Worming schedule / Canada
Puppy worming schedule in Canada
Canadian practice follows CAPC for intestinal worms, fleas and ticks. Heartworm is the difference: it is endemic in only a few southern regions and transmission is seasonal, so Canadian heartworm prevention is a summer program rather than a year round one.
Worms, fleas, ticks and heartworm
| Treatment | From | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deworming | 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks | Every 2 weeks | CAPC: treat at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age, and treat the mother alongside the litter. Usually done by the breeder or shelter. |
| Monthly broad spectrum preventive | From 12 weeks, or as soon as the label allows | Monthly | CAPC moves puppies onto a monthly preventive effective against Toxocara as soon as the label allows, and keeps them on it. |
| Flea and tick prevention | From the age on the product label | Monthly through the season, per your vet | Tick exposure in much of Canada is seasonal, but ticks are active whenever it is above freezing and the Lyme risk areas are expanding. Your vet will set the season locally. |
| Heartworm prevention, seasonal | In endemic regions only | Monthly, roughly June to November | Canadian heartworm prevention is seasonal and regional, so Puplr does not put dates on it. Endemic areas are southern Manitoba, southwestern Ontario, southern Quebec, the Tracadie region of New Brunswick and the southern Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Transmission occupies only the four to six warmest months, and June 1 is still considered a valid start to the risk period. Ask your vet whether your region needs it at all. |
- National canine heartworm seroprevalence in Canada has been measured at 0.42 percent, which is why prevention is targeted rather than universal.
- A dedicated Canadian national deworming schedule was not sourced. The intervals above are CAPC, which is the guideline Canadian practice generally follows.
- Lyme disease is endemic in parts of Manitoba, eastern Ontario, southern Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, which affects both tick product choice and whether the Lyme vaccine is worth discussing.
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
Does a Canadian dog need heartworm prevention all year?
Generally no. Canadian heartworm guidance is seasonal because transmission only happens in the four to six warmest months, roughly May to October, and prevention is typically given monthly from June to November in endemic regions. It is endemic in only a few areas: southern Manitoba, southwestern Ontario, southern Quebec, the Tracadie region of New Brunswick and the southern Okanagan Valley. Applying American year round advice in Canada is a common mistake, and the reverse mistake, skipping it in an endemic region, is the expensive one.
Other countries
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Sources
- CAPC ascarid (roundworm) guideline: https://capcvet.org/guidelines/ascarid/
- CAPC hookworm guideline: https://capcvet.org/guidelines/hookworms/
- Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Dirofilaria immitis: https://wcvm.usask.ca/learnaboutparasites/parasites/dirofilaria-immitis.php
- Worms and Germs Blog, Ontario Veterinary College, seasonal canine heartworm prevention in Canada: https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2025/04/articles/animals/dogs/seasonal-canine-heartworm-prevention-in-canadadoes-our-current-timing-still-work/
Last reviewed 2026-09-05.