Worming schedule / Australia
Puppy worming schedule in Australia
Australian practice follows the same fortnightly then monthly pattern as Europe. What makes Australia different is outside the gut: heartworm is present nationally and the paralysis tick on the east coast is a genuine killer, so both are part of the routine plan.
Worms, fleas, ticks and heartworm
| Treatment | From | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intestinal worming | From 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks | ESCCAP starts at 14 days and repeats fortnightly until two weeks after weaning, which usually lands around 8 to 10 weeks. The breeder does the first few, ask for the dates in writing. |
| Intestinal worming, monthly | From about 3 months | Monthly to 6 months | Monthly until six months of age. ESCCAP's European guideline makes this step conditional on ongoing risk such as puppy playgroups, its UK arm states it flatly. |
| Heartworm prevention | From 8 to 12 weeks, per the product label | Monthly, or an annual injection | Australia is considered a low prevalence region overall, with a known hotspot in Queensland, but the published advice is still strict prevention according to the product label plus an annual heartworm test right across Australia. The starting age comes from the product label, not from a guideline. Annual injections are also available here. |
| Flea and tick prevention | From the age on the product label | Monthly, or per product | On the east coast the product has to kill paralysis ticks fast. Killing within 72 hours of attachment is the threshold, because toxin output accelerates after about day three of feeding. Search the dog by hand daily in tick season as well, do not rely on the product alone. |
- Puplr could not find a published Australian national deworming schedule from the AVA or a government department. The worming intervals above are the ESCCAP guideline, which is the standard most Australian vets work from in practice.
- Hydatid tapeworm guidance specific to Australia is not sourced here. If your dog has access to livestock, offal or raw meat, ask your vet about praziquantel dosing.
This is general guidance, your vet sets the actual schedule. Local disease risk, the products your clinic stocks and your puppy’s own history all change the plan. Take this page to your vet as a starting point, not as an instruction.
Common questions
Do dogs in Australia need heartworm prevention?
Yes. Australia is considered a low prevalence region for heartworm overall, with a hotspot detected in Queensland, but the published recommendation is still strict prevention according to the product label across the whole country, plus an annual heartworm test. Prevention is straightforward, treating an established infection is not.
What is the paralysis tick and does my dog need cover?
Ixodes holocyclus, found along the east coast from Lakes Entrance in Victoria up through New South Wales and Queensland to Cairns. It injects a toxin that causes ascending paralysis and it kills dogs. The critical detail for product choice is speed: the tick needs to be killed within about 72 hours of attaching, because toxin secretion accelerates after roughly the third day. If you live in or visit that strip of coast, this decides which product you buy.
Other countries
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Sources
- ESCCAP UK and Ireland, deworming frequency advice: https://www.esccapuk.org.uk/uploads/docs/q8e61ahf_003_Deworming_frequency_advice.pdf
- Mosquito borne heartworm Dirofilaria immitis in dogs from Australia, Parasites and Vectors: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5055658/
- Efficacy against Ixodes holocyclus, Parasites and Vectors, for paralysis tick range, seasonality and the 72 hour threshold: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4424825/
Last reviewed 2026-09-05.