Is My Vet Full Of Poop?

[Guest greytmiles]

So I watched Miles poop some poop that had a clearly visible WORM in it (off-white with a dark spot, slowly wriggling). I'd seen this once before several weeks ago, but honestly just thought some unsuspecting lawn dweller (tiny slug?) was having the WORST DAY EVER and got pooped on. This time though, it was clear... that worm thing came from Miles. So I grab the offensive... uh... portion, and put it in a bag and bring it to my vet about an hour later.

 

They call today with the results saying 'tested negative'. I'm all, "but I saw it!"

So she checks with vet and calls back to tell me, "what you saw was a tapeworm, and they disintegrate very quickly. We will give you ____ to deworm him."

 

Now... I might be wrong, and please tell me if I am, but I've seen sticky gross wriggly white tapeworm segments on cat rears before, and this was nothing like that. This was a big worm. My guess was roundworms, but now I don't know what to think.

 

He's on Interceptor.

What would you guys do?

 

Erin

[Guest SusanP]

I once brought worms to the vet minus poop (can't remember why that happened)only to find they had disappeared in the sealed plastic container on the way over. Our vet said the same thing, so it may be legit!

[Guest KennelMom]

It was probably a tape worm. They do dry up pretty fast...round worms, not so much. And there's really no mistaking the two. Round worms will make you avoid spaghetti for weeks.

[jenn8]

Can you ask your vet for the super-duper, kill all worms pill, just in case? You may not ever know what it was.

 

Jenn

[Guest greytmiles]

Round worms will make you avoid spaghetti for weeks.

 

ewwwwwwww!

[Guest Stripeyfan]

Off white with a dark spot... sounds like roundworm! Get some wormer, quick!

[Guest Samantha]

Ewww i know how you feel, i wormed Maddison last week, and she pooped lots of worms, and has been fine since, our vet said to keep check on her poops, yuck!!! also she had a cough before this, thats why i wormed her, she hasnt coughed since and no sign of anything in her poop. I must look mental fishin about with a stick in her poop

[retiredracers]

When you say "big" how big exactly? Several inches in length or an inch or less? If several inches, probably roundworms. If inch or less, tapes. Tapeworm eggs will rarely show up in a fecal exam since they actually shed their eggs in the sac that you see in the poop as a "worm".

[gryhnd_adoptee]

Do you, or someone else have a camera with the ability to take macro shots? Worms gross me out!

[Guest KennelMom]

Round worms will make you avoid spaghetti for weeks.

 

ewwwwwwww!

 

definitely ewwww! But seriously, rounds tend to be round and look pretty much exactly like spaghetti (or vermicelli, actually). Tapes tend to be flatter and can come out in smaller segments, though they can be long as well.

 

eta: I just googled "vermicelli" to make sure it actually is what I think it is and the wiki page says it's italian for "little worms"

Edited June 2, 2010 by KennelMom

[Guest greytmiles]

When you say "big" how big exactly? Several inches in length or an inch or less? If several inches, probably roundworms. If inch or less, tapes. Tapeworm eggs will rarely show up in a fecal exam since they actually shed their eggs in the sac that you see in the poop as a "worm".

 

hmm..I'd say ~1" long and <1/4" wide in the thickest spot (with the dark spot). I just wasn't even thinking 'tape' since my 'white rice evidence' experience with kitties. Of course Miles has about 75lbs on said kitties, so I guess the worms come bigger too. yikes.

 

 

Do you, or someone else have a camera with the ability to take macro shots? Worms gross me out!

 

I love that they gross you out....and you want a closer look!!!

I'll see what i can do. I know this is just worms and who cares, but the librarian in me likes finding answers!!

 

Round worms will make you avoid spaghetti for weeks.

 

ewwwwwwww!

 

definitely ewwww! But seriously, rounds tend to be round and look pretty much exactly like spaghetti (or vermicelli, actually). Tapes tend to be flatter and can come out in smaller segments, though they can be long as well.

 

eta: I just googled "vermicelli" to make sure it actually is what I think it is and the wiki page says it's italian for "little worms"

 

If I had to pick a pasta I'd definitely say fettucine, not vermicelli. This was definitely flat-ish.

 

Thanks for all the replies!

Does anyone know a magic medicine that would wipe out tapes AND rounds just to be on the safe side?

Should I recommend as much to my vet?

 

Erin

[greyhead]

Does anyone know a magic medicine that would wipe out tapes AND rounds just to be on the safe side?

Should I recommend as much to my vet?

 

Erin

I think Drontal-Plus will get them all. It's the "Plus" part that gets the tapes, IIRC. Pricey but worth it IMHO.

 

Btw, I had the same experience with taking actual worms to the vet. They honestly told me that they are only trained to recognize worms eggs, not actual worms! But as to tapes, when they come out fresh, they look larger, white and wiggly. After an hour, give or take, they shrink, dry up, and become the grain-of-rice things that you're more familiar with.

[Guest earlkattangrey]

Have you tried searching Google Images for round and tape worms to see which looks most like what you saw? Although if they are flat that points to tapes..

[joejoesmom]

I just have to say that I love your title. Sure got me to read it

 

That being said, I'm sorry you have to deal with the ugly little critters.

 

Jane

[Guest sheila]

true story:

GF calls me in tears from work saying she thinks her new puppy is dead. She had the pup for a week and had taken it in the day before for it's shots and it was given a dewormer at the same time. When she came home on a break from work that evening she found the puppy limp and non responsive. She couldn't deal with it and called me to go to her house and take care of what I assumed was going to be removing the dead puppy from her house.

I got there and the puppy was alive and well and wiggling.....well like a puppy. What had ceased to wiggle were the piles upon piles upon piles of 'vermicelli like' worms all over her porch and kitchen. I put the puppy in the bathtub while I spent over 3 hrs with a bucket of bleach water cleaning the area. Then I bathed the puppy and bleached the tub. I hauled out all but one of the piles of dead worms. I left one pile sitting on her dryer with a note letting her know that she owed me big time for this.

 

(Who knew that many worms could be in the belly of a puppy that I could hold in one hand?)

[Guest EmilyandSioux]

I have been a tech for 20 years and I was trained to recognize both worms and eggs. That was really weird for them to say. We also have charts to refresh our memories with very nice pictures of them. Depending upon what kind of heartworm prevention you are on it also kills most parasites. Unfortunately, tapes are not one of them.

[Guest greytmiles]

true story:

GF calls me in tears from work saying she thinks her new puppy is dead. She had the pup for a week and had taken it in the day before for it's shots and it was given a dewormer at the same time. When she came home on a break from work that evening she found the puppy limp and non responsive. She couldn't deal with it and called me to go to her house and take care of what I assumed was going to be removing the dead puppy from her house.

I got there and the puppy was alive and well and wiggling.....well like a puppy. What had ceased to wiggle were the piles upon piles upon piles of 'vermicelli like' worms all over her porch and kitchen. I put the puppy in the bathtub while I spent over 3 hrs with a bucket of bleach water cleaning the area. Then I bathed the puppy and bleached the tub. I hauled out all but one of the piles of dead worms. I left one pile sitting on her dryer with a note letting her know that she owed me big time for this.

 

(Who knew that many worms could be in the belly of a puppy that I could hold in one hand?)

 

you... are.. such a bada$$!! I've handled a lot of gross stuff in my day, but I don't know if I could deal with THAT.

 

Thanks again for all the feedback. I'm thinking that based on what everyone's told me that the size + the flatness + interceptor not covering tapes = tapeworm... yuck.

 

Erin

[Guest LindsaySF]

Btw, I had the same experience with taking actual worms to the vet. They honestly told me that they are only trained to recognize worms eggs, not actual worms! But as to tapes, when they come out fresh, they look larger, white and wiggly. After an hour, give or take, they shrink, dry up, and become the grain-of-rice things that you're more familiar with.

X 2

 

A wormer with praziquantel in it will get tapes. Most tapeworms come from eating larval fleas, so make sure you don't have a flea problem lurking!

 

 

 

 

[tamborine]

true story:

GF calls me in tears from work saying she thinks her new puppy is dead. She had the pup for a week and had taken it in the day before for it's shots and it was given a dewormer at the same time. When she came home on a break from work that evening she found the puppy limp and non responsive. She couldn't deal with it and called me to go to her house and take care of what I assumed was going to be removing the dead puppy from her house.

I got there and the puppy was alive and well and wiggling.....well like a puppy. What had ceased to wiggle were the piles upon piles upon piles of 'vermicelli like' worms all over her porch and kitchen. I put the puppy in the bathtub while I spent over 3 hrs with a bucket of bleach water cleaning the area. Then I bathed the puppy and bleached the tub. I hauled out all but one of the piles of dead worms. I left one pile sitting on her dryer with a note letting her know that she owed me big time for this.

 

(Who knew that many worms could be in the belly of a puppy that I could hold in one hand?)

 

That has got to be the grossest thing I've ever heard.

[Guest Mommy2Junebug]

Round worms will make you avoid spaghetti for weeks.

 

eta: I just googled "vermicelli" to make sure it actually is what I think it is and the wiki page says it's italian for "little worms"

 

Never seen a roundworm in person... But it doesn't matter now 'cause I AIN'T EATIN' SPAGHETTI FOR A LOOOOOONG TIME!

 

Anyhow, good wishes for your pup!

Edited June 8, 2010 by Mommy2Junebug