tablets containing pyrantel embonate, praziquantel and febantel — the same active combination used in the best-known vet-dispensed wormers — covering the common UK roundworms and tapeworms in a single dose. Pork-flavoured, suitable from 2 weeks of age (over 3kg), dosed at one tablet per 10kg. At £4.69 for the up-to-20kg pack (live price, 28 August 2026) it makes the quarterly routine genuinely affordable.
2. Combination Flea-and-Worm Protection
If you’re already treating fleas monthly, it can be simpler to run parasite protection as one routine rather than two calendars. Zooplus stocks the full over-the-counter range — tablets, spot-ons and combination products — in one category, so you can match a product to your dog’s weight band and your routine.
Browse dog flea, tick & worming treatments at Zooplus UK →
Treatments That Need Your Vet
- Lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum): Spread by slugs and snails and potentially fatal — and no over-the-counter wormer covers it. Monthly prescription spot-ons or tablets from your vet are the only protection. If your dog eats slugs, snails or grass frequently, raise this at your next appointment.
- Prescription combination wormers (e.g. milbemycin-based tablets): broader coverage including lungworm and are dosed to your dog’s exact weight — the right choice for higher-risk dogs.
- Puppies: Need worming every 2 weeks from 2 weeks of age until 12 weeks, then monthly until 6 months — dose accuracy matters at small weights, so run the schedule with your vet or breeder.
A Sensible Worming Routine
- Adult dogs: Worm at least every 3 months with a combination roundworm + tapeworm product.
- High-risk dogs (raw-fed, scavengers, households with young children, slug-eaters): worm monthly and ask your vet about lungworm cover.
- Weigh first: Underdosing is the most common reason a wormer “doesn’t work” — weigh your dog before each treatment and follow the weight bands exactly.
- Fleas and tapeworm travel together: Flea larvae carry tapeworm eggs, so a dog with fleas usually needs both treatments. See our best dog flea treatment guide.
⚕️ This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace veterinary advice. As an affiliate, we may earn a commission if you purchase through our links, at no extra cost to you. Part of our Dog Health Guide.
How often should I worm my dog?
Adult dogs should be wormed at least every 3 months with a combination product covering roundworms and tapeworms. Monthly worming is recommended for higher-risk dogs — raw-fed dogs, keen scavengers, dogs that eat slugs or snails, and homes with babies or young children. Puppies need worming every 2 weeks from 2 to 12 weeks of age, then monthly until 6 months.
Can I buy dog wormers without a prescription in the UK?
Yes — combination tablets containing praziquantel and pyrantel (such as Beaphar WORMclear) are available over the counter and cover the common roundworms and tapeworms. What you cannot buy without a prescription is lungworm protection: products covering Angiostrongylus vasorum are prescription-only, so lungworm cover always goes through your vet.
What are the signs my dog has worms?
Common signs include visible worm segments (like rice grains) around the rear or in faeces, a pot-bellied appearance, weight loss despite normal appetite, scooting, diarrhoea and a dull coat. Many infected dogs show no signs at all, which is exactly why routine preventive worming — rather than waiting for symptoms — is the standard veterinary advice.