What is the evidence-based deworming protocol for dogs based on lifestyle and geographic risk?

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The evidence-based deworming protocol for dogs is stratified by lifestyle-based risk category, with the highest-risk dogs — those with outdoor access, contact with other animals, prey exposure, or contact with children and elderly people — requiring the most frequent treatment. The European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP) guidelines form the framework for this risk stratification. 4 Risk categorization drives frequency. Dogs are assigned to risk categories based on lifestyle factors including outdoor access, contact with other dogs, hunting or prey consumption, ingestion of slugs or snails, and contact with vulnerable human populations such as children and the elderly. 4 The majority of dogs in surveyed populations fall into the highest-risk category — 89% of dogs in one national survey were classified as highest risk (category D) based on these criteria. 4 Compliance with recommended deworming frequency is the primary clinical gap. Despite most dogs qualifying for the highest-risk deworming schedule, actual compliance with recommended protocols is poor — recorded at 6% for highest-risk dogs in France. 4 This gap represents a meaningful zoonotic risk, as most high-risk dogs have contact with children or elderly individuals. 4 Ectoparasite and tick-borne disease risk follows a parallel geographic and lifestyle framework. The Companion Animal Parasite Council recommends year-round broad-spectrum flea and tick control for all dogs, with annual testing for tick-borne pathogens. 1 Tick-borne disease risk has increased substantially across North America, with canine infection rates rising 41–167% based on national antibody prevalence surveys. 1 Core vaccination (canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus 2, canine parvovirus 2, and rabies in endemic regions) is required for every dog regardless of lifestyle or geography. Non-core vaccines — including Leptospira and Bordetella bronchiseptica with or without canine parainfluenza virus — are indicated b