Deworming your dog will require that your pet take a medication or herbal treatment to kill the parasite. If your dog has liver disease, you will need to be more careful about your choice of medications. Your veterinarian can monitor your dog's liver function and adjust it, so you don't make the liver problem worse. You may also find that once your dog is dewormed, what you thought was liver disease may go away. This is because some worms will migrate to the liver, where they cause problems.
Instructions
Check the medication or herbal supplements for any cautions about using on animals with liver problems. For instance, pyrantel pamoate and mebendazole are two common dewormers for roundworm, but they shouldn't be used on animals with liver problems. The same is true for the herbal remedy wormwood. Let your veterinarian know about your dog's liver problem if she doesn't already know. This could influence her decision about what medication to use.
Choose whether you will administer a liquid, powder or tablet to your dog. Liquids and powders can be easily mixed into food, but you will need to make sure that the dog eats all of the food to get the full dose. Tablets can be wrapped within a small treat, peanut butter or cheese, to get the dog to eat it.
Weigh your dog. You will need to know your dog's weight to determine the correct dose of medication.
Administer the correct dose. You will need to follow the directions on the medication label for giving your dog the correct dose. Once you figure out the correct amount for your dog, write it on the container. You will also need to administer this dose over a number of days as determined by your veterinarian. This is because medications only kill mature worms. Administering the dosage over a number of days allows any larvae to mature and be killed.
Watch for signs that the treatment is harming your dog's liver. Symptoms of liver problems could be seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, increases in drinking and urination, reduced appetite or gray-white and soft feces. Report any of these symptoms to your veterinarian.
Have your veterinarian test your dog's liver function once the deworming cycle is done. This is precautionary if your dog has liver problems, but it will also indicate if the worms did any damage to the liver.