Hookworms -- What Needs To Be Done To Get Rid Of?

[RaineysMom]

so we're on day 2 of our 3 day Panacur treatments for hookworm (worming Larry too just in case). I know this will only kill the existing larvae and another round (or more) will be needed to get the next emerging larvae. They will be on Trifexis (which has stuff for worms in it, we always used Interceptor or Sentinel but our vet gave us this now) too so that will help as well.

 

I've been very vigilant about picking up in the yard -- I'm sure with this warm, moist weather they are now in our yard Hopefully it will get very cold again (can't believe I WANT that ) and that will kill them for good out there.

 

however, I'm not sure what (if anything) needs to be done in the house. I've been searching the Internet for quite a while and have seen varying recommendations. It varies from not needing to do anything short of not picking up their poo with your bare hands (really? you have to tell someone not to do that???) and just washing your hands a lot -- and you don't need to worry about carpet, bedding, etc. because the eggs cannot survive in a dry environment like that and they don't just "fall" out of their butts. Other ones said you have to wash their bedding (and your bedding, if they sleep in bed with you -- which neither do) and vacuum a lot until they are completely gone; other still went farther and said you have to sanitize crates, every square inch of your house and your outside areas.

 

I'm washing all their bedding now -- except for Zeke's Slumberball upstairs that he sleeps on at night, because the entire inside liner is destroyed and all the filling is just loose in there -- and the new Costco 42" round bed because the cover is NOT removable (which I didn't know, wouldn't have bought it!). I vacuumed too, more because it needed to be done after getting the covers off the SB's in the living room (Thanks NUBE for shredding the inside covers so!).

 

does anyone know how far one needs to go with this? I keep a fairly clean house as it is (I vacuum the kitchen literally 3 times a day already because of all the dirt and crap and cookie crumbs the monsters leave all over ) but I really don't want to set off an A-bomb in here to sanitize it. This is the first time EVER I've had a dog with worms (we've never even had a flea in 22 years of dogs).

 

thanks in advance!

 

 

update 1/31:

 

well, we finished the Panacur on Wednesday, and they both got their new Trifexis yesterday, but Zeke's still got horrible diarrhea. (Larry's a lot better, not great, but better). Zeke is SO skinny, I'm sure he's lost even more weight (he weighed in at 70 last Friday, his racing weight was 71 lbs so he's even under that ). Have a call into the vet to see what our next step is.

 

he's currently eating (twice a day) a 1/2 cup of Canidae (the PAWS, all-around one) and about a cup each of brown rice, oatmeal and ground beef and pumpkin -- and nothing is working. Maybe he can't tolerate the Canidae.

 

Does anyone have suggestions for a different high-quality kibble to try maybe? Fish based? other? I think the PAWS is mostly chicken based.

Edited February 5, 2013 by RaineysMom

[Batmom]

Pick up the poop in the back yard and put it where nobody can eat it. The end.

[greytpups]

Pick up the poop in the back yard and put it where nobody can eat it. The end.

 

Yep, worked for Ben and Brooke. I just did the usual weekly wash of blankets and bed covers without worrying about it. The meds worked after a few days they disappeared (the worms, not Ben and Brooke ),

[RaineysMom]

thanks guys, I feel better now.

 

I don't understand how he could have gotten them - as far as I know he's been on heartworm meds (that have worm preventative in them) at least since he came up in September, and hopefully at the tracks before that?

[Batmom]

Heartworm meds won't clear an existing hookworm infection of any magnitude, and they won't prevent one if the dog is in an environment with lots of hookworms. Nasty little buggers.

[RaineysMom]

Heartworm meds won't clear an existing hookworm infection of any magnitude, and they won't prevent one if the dog is in an environment with lots of hookworms. Nasty little buggers.

 

hmmm. so why do they put it in there then? if it doesn't prevent it why bother?

[Batmom]

It'll prevent a light infestation caught early.

[Guest FawnFan]

Nasty little buggers.

 

Agreed. One of my females had a horrible infestation of hookworms. We couldn't understand why she wasn't gaining any weight. I was feeding her 3 cups of kibble twice a day plus unlimited biscuits and treats. It was gross. And it took three prescriptions to get rid of them (can't remember now which drugs we used.) She eventually got over it thankfully.

 

She came from an abandoned farm in which I was told the conditions were horrible, absolutely horrible. She was such a sweet (big) girl and had been through SO much during her 9 years. Sadly, we only had her for 9.5 months before she passed away from lung cancer.

 

As for what to do as far as bedding and the house, I too only picked up and disposed of all poop plus washed all of their bedding weekly. I didn't disinfect the whole house or get a pest guy to decontaminate the place. Neither of my other two hounds contracted these worms.

 

Good luck!

[RaineysMom]

It'll prevent a light infestation caught early.

 

well that's almost useless Hopefully we can get rid of them totally and never have a problem again.

 

Agreed. One of my females had a horrible infestation of hookworms. We couldn't understand why she wasn't gaining any weight. I was feeding her 3 cups of kibble twice a day plus unlimited biscuits and treats. It was gross. And it took three prescriptions to get rid of them (can't remember now which drugs we used.) She eventually got over it thankfully.

 

She came from an abandoned farm in which I was told the conditions were horrible, absolutely horrible. She was such a sweet (big) girl and had been through SO much during her 9 years. Sadly, we only had her for 9.5 months before she passed away from lung cancer.

 

As for what to do as far as bedding and the house, I too only picked up and disposed of all poop plus washed all of their bedding weekly. I didn't disinfect the whole house or get a pest guy to decontaminate the place. Neither of my other two hounds contracted these worms.

 

Good luck!

 

We're not sure if Larry has them or not, I can't see (even after 2 days of Panacur) any worms in there but then again, they're both getting rice so that looks like worms as it is ... Larry just started with diarrhea over the weekend, so we suspect worms....but I don't know, he's not a poop eater so not sure how he could have gotten them too. Plus I know he's been on heartworm meds since we got him.

[greysmom]

Our vet said hooks were particularly bad this year. Also, with as infectious as they are, if one dog has them all the dogs usually do.

[Houndtime]

We had to treat all three dogs, even though, Idol was the one with the infestation. We were told to pick up immediately, which we do anyway, and spray the area with bleach. Two treatments and she was fine; the boys never got it. I was never told to do anything in our home.

[3vagreys]

You will most likely not be able to see hookworms in feces. They are small and will likely get somewhat digested before they come out.

 

The bad thing about them is that they get encysted and remain in the dog, safe from anything that should kill them. Then at some point in the future, they come up the dogs throat and get swallowed and start an infestation again. I'm wondering if you can ever really get rid of them.

[RaineysMom]

bump so this doesn't go bye-bye...

[greyhead]

Some dogs, presumably those with pre-existing tummy problems of whatever sort, get diarrhea for at least a day or two after Trifexis.

[BootsyCollins]

Bootsy had hooks when we adopted him. Took 3-4 separate treatments over 3 months to get rid of them, then he got put on a broad spectrum worm preventative and he got them again. As annoying as it is to deal with, the worst part is that he was so hungry and couldn't be sated, and 5 years later he still thinks he's hungry and can't be sated

[Wonder]

thanks guys, I feel better now.

 

I don't understand how he could have gotten them - as far as I know he's been on heartworm meds (that have worm preventative in them) at least since he came up in September, and hopefully at the tracks before that?

 

My vet told me they can still get worms being on monthly preventative which annoys me to no end since I give everyone their monthly dose and they could still get hooks.

They can also step in infected poop splatter, lick their foot and get worms.

Vet also said the hook something or other can live in the earth so they are impossible to get rid of.

[Guest driser]

Oh Hooks ... our GHs archenemy the first year we had him. Several rounds of Panacur weren't enough for him. Very hopeful that is not the case for you, but if they seem to be "coming back" ... it may not be something you're doing wrong regarding picking up after them ... they just truly are relentlessly difficult to annihilate. We finally had a vet diagnosis him with Hookworm larvae migration; she assumed the larvae had gotten into the muscles of his intestines so they weren't killed with a typical treatment and there was a horrid endless supply of them when they'd hatch. She put our guy on Drontal Plus for an every other week dose for 6 months. And then ... hook free and we have had zero occurrence for many months where before it was like every other month ... surprise bloody diarrhea.

 

And yes, they live in the earth and can be easily picked up so, because of our guys history, my vet also has us giving our boy his Heartguard Plus every 3 or 3.5 weeks vs waiting 4 so that there's never a dip in what protection it does provide. And no I don't buy it from them so they aren't profiting from the suggestion.

[gryhnd_adoptee]

well that's almost useless Hopefully we can get rid of them totally and never have a problem again.

 

 

 

We're not sure if Larry has them or not, I can't see (even after 2 days of Panacur) any worms in there but then again, they're both getting rice so that looks like worms as it is ... Larry just started with diarrhea over the weekend, so we suspect worms....but I don't know, he's not a poop eater so not sure how he could have gotten them too. Plus I know he's been on heartworm meds since we got him.

 

Doesn't have to be a poop eater to pick them up. All it takes is making the mistake of stepping in some infested poop, and later cleaning their feet and ingesting them. Hooks are nasty buggers. My Kare Bear has tested positive twice in the several years we have had her so far, and I have always been vigilant about meds.

[Burpdog]

Try boiled meat (boil & rinse if you use ground meat) either all by itself or with potatoes (not rice). I prefer chicken which has less fat.

 

If they have a hook worm infestation, you usually do a 5 day round. Also, might need some flagyl or maybe only flagyl. If he has not gotten any better after worming, maybe that is not the problem (hook). Wish you could get frozen BilJac up there.

 

If flagyl doesn't do it, I can send you allergy test info. When all is said & done, it's not that expensive. I fiddled with Isaac for almost two years and it turned out he was allergic to rice and turkey and not chicken. Of course, I was feeding him rice and turkey and keeping him away from chicken. Taught me a lesson. He did well on NB duck & potato. If you want to try a kibble, that is the one I would try.

[RaineysMom]

Try boiled meat (boil & rinse if you use ground meat) either all by itself or with potatoes (not rice). I prefer chicken which has less fat.

 

If they have a hook worm infestation, you usually do a 5 day round. Also, might need some flagyl or maybe only flagyl. If he has not gotten any better after worming, maybe that is not the problem (hook). Wish you could get frozen BilJac up there.

 

If flagyl doesn't do it, I can send you allergy test info. When all is said & done, it's not that expensive. I fiddled with Isaac for almost two years and it turned out he was allergic to rice and turkey and not chicken. Of course, I was feeding him rice and turkey and keeping him away from chicken. Taught me a lesson. He did well on NB duck & potato. If you want to try a kibble, that is the one I would try.

 

I don't have any potatoes in the house right now so have to use rice until I can get to the store and he's getting boiled hamburger, along with some oatmeal and probiotic powder (and 1 cup kibble).

 

Bruce is picking up a smaller bag of the Iam's Proactive Health (Green Bag) and we'll see if that helps.

 

He got his Drontal Plus dose this morning (had to wait a couple days Sunday we had 17 people over and he has thrown up after getting excited so we didn't want to give it to him then, and then last night just 15 minutes before he was to get it with dinner, he vomited up some mucus-ey stuff so we waited until today. He was very lethargic yesterday but today has not lied down once back to normal it seems. He's on high-prey alert today for some reason.

 

we have another 3 doses (not 5) of Panacur to give next Monday as well. Until we can get rid of the hooks there's no way to tell if there's another underlying allergy or problem with what we're feeding him.

 

BTW, he weighed 71 lbs at the vet on Sunday, so he actually GAINED a pound from the last time he went in (on 1/25/13) but he's still at least a few pounds from where he should be.

[LuvEarsies]

well that's almost useless

 

Exactly! Using the combo pills IMO is wasted money. Straight ivermectin is less expensive and prevents heart worms. Dogs should be treated as needed for fleas and intestinal worms. By using all these chemicals in a continual manner we're creating super bugs that resist treatment. Just think of all the issues people now have with treating fleas.