I am happy to say that my dogs are not on any medications. Aside from being slightly overweight, our 7-year-old lab mix is a happy, healthy middle-aged pooch. Our 4 month old Doberman is also very healthy, despite living in a region of the country known for lots of mosquitoes, ticks and other parasites.
Recently, I discovered (through a Yahoo group) that Guinness Beer can be used as a wormer for pets and I was excited to do some independent research on the subject... To my surprise, this remedy has been studied in Japan and is used in many animal rescue centers when the animal is too weak for conventional treatment, mainly for heart worms. Yes, this treatment kills heart worms!
From my research, I learned:
1. The Black Label Guinness Draught (see photo), which is brewed in Dublin, Ireland, is the ONLY beer that works for worming pets. This is because of the ancient strain of hops used in the brewing process. The hops actually causes the worms to become sterile, so they are no longer able to reproduce. (In conventional treatments for heart worms, the worms "know" they are being poisoned and release harmful toxins into your pet's bloodstream.)
2. DOSAGE should be 1oz beer per 25lbs body weight. For prevention, the first two doses should be two weeks apart, then monthly from then on. To treat a severe case of worms, you may up the dosage to every 2 weeks for the first 3 months, then back off to a once-monthly dose.
3. The small dosage does NOT get your dog drunk. After their first dose, my dogs showed no signs of dizziness or sleepiness.
4. The beer will keep in the fridge between doses, even if it goes flat. If you don't drink Guinness (like I do), just put the cap back on between doses and stick it in the back of your fridge... I have to admit, I just drank what was left in the bottle :) YUM.
5. In addition to dogs, this treatment has been used successfully in cats, dogs and ferrets! And, you could see die-off of parasites the same day of the first treatment.
**I read in one article that whip worms will not be affected by this treatment... ? I'm curious to know why, but haven't found an answer yet. **
So why pump your animals full of expensive drugs when the answer is right in your fridge? Get your pets off the prescription meds and let them enjoy a happy, drug-free life!
For additional research, see these sites:
http://briarwoodpups.blogspot.com/2011/10/beer-as-wormer.html
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_beer_kill_heartworms
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-guinness-heartworm-challange
Is 10 oz per 25 lbs of body weight correct? That would get me drunk in a hurry!
ReplyDeleteNo, you read it wrong. It is 1 oz per 25 lbs body weight :) Thanks for commenting!
DeleteAnd what is the dosage for dogs around 10 lb or so ?I h to look up on the other page what skip had in the files...
DeleteYou will need 0.4 oz for your dog's weight. For future reference, multiply your dog's weight by 0.04 to get the correct dosage. Sorry it took me so long to reply!
DeleteWould this work for a 4 week old puppy?
ReplyDeleteSince I am not a vet, I'd rather not give advice concerning puppies... I have never heard of giving a 4-week-old puppy any heartworm meds, but I may be wrong! I would recommend doing some more research :)
DeleteYour four-week-old puppy isn't old enough to develop heartworms, and as for any other worms, he should be vet checked so you know what type of worms they are. They are most likely roundworms.
DeleteHmm - I will have to research this as well. I suspect if it makes all adult parasites (not just heartworm) sterile then it would work well for heartworm -- part of the "prevention" in heartworm meds is simply that they interrupt the life cycle and don't allow the baby heartworms (microfilaria) progress to the larval stage. But for both whips and hooks -- I would think it wouldn't be effective fully for either because the parasites themselves actually damage the dog. Hooks are mostly big saw-toothed MOUTHS (like most of the parasite is just plain MOUTH) that actually tear tissue up as they feed. Whipworms are like little living razors - the entire side of their body IS a razor and the way they feed is to slice open tissue and then feed on the resulting blood.
ReplyDeleteSo if the method of control is to prevent the parasite from reproducing I can see where that would work in many cases -- but even one whipworm can damage a lot of tissue.
Thanks for the tip.
What will happen if I don't keep the beer in the fridge? Will it spoil or mold? If I've had the unopened bottles unrefrigerated, will they be ok if I put them in the fridge now before they are opened? Should I pour out the bottle that's been opened and unrefrigerated for a week now? I'll be treating my dogs for the 2nd time on June 30th. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteAs long as the bottles are sealed, you don't have to refrigerate them. But, since they are pasteurised, once they are opened I would put them in the fridge.
DeleteIf you have had an opened bottle unrefrigerated for a week, I would just pour it out.
it is common to de-worm pregnant dogs before bitrh would this be safe for her and the unborn pups?
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware of this, but I would never give a pregnant dog chemicals that may harm the pups! Since I am not a vet, I will leave this one to your discretion.
DeleteIf its the hops that make the worms sterile, then can I just use the hops? From what I found, it's East Kent Goldings hops, which are easy to find online or from a local homebrew supplier.
ReplyDeleteI assume you could use the hops only... but I doubt your pet would eat them raw/dried. You would probably have to make a homemade tincture, and then you really don't know the dosage. I don't think a hops tincture (if you are afraid of the alcohol content, I would use glycerine) would harm your pet, but then again, I am not a vet :)
ReplyDeleteWonder if this would work on horses :P
ReplyDeleteNot entirely sure, but that would take quite a bit of beer! :)
DeleteI'm going to try this for my mini pigs! Pigs keep getting seizures like crazy and dying left and right...I'm wondering if it's the toxins in the Ivermec people are giving their pigs every 3 MONTHS. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteI would love to hear how this works for pigs! Toxic wormers are no good for any animal...
Deletehow do you administer this beer if you dog doesnt like it?
ReplyDeleteI put my dogs "medicine" in their kibble. It will eventually soak it up... If they won't take it this way, try adding something better tasting as well- maybe beef stock?
DeleteDon't give your dog raw hops its toxic.I have been giving my dogs guiness draught beer now for 2 seasons with no recurrence of any worms hook round or whip. They were getting worms once every couple of months and my older shepherd couldn't tolerate the worm meds. Once they are in your soil they are hard to get rid of,even a harsh winter will not kill off eggs. Since treating my dogs once a month with guniss no recurrence of worms
ReplyDeleteI would like to try this method before going the medical route. But my dog is only 14.3 pounds, how much beer is safe for her. Is 1oz still okay?
ReplyDeleteAccording to my calculations, you will only need about 0.6oz beer per serving for your dog's weight. I hope this helps!
DeleteDoes this also work on Tapeworm?
ReplyDeleteAccording to my research, this works for all worms except whip worms. Hope this helps!
Deletei would like to try this on my 2 dogs. 1 is 24 lbs and 11 yrs old. the other is a 7 month old puppy that weights 5 lbs. how much would i give them? trying to stay away from chemicals.
ReplyDeleteYou will need almost 1 oz for your 24 lb dog (0.96 oz) and for your puppy, 0.2 oz. For future reference, just multiply their weight by 0.04. Thanks for commenting!
DeleteHow do you administer it to a cat who is a very finicky eater? I am thinking maybe one of those oral medicine syringes?
ReplyDeleteI think a syringe would work! My dogs don't mind the taste in their kibble...a syringe is how I would administer if they didn't take it voluntarily :)
DeleteI cook a steak pretty rare pour the beer over their dry food then I pour the juices over everything add the chopped up steak and they eat it all.
ReplyDeletei was told 1/4 tsp per pound i have small chihuahua's is this the correct dose for them they r under 6 lbs i also have a couple of 12 lb other dogs
ReplyDeleteyes that is the dose for chi's i have them too..
ReplyDeleteyes i have small chi's and i give them this and 1/4 tsp per lb
ReplyDeleteMy dog is a year and a half and weighs 4 lbs 7 oz. How much beer would I administer?
ReplyDeleteMy calculation is 0.2oz ; 1/4oz per pound so 0.04 times weight!
DeleteSince beer has alcohol in it and alcohol contains ethanol, and ethanol is toxic to dogs. Will this harm the dog?
ReplyDeleteSince beer has a very low percentage of alcohol, and you are only giving them a couple oz. at a time, I do not believe there is enough ethanol to harm your dog. My dogs have never complained ;)
Deleteworms are more like ticks, meaning they bury their little heads and suck a dog’s blood. They reside mostly in the big intestine. Whipworms are usually tough and can stay alive for a long time.
ReplyDeleteDo you know if there are any department stores well known department stores where you can buy this beer?
ReplyDeleteWhen we were in Florida, I bought this beer at Publix. Here in Colorado, I see it at our local grocery store. I have also seen it at Walmart or any liquor store that carries beer. Just look for the black label!
DeleteIs the only way to purchase this beer online? If not can you tell me where I can go and purchase it
ReplyDeleteI have found it at Publix and Walmart. I have never tried to buy it online
DeleteDoes this work for just heartworms or ringworms as well? I am not sure what my baby girl has but she's clearly becoming very irritable. She's about 10 pds. Do you think this would harm her if I tried it just to see?
ReplyDeleteAnd how much would I give her?
Yes, according to my research, this will work for both! I would use about 0.5 oz for a 10lb dog. Repeat after 2 weeks, then give her the same dose every month!
DeleteDoes this work for online heartworms or all worms? My dog is around 10pds, how much would I give her and do you think it would harm to at least try it?
ReplyDeleteI have never had any ill side-effects with this remedy. It definitely doesn't hurt to try! I would use about 0.5 oz. for a 10lb dog :)
DeleteWhat about a small 4-5 week old puppie
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't recommend giving them any beer until they are weaned and eating solid foods. Since I am not a vet, I cannot give any advice concerning puppies that young.
DeleteThis has been working well for our finicky cat. I put the beer into some moist cat food, mix it up and add a bit of the dry type.
ReplyDeletewhere do you order the beer? and can you worm chickens with the beer?
ReplyDeleteI purchase the black label Guinness at my local Publix grocery store. It should be available wherever they sell beer! I have never tried worming our chickens with this... I use herbal supplements for our flock that keeps them healthy and worm-free :)
DeleteBeer does have good cleansing properties in humans and animals. Pot, catnip tea and tobacco also has cleansing properties. Heartworm damage can not be reversed but it can be prevented and prolonged! A bitch can pass any parasite to her pups. Vets are wrong and we still owe them.
ReplyDeleteHave you found any difference between Guinness Draught and Draught Stout? Or is it just a labeling thing? I can't seem to find any of the plain Draught here. Other than the smaller word stout underneath, it looks just the same. Tastes the same as well.??
ReplyDeleteIn my research, the kind of Guinness you need to get is the black label, which is made in Dublin. If the label says "Brewed in Dublin", you don't need to worry so much about the "stout" vs "draught". It is all made with the same kind of hops. Sorry for the belated reply!
DeleteThank you for this great article and all the comments that came with it. I will be buying some Black Label Guinness Beer my next shopping trip. Our dog seems to get worms all the time, must be from all the dead stuff that is around, like dead dear that people shoot and can't/don't find etc. I like this method of worming my dog much better than the Medicines that are being sold at such high prices and then you need to do it again next month, at a bigger price. I sure hope this works on our dog. Thanks again for this information.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome information. I have 8 Labrador pups, almost 3 weeks old and I was told I am suppose to worm them now and at 6 weeks. If I use this beer method with my female (puppy mama), will the puppies get enough via nursing? Thank you for your time!
ReplyDeleteI am not a vet, so I don't feel like I am qualified to answer your question. I have only ever given adult dogs the beer dewormer.
DeleteIt definitely works for adult dogs, as I have two dogs that benefit from it! Thanks for your comment and good luck.
One of the pitbull care jobs is the periodic deworming for it. This is extremely important. Very good article about how natural natural deworming with alcohol is great. I will apply it.
ReplyDeleteI was surfing the Internet for information and came across your blog. I am impressed by the information you have on this blog. It shows how well you understand this subject. live worms in dog poop after deworming
ReplyDelete