Use wormwood internally only under expert supervision and for short periods of time only. Can cause convulsions, delirium, hallucinations and even death. Can become addictive. Avoid when pregnant. Its use is banned in many countries.

Sorry, can't help with the tapeworm remedy - except that I know prevention is better than cure. Your vet can help there. Flea control is one part of the solution.

Here is a link that might be useful: natural remedy for worms in dogs

Here are some articles on herbs for pets....

http://www.consciouschoice.com/1999/cc1207/herbs1207.html
but then the next article says that alliums (onions and garlic) can cause anemia in dogs.
http://www.consciouschoice.com/1999/cc1207/herbs1207.html

Wormwood is too dangerous.

"I'm trying to find a natural worming for tapeworms for my dog"

How do you KNOW the dog has tapeworms?

Pumpkin seeds work. Get raw, unsalted green pumpkin seeds, grind them in a blender, and add them to the dog's food.

If wormwood is dangerous, then I am dead. I grew up in a country where everyone uses it for stomach upsets. As a matter of fact, the vermouth taste in the Italian Vermouth Wine is wormwood, and you drink a bit of it when your stomach is upset. About 35 years ago, I found out by fluke that wormwood tea or the herb chewed is a great first aid for respiratory problems, and I have been using it daily since then without any problems. The bitter taste also takes away the craving for chocolate.

What is dangerous is the absinth which is made from wormwood. It is a wormwood-flavored liqueur with almost twice the potency of alcohol of any other liqueur. It may well be the alcohol which does damage, not the wormwood, or maybe it depends on the variety of wormwood used. I am only guessing here. Absinthe was banned in some European countries for years, but it is again available in those countries, including in Britain.

All wormwoods are artimisias like the herbs which the aboriginal people call "sage" which is used for smudging and which has the same healing properties as wormwood.

I doubt, though, that you will be able to get your dog to drink anything as bitter as wormwood. I don't know about tapeworm, but any other kind of worm and pest such as fleas can be gotten rid of by adding nutritional yeast to the diet of humans or of pets. If a person is allergic to yeast, then use B vitamins instead. I have never heard of a pet being allergic to yeast. A yeast allergy is caused by a history of overeating on bread and it is quite common among North Americans.

The chemical in wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) that causes neurotoxicity is thujone. Like many other toxic substances it may not cause problems in very small doses. There are safer and better anti-worming agents that can be used on dogs (and people).

Absinthe was banned because of the seizures and other evidence of neural damage that occur with chronic consumption (and are separate from effects of alcoholic use). In a number of countries where products containing wormwood are currently legal, there are strict limits on the amount of thujone they can contain.

Some types of wormwood are apparently less toxic, but consuming any wormwood product on a continual basis is inviting trouble.

Don't experiment on your dog! The vet's remedies are inexpensive and safe, and while you're experimenting the dog's getting worse.

Can someone tell me more about the dangers (if any) of the use of wormwood in dogs. I've read several articles saying it is safe to use it for dogs and treating worms. I've always gone the natural method, if possible, for my pets and use Black Walnut Hulls for the prevention and treatment of heartworms. Done wonderfully for years, but now I've read about the wormwood combo for general worms and would like to know the DOSAGE you would recommend for treating dogs? Please reply personally as I don't check this forum very often. Thanks in advance, Ziggy ziggycanuk@bellsouth.net

This sounds like one herb I wouldn't want to use on my dog, except maybe under a vet's supervision. According to one veterinarian's website:

"Safer herbs for deworming exist and wormwood should only be used with extreme caution."

Another says:

"Wormwood is a traditional deworming herb. It is however too strong on pets. There are other safer natural remedies for deworming and wormwood should only be used with extreme caution under strict holistic veterinarian advice."

Here is a link that might be useful: herbal pet remedies

I know the thread is really old, but I thought I would post about the "banning of absinthe" mentioned by eric_oh,
in case anyone comes across this thread while searching.

It's a myth that absinthe is toxic, causes seizures, tremors, or hallucinations. It doesn't. Drank in large amounts, you can get very, very drunk but that's about all. Absinthe drinking will not cause neural damage to the brain... Absinthe was banned simply because it was demonized, accused of being the cause of madness and insanity (which it's not) and also a catalyst for murder in extreme cases. This is not true (then or now)! Absinthe causes none of this. The absinthes of the pre-ban era in France have been found to have nearly the same amounts of thujone (a chemical produced by wormwood) as the absinthes of today! Thujone DOES NOT cause hallucinations ! There are still many misconceptions about absinthe (and the use of wormwood) that are alive and kicking, but they are simply not true...

This thread is really about herbs, though, so I will mention: the consumption of large quantities of the wormwood herb should only be done under the supervision of a doctor or experienced herbalist. Also, I agree: don't give wormwood to your dog!

I couldn't help but notice this, either: daisyduckworth said: Wormwood "Can cause convulsions, delirium, hallucinations and even death"

This is 120% NOT TRUE!!!! Wormwood has none of these properties, and neither does absinthe.

Even those who argue that older forms of absinthe were not especially toxic, recognize that wormwood itself has toxic properties. From one author who's published papers on the subject:

"In distinction from commercially manufactured absinthes with limited thujone content, a health risk to consumers is the uncontrolled trade of potentially unsafe herbal products such as absinthe essences that are readily available over the internet."

Herbalism websites include numerous warnings and contraindications to wormwood use.

While wormwood derivatives may hold promise as anticancer and antidiabetes drugs, there remains little justification for experimenting on oneself or one's pets with wormwood products.

A lot posted on this topic. One simple note: it's called WORMwood for a reason.

Right.

And Pulmonaria is called that because centuries ago people thought the leaves were patterned in a way that resembled the human lung (pulmonary = involving the lung), and so it was thought good for treating lung ailments.

That doesn't mean it's a safe and effective drug for that purpose.

Getting back to Barboak's original post . . .

I quite often use wormwood extract in many of my tonics. When used properly, it safely has its place.

However, for pets, I've found freshly chopped garlic works as a strong antiseptic and de-wormer for domestic animals. But that alone is not enough. A good herbal laxative would also be in order.

I'm a little late on helping.

Charles Benghauser

What evidence are you relying on in recommending wormwood in "tonics"?

And how would a laxative for dogs work against intestinal worms?

Eric:

Perhaps I mislead in my comments about what I do. I never recommend anything to anyone. I do personal evaluations through an extensive consultation. Then, if I decide that wormwood should be part of a formula, I put it in.

Liver tonics stimulate more production of bile. Bile is the body's own anti-septic and laxative. Therefore, whenever a liver tonic is given, there's anti-septic to kill parasites and also, there's laxative action that ejects them from the body through the bowels. Good liver tonic will cause an evacuation of bowels within 8-12 hours.

This make sense?

Charles in Arizona
The Herbalist

Here is a link that might be useful: Herbology Science

Bile's main function is in digesting fats, neutralizing acids entering the intestinal tract and in red blood cell metabolism. To some extent it has an antimicrobial effect, but simply stimulating bile flow (to the extent that any "tonics" actually do this) is going to be of dubious help in eliminating worms/other parasites. Similarly, laxatives alone aren't going to be of much use. Have you come across any good evidence suggesting otherwise?

Wormwood as an herbal additive to "tonics" has more of a historical appeal than practical use, and there remains that nagging problem of potential toxicity. This has been recognized as also being a problem in pets.

"Wormwood is a traditional deworming herb. It is however too strong on pets. There are other safer natural remedies for deworming and wormwood should only be used with extreme caution under strict holistic veterinarian advice."

Someone asked how you'd know a pet has tapeworm.

Tapeworms are not microscopic;
they're visible to the naked eye, & pet owners often learn of an infestation when the tapes "shed" & segments emerge from the pet's behind.

You might check into using agricultural diotomaceous earth.

Does anybody have any idea if injesting wormwood by smoking it is safe? I am fairly sure it would taste horribly bitter, but I am told the effect would help sharpen awareness and possibly facilitate lucid dreaming (wormwood is an artemisia, just like mugwort--Artemisia vulgaris). Any thoughts? Dosage amounts?

houseplantlover86, regarding your question on wormwood as far as assisting you in lucid dreaming, I can not say (although I am interested) But I can offer this recipie:

Mugwort, Lavender, and Chamomile (equal proportions): brew into a tea and steep for about ten minutes. Sweeten with honey (I'd recomend it if you're new to herbal tea, although the lavender helps take the bitterness away). This tea aids in dreaming, and on sevelral occasions I have had lucuid dreams after its injestion.

Also, mugwort and lavender (as far as I know) are safe to smoke, and also aid your mind in dreaming. The lavender sweetens the smoke, too :)

In addition to these herbal recipies, I would also advise training yourself to remember your dreams by keeping a dream journal. The more adept you are at remembering dreams, the more adept you will be at lucid dreaming.

Hope this helps :)