Will Falconer, DVM Moderator
Hi Diane,
Good question. Parasites in general are pure opportunists. They only live in weakened hosts. You can bring a baggie of stool into your conventional vet any time to check on the status of worms, but I find the healthy adults repeatedly test negative. As such, I don't see the need for adult testing throughout life.
Tapeworms are a case in point. They are the most benign worms on the planet, rarely causing disease, and only then when they've really grown to tremendous numbers. The drug to get rid of them is probably more risk than the worm! I address the animal who repeatedly gets worms with a constitutional remedy until I see that they've lost the worms for good. Then I know their susceptibility is gone. It may take a few tries to find that remedy for that particular dog, but if we stick to it, and especially have a few other symptoms to work with, we can find the proper remedy.