Poor Pup Has Worms, And I Have Some Questions

[Guest GreytBengalMom]

We've had Eddie for 2 months now, and he tested negative for worms at his first vet appointment (about 6 weeks ago). He's had diarrhea off and on, but we attributed that to adjusting to his food and what not. Infact, I even posted in here asking for food suggestions. We did a dose of metronidazole, followed by some pepto for a few days. His diarrhea subsided, and he occassionally has a loose poop, but it's nothing like it was.

 

He was pink and itchy, and we assumed that was because he was allergic to the Iams in the green bag we were giving him. He's still getting a little bit of Iams, but he is much less pink. I attributed to the remaining irritation to the bit of Iams he's getting.

 

I knew that he could test negative for worms and still have them. The vet mentioned deworming him to be safe, but his foster mom said it was pretty rare for these guys to have worms (not sure if she meant greys in generally, or the greys they rescue from the track he came from). Regardless, he had been dewormed a week before coming to us. When I mentioned that to my vet, he felt we were good to wait on another de-worming.

 

Overall, Eddie seemed to be doing really well.

 

Until today, when I came home and he had vomitted in his crate. This isn't terribly unusual, since he will vomit bile when he's hungry. But when I began cleaning up, I realized he had vomitted up worms! I'm fairly certain they are roundworms thanks to Google images, and it was absolutely disgusting. I've washed his blankets, and Lysoled his crate. His vet opens at 730, so we'll be getting in ASAP tomorrow. I've never dealt with worms before, so I have a few questions.

 

-Can my cat get them? He and Eddie interact minimally, but I'm so worried he can get them.

-Our friend's dog was over here a week ago, and she and Eddie played in the yard ALL weekend. How likely is it that she could have picked them up?

-Do I need to disinfect my entire house?

-Is it normal to see worms in vomit, but not in his poop?

-How tough is it to get rid of these darn things?

 

I feel so bad for poor Eddie! He's eating, drinking, and using the bathroom... I just wish I would have seen the signs earlier and realized it was worms.

[Guest OPointyDog]

I have experience with hookworms and tapeworms, but so far no roundworms....

 

A little internet sleuthing reveals that the roundworms that infect cats are a different species than what infects dogs, so your cat should be OK. Worth asking your vet to be sure, though.

 

Does your dog poop in your yard? If so, then it's possible there may be eggs in the backyard. Is the other dog on a preventative (many heartworm meds have anti-parasite meds in them)?

 

I would wash anything your dog has vomited or pooped on in hot water - but chances are good you'll do that anyway!

 

They're apparently easier to get rid of than other types of worms - a couple rounds of de-wormer and he should be fine!

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

I have heard/read that roundworms can pass from dogs to humans, and some sources say that cats can get the worms from dogs also. Either way, I would recommend de worming them both, and also buying a de wormer for your friend's pup, just in case! If it were me, I would disinfect my house. You might not see the worms in the poop unless you are well... searching through it, lol.

 

Good luck!

[Guest GreytBengalMom]

I have experience with hookworms and tapeworms, but so far no roundworms....

 

A little internet sleuthing reveals that the roundworms that infect cats are a different species than what infects dogs, so your cat should be OK. Worth asking your vet to be sure, though.

 

Does your dog poop in your yard? If so, then it's possible there may be eggs in the backyard. Is the other dog on a preventative (many heartworm meds have anti-parasite meds in them)?

 

I would wash anything your dog has vomited or pooped on in hot water - but chances are good you'll do that anyway!

 

They're apparently easier to get rid of than other types of worms - a couple rounds of de-wormer and he should be fine!

Yep, he poops in the yard. I'll let my friend know her dog may have picked something up.

[Sambuca]

Almost every grey I know the history of, has come with AT LEAST one type of worm.

Round worms are one of the easiest to get rid of.

[Guest GreytBengalMom]

No more vomiting, and no signs of worms in his poop.

 

We met with the vet who was pretty shocked to hear about the worms because Eddie is thriving. He has gained 10 lbs since arriving home (the vet said he was extremely underweight at our previous visit). He said Eddie looks fantastic now, and his solid poop appeared to be worm free. But based off what I described, he definitely thinks Eddie has round worms. His stool sample is being sent out to a lab for further testing, but to cover all worm bases, the vet prescribed drontal plus. We did the first round today, and will repeat in 2-3 weeks.

 

He also thought it would be very unlikely for our cat to have picked the little buggers up.

 

What a relief!

[sobesmom]

Sounds like you're doing everytihng right. I don't think I've ever met a grey (or many other dogs) that has never had at least one round of some type of worms. Ususally it's not a big deal. (Hooks can be a PITA). Easy to treat, and not that detrimental to overall health if caught early on.

 

They can hide out and not show up in tests. Personally - I wouldn't have paid for additional testing - just give the drugs, and the follow-up. I'm not a big drug pusher - but I've never seen a course of worm meds hurt a dog. When we've gotten a foster with them, I just treated my dogs too, without bothering to have them tested.

 

As far as sterilizing your house - do the obvious good cleanup and don't panic. Of course wash your hands after handling the dog before eating.

 

For future preventative - Interceptor works well to keep the creepy-crawlies away. They can get tape worms from one flea bite picked up on a walk, even if they don't "have" fleas.

 

BTW - if your friend's dog tests positive for worms, they may or may not have come from your yard (if the dog hasn't been tested recently). I would hope they wouldn't be too worried about it, but just treat.

[a_daerr]

His stool sample is being sent out to a lab for further testing, but to cover all worm bases, the vet prescribed drontal plus. We did the first round today, and will repeat in 2-3 weeks.

 

 

Drontal Plus, albeit expensive, is the easiest fix for common worms. Deworm and use a monthly heartworm preventative like Heartgard Plus, which covers roundworms and hookworms. Cleanliness is important, but in my experience, dogs and cats can pick up parasites no matter how clean your house or yard are. One month I decided to use up some extra Frontline I had on my INDOOR cats (I usually use Advantage), and two of them ended up with ear mites. I have no idea how.

[Guest GreytBengalMom]

The lab confirmed the presence of roundworms. I live in AZ, and although heart worm isn't a major issue here, I will be picking up Heartguard from the vet later today.

 

Eddie's appetite us definitely not what it was. Yesterday and today, he's left food in his bowl which is not like him at all. Granted, he's probably had worms the whole time he's been here. His stomach is also making a lot of grumbling sounds as well, and he's tried to eat the bushes for the first time ever. Could the Drontal Plus have upset his tummy? He received 3 pills two days ago.