The Worms That Won't Leave...

[RobinM]

My 3 had hookworms.

 

Vet had them on 1st dose of interceptor, 2 weeks later another dose. Teddy still had live worms. 3 days of panacur and 2 weeks later the monthly dose of interceptor.

 

Teddy STILL has worms.

 

10 days of panacur and this morning we saw a worm in his poop.

 

This is insane already! Is this just a "normal" thing with the worms leaving his body?

 

What more could we do? We just finished day 10 last night and we did not miss a dose.

 

 

[Burpdog]

If you are using panacur it won't get tape. Have you taken the worm sample in to the vet? Tape requires droncit (drontal)

 

edited to add: you cannot see hook or whip with the naked eye.

Edited May 18, 2007 by Burpdog

[fionasmom]

I don't think hook worm can be seen with the naked eye. The worms in the poop must be round or tape worms. I second the opinion that a sample should be taken to the vet so the exact worm can be identified.

 

 

[Burpdog]

I would take the actual worm Many times tape doesn't show.

[Guest lizmego]

Additionally, if they are hookworms, you will also need to really kill them in your lawn for the worms are excreted in poop and are just waiting for that little paw to step onto the dirt where they are patiently awaiting to enter your dog's bloodstream again through the pads of his feet. Gross, I know.

 

Also, if you have a bird bath or some such out in your lawn, you must keep it with really clean water all the time or at least have it cleansed in some way. When Birds go into the bird bath to clean themselves, they are getting rid of the fleas on themselves and when the dog drinks the water, the fleas enter their bodies and become tape worms in their intestines and are excreted in poop. This is what I was told...

[Burpdog]

Additionally, if they are hookworms, you will also need to really kill them in your lawn for the worms are excreted in poop and are just waiting for that little paw to step onto the dirt where they are patiently awaiting to enter your dog's bloodstream again through the pads of his feet. Gross, I know

 

You can't kill them. When I researched them many moons ago, only the white flame of a blow torch would get them. Yes, I took a blow torch to gravel runs.....I was young then

[Guest caro]

Tape worms look like little wiggly grains of rice. Each "grain" is a segment of the adult worm that had broken off. Round worms look like wiggly angle hair spaghetti.

 

It could be that they started off with hook and now have something else.

[RobinM]

WOW. OK, we DID do a sample at the very beginning when I noticed their poop was runny.

 

They did a composite test on them. Came back positive for Hook.

 

ALL of you are saying hook can't be seen. We see something. It is white and flat. From what we are able to see, it looks about 1/4 -- 1/2 inch long.

 

I don't know what to do.

Edited May 18, 2007 by RobinM

[Burpdog]

The operative word is flat They appear to have tape and that means you need to get Droncit or Drontal.

 

Take a sample of the segment in. Usually you will see them right on the top of the pile, or rice like things on the rectum. Sometimes squiggly and sometimes dead--depends on how long after they come out. Unless they are extremely loaded--then you will see quite a bit of tape Happened to me once when I took a friend's Dobe to a show. He pooped out tons of tape. Rather disgusting.....

[RobinM]

I"M SUPER PISSED TO HAVE HAD THIS MISDIAGNOSED. Not to mention the amount of $$$$ on rechecks at the vet and loading poor Teddy up on 13 doses of panacur FOR NOTHING.

 

Shame on me for switching vets. Back to the original one.

[Guest JudiK]

If it's any comfort, practically every foster I get has tape - some people say that it's from fleas, but the trainer I work with tells me that it's more often from the meat that they feed raw at the track.

[Batmom]

If it's any comfort, practically every foster I get has tape - some people say that it's from fleas, but the trainer I work with tells me that it's more often from the meat that they feed raw at the track.

 

The common dog tapeworm is acquired in one and only one way -- by ingesting an infected flea. (There is a type of tapeworm that can come from eating wild carrion -- not track beef -- and pet dogs almost never get them.)

 

RobinM, it may well be that your pup has hooks, too. Believe Droncit Plus treats both tapes and hooks. Unfortunately, Panacur doesn't kill tapes.

 

Burpdog is right, there is no way to kill hooks in the environment. You can bleach away, and they'll still be there. Keeping your lawn cut short may help -- they don't like dry sunny places.

Edited May 19, 2007 by Batmom

[Guest longdogs]

Dead worms or live ones? If the worms are killed by the drugs they'll be expelled, that just means the drugs are doing their job. If you are getting tape segments and not whole roundworms, you may need a different wormer. As for hooks, thats a long-term thing. The wormers don't kill larvae, so new maturing larvae and new infections (likely if you have hooks in your area) will keep happening. You probably won't see dead hooks being expelled as they are quite small.

[Burpdog]

A little recap:

 

You cannot see hook or whip with the naked eye. You cannot get rid of hook or whip from your yard. This is the main reason I use Interceptor.

 

Round worm is usually a puppy worm and the oldest I've seen it in is a 2 yr old. The mother (bitch) can be negative for this worm yet the puppies will have it. Depending on the age of the worm, it goes from several inches to 6-9 inches or better and looks like spaghetti, white and when it dies, pinkish in color.

 

Tape worm that we see is probably 99.99% from a flea. It only takes one I remember the only year Burp had tape I did not see one flea on him. Other years, I found fleas and no tape. From memory (and everyone knows how that seems to be going), there are 4 or 5 different types of tape and I think the most common are from fleas and wild game. In looking at the web a little I see mention of tapes in finches, llamas that there is a beef tape and a pork tape, etc.

 

Drontal Plus:

 

Drontal Plus (praziquantel, pyrantel pamoate and febantel) is a broad spectrum dewormer for dogs and cats used to treat tapeworms, hookworms and whipworms

 

Many times whip is very hard to find in a fecal. Years ago a vet who did his research paper on tape worms (which is the easiest of worms on the body according to him), said if you suspect a worm problem that is not showing up, you need to take in a stool sample every day for 3 days in a row.

 

RobinM: it is quite possible that your guys had two different kinds.

[RobinM]

We are hoping to see something today in the poop and bring the actual worm in as suggested.

 

Now, that they are on the interceptor, will that help the hook if we do have it in the yard and you suggested above Diane?

[Batmom]

Once they are clear of hookworms, Interceptor will *usually* keep them from getting reinfected.

 

If you see a flat white worm segment in the poop, you shouldn't have to take it in -- all my vets have prescribed Droncit based on a description.

 

 

[RobinM]

I just hate to give him more drugs if not necessary. Today, so far no worms in poops that are visable.

 

Should I wait a few days to see? If I do not see any more worms for the next several days, I will just have them rechecked and take it from there?

[heartdogs]

we got 2 boys returned last Sat. they both had exploding D-some straight blood some regular. I took them to the vet & she ran her trusty plastic probe in them & got nasty stuff to run tests on. They had hooks. She had me double dose both of them with their heartworm pills=we use Iverheart Max ( generic Interceptor) and it now works for hooks, round, & tapes. Both seem fine now. One is very clingy but the other is just a laid back boy.

[Burpdog]

I've had several vets tell me that Interceptor works well but not good for getting rid of them if they have an infestation.

 

Robin, were it me, I'd get the Drontal and worm them. Ineterceptor will keep them usually from hook and whip but does not work on tape

 

edited to add: re seeing them--check bedding and their butts

Edited May 19, 2007 by Burpdog