Puppies and kittens need deworming every 2 weeks from about 2 to 3 weeks old until 8 weeks, then monthly, and most adult dogs and cats stay covered with a monthly preventive plus a stool test at least once a year. Many pets with worms look completely healthy, which is why deworming is part of routine care. Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Indian Land is a veterinary clinic on Sherbrook Avenue in Indian Land, South Carolina, and our Indian Land clinic matches the medicine to the worm with a stool test.
Call (803) 232-9817 or book online, and bring a fresh stool sample.
Which worms do dogs and cats pick up?
At Petfolk Indian Land, four intestinal worms account for most deworming visits.
Roundworms. Long, spaghetti-like worms. Almost all puppies and many kittens are born with them or pick them up from their mother's milk.
Hookworms. Tiny worms that bite the gut lining and feed on blood. Heavy infections can cause anemia (a low red blood cell count), especially in young pets. Their larvae live in warm, moist soil and can enter through the skin.
Whipworms. Mostly a dog problem. Eggs survive in soil for years and can cause on-and-off diarrhea with mucus.
Tapeworms. Flat worms passed in segments that look like grains of rice near the tail. Most come from swallowing an infected flea while grooming, so flea and tick prevention is part of tapeworm control.
Heartworms are a different parasite that lives in the heart, not the gut, and they need their own prevention.
How often should a puppy or kitten be dewormed?
The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) recommends deworming puppies from 2 weeks of age and kittens from 3 weeks, repeating every 2 weeks until about 8 weeks old, then monthly. At Petfolk Indian Land, the plan for a young pet usually looks like this:
First visit. Bring a stool sample and any breeder or shelter records with product names and dates. The vet gives a dose matched to weight.
Every 2 to 4 weeks during the vaccine series. More doses, because worm larvae can sit in tissue and mature later, so one dose rarely clears a young pet.
From about 8 weeks on. A monthly preventive that also treats some intestinal worms keeps your pet covered between visits.
Follow-up stool test. A fecal test checks that treatment worked; the fecal exams page explains how to collect one.
A newly adopted puppy or kitten is treated even if the shelter or breeder already gave a dose.
How often should adult dogs and cats be dewormed?
For most adult pets seen at Petfolk Indian Land, the plan has three parts:
A year-round preventive that also covers intestinal worms, for dogs and many cats.
A stool test at least once a year, and twice a year for pets that hunt, eat things outdoors or spend lots of time on shared ground.
Extra treatment when a test is positive, or when you see worms or rice-like segments.
Dogs who use shared ground in Indian Land, such as the fields near the Indian Land Recreation Center or the paths at Deputy Roy Hardin Park, have more chances to pick up eggs left by other dogs. Picking up after your own dog every time is the single best thing a neighborhood can do about it.
How often do young pets get a dewormer at Petfolk?
Deworming is a regular part of puppy and kitten visits at Petfolk's clinics around Charlotte.
At Petfolk Indian Land, about 1 in 5 puppy wellness visits (19%) include a dewormer (May 8, 2026, when the clinic opened, to Oct 19, 2026).
Across Petfolk's Charlotte-area clinics, kittens are the most likely to get a dewormer at a wellness visit: 23% of kitten visits, compared with 14% of puppy visits (Oct 2025 to Sep 2026).
Across Petfolk's Charlotte-area clinics, about 3 in 10 puppy wellness visits (30%) and 1 in 5 kitten wellness visits (22%) include a stool test for parasites (Oct 2025 to Sep 2026).
Do store-bought dewormers work?
Some do, for some worms. Over-the-counter products often cover only roundworms, or only tapeworms, and the dose depends on an accurate weight. A product aimed at the wrong worm leaves the real one in place, so the vet at Petfolk Indian Land prefers a stool test first and then a matched medicine. Some store products also carry dosing limits for very young, pregnant or nursing pets.
Can my family catch worms from our pet?
Yes, some pet worms can infect people, especially children who play in dirt or sandboxes. Roundworm larvae can, rarely, travel to the eyes or organs, and hookworm larvae can cause itchy, winding tracks in the skin. The CDC has guidance on healthy pets and healthy people. Four habits help most:
Deworm and test pets on schedule.
Pick up dog waste right away and scoop litter boxes daily.
Cover sandboxes when not in use.
Wash hands after playing outside and before eating.
When are worms an emergency?
Mild worms in a pet who is eating and playing can wait for a regular visit at Petfolk Indian Land. Go to a 24-hour emergency hospital if a puppy or kitten is weak, cold, has pale gums, or has bloody diarrhea with vomiting. Heavy hookworm loads and parvovirus can look alike, and both need care right away.
How do I book deworming in Indian Land?
If you want a vet in Indian Land to test a stool sample and match the medicine to the worm, Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Indian Land is at 1150 Sherbrook Ave, Ste B109, Indian Land, SC 29707. Call (803) 232-9817 or book online.
Book a visit at Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Indian Land, or see all veterinary services in Indian Land.
Worm questions, answered plainly
Up Charlotte Highway from the Indian Land Recreation Center