Guest OPointyDog Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Our vet is really great, but he's just not used to dealing with dogs with parasites from the south; big hookworm infestations in dogs are not common to dogs in the northeast, so your vet may be the same as ours and not realize how bad it can be. I can't remember what drug was actually used in our case, but we did a liquid, once a week for 4 weeks. Then waited a month, and did the same again. Then 4 months later, she was still having on-again, off-again diarrhea, and I noticed that the diarrhea improved after I gave her the monthly heartworm pill, which includes some low-level anti-parasite drugs. So I asked our vet if we could treat her again, even though her stool was negative, and she took these giant pills once a week for 4 weeks. That did the trick. Yes, the hookworms have a lifecycle that includes a cyst and they aren't really susceptible to the drugs when they are in the cyst format. So you have to hit them before and after that stage. Hence the need for weekly treatments over longer periods of time. Since the drugs are pretty safe, it's better to treat aggressively, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cvdrumsta Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Our vet is really great, but he's just not used to dealing with dogs with parasites from the south; big hookworm infestations in dogs are not common to dogs in the northeast, so your vet may be the same as ours and not realize how bad it can be. I can't remember what drug was actually used in our case, but we did a liquid, once a week for 4 weeks. Then waited a month, and did the same again. Then 4 months later, she was still having on-again, off-again diarrhea, and I noticed that the diarrhea improved after I gave her the monthly heartworm pill, which includes some low-level anti-parasite drugs. So I asked our vet if we could treat her again, even though her stool was negative, and she took these giant pills once a week for 4 weeks. That did the trick. Yes, the hookworms have a lifecycle that includes a cyst and they aren't really susceptible to the drugs when they are in the cyst format. So you have to hit them before and after that stage. Hence the need for weekly treatments over longer periods of time. Since the drugs are pretty safe, it's better to treat aggressively, I think. I want to be aggressive, but you're right, the vet is prescribing this every two weeks treatment. Is there an over-the-counter anti-parasitic that would be safe to give her once a week? I just want to kill the goddamn worms as effectively as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KickReturn Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 You might want to leave out the yogurt for now. Causes diarrhea in some dogs. Lactose free yogurt can sometimes address this issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chickenpotpie Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 I'm also going through 'the poops' she's been with us for just over 2 weeks, she got the runs yesterday. I mean severe water like runs and LOTS of paint peeling gas. she does the IAMS green bag with no issue, but, she's even refusing treats AND her usual food right now... So I'm going very bland, I got a huge turkey breast which I baked, I put that, some bread, and some pasta, chicken stock (i don't have rice!) and some pedialyte and put it through a food processor to make sticky balls. she's eating those, which I'm glad for. If she still has this problem then to the vet she goes. Today she just sort of laid around all day, not doing much. I took her for her morning walk talk about blowing water...whew! I'm not sure how to catch a stool sample if she's blowing water like this... Any pointers on this would be greatful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyTzu Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Worm her!! Quote Wendy and The Whole Wherd. American by birth, Southern by choice. "Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!" ****OxyFresh Vendor ID is 180672239.**** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 I'm also going through 'the poops' she's been with us for just over 2 weeks, she got the runs yesterday. I mean severe water like runs and LOTS of paint peeling gas. she does the IAMS green bag with no issue, but, she's even refusing treats AND her usual food right now... So I'm going very bland, I got a huge turkey breast which I baked, I put that, some bread, and some pasta, chicken stock (i don't have rice!) and some pedialyte and put it through a food processor to make sticky balls. she's eating those, which I'm glad for. If she still has this problem then to the vet she goes. Today she just sort of laid around all day, not doing much. I took her for her morning walk talk about blowing water...whew! I'm not sure how to catch a stool sample if she's blowing water like this... Any pointers on this would be greatful! Yep, worm her ASAP. And I'd keep pushing the green bag until she starts to level out. What is her "usual food," by the way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booker_Aye Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Web MD has a section on "Healthy Dogs" which says the following about deworming for hook worms: "Treatment: A number of dewormers are highly effective in treating hookworms. They include Nemex, Panacur, Drontal Plus, Telmintic, and Vercom Paste. Treatment should be repeated in one to two weeks, because the initial deworming activates encysted larvae and causes a new crop of adult worms to appear in 10 to 12 days. A follow-up fecal examination is recommended to be sure all parasites have been removed." I know that for Panacur, we do three days in a row; then a wait (two weeks, I think) then three more doses, then a wait (2 months?) and then another three doses. With Booker, my first grey, he had a terrible time ridding himself of the hookworms. The WebMD article said that stress can cause the encysted larvae to shed, and that makes sense to me, because Booker was quite the spook. Eventually he was clear of the hookworms, but twice they made him very sick -- pale gums, painful gut on palpation. I remember that my vet also prescribed Tylan powder, which made him much more comfortable while we waited for the Panacur to do its stuff. This is about 10 years or so ago, so I would do more research for yourself about follow up treatment for hookworms. They are the very devil to get rid of completely. Good luck! Quote Loving Kimba & Fred, missing Booker & Polly, first greyhounds, never forgotten."I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights.That is the way of a whole human being."Abraham Lincoln Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chickenpotpie Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Yep, worm her ASAP. And I'd keep pushing the green bag until she starts to level out. What is her "usual food," by the way? Usual for her is IAMS green bag. She has literally pushed the bowl away with her nose. Considering she eats anything I put in front of her, that had me taken aback for a minute. I bought a ton of Panacur because I figured i would need to have some on hand. I gave her dewormer when she first got here but if its not going to harm her, I can try it again. Also someting else, she was eaing grass today. I'm a dog dunce, so I don't understand why she's doing that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cvdrumsta Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Moon is doing much, much better after her initial deworming; she has a dose of Pyrantel pamoate coming up on May 23rd, then another Heartgard 2 weeks later. Chickenpotpie, having had the same problem on the same timeframe, I'd highly recommend getting her tested because it's probably worms, and while the road to health is a long one, it isn't a very difficult one. Moon only took a couple of days after her Heartgard before she seriously improved. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest johnmclaren Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Home made treats for pets are the best ones. Recently i happen to come across a blog in this regard which gave a good account on preparing something really good food for pets and i hope you all would love this blog. Read here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chickenpotpie Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Moon is doing much, much better after her initial deworming; she has a dose of Pyrantel pamoate coming up on May 23rd, then another Heartgard 2 weeks later. Chickenpotpie, having had the same problem on the same timeframe, I'd highly recommend getting her tested because it's probably worms, and while the road to health is a long one, it isn't a very difficult one. Moon only took a couple of days after her Heartgard before she seriously improved. Best of luck. Thanks. Glad to hear your puppy is doing better. I'm seeing much firmer poops, no white flecks or anything that resembles a worm thankfully. I did start her again on Panacur however. Today she does have gas, but the explosive runs she had aren't there. Today I added green beans back in her diet, so that could also be the cause for better poops ( plus she really likes them) I have to admit I am worried that she's eating about half of what I normally feed her, but maybe that will disappear as well. she otherwise acts fine, if anything her activity level has gone up, and she definitely up for playing and taking long walks. I'm calling her vet on monday if the appetite does not improve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OPointyDog Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 Thanks. Glad to hear your puppy is doing better. I'm seeing much firmer poops, no white flecks or anything that resembles a worm thankfully. Most types of worms that infect the intestinal tracts of dogs are not visible to the naked eye. My recollection is that you can only see tape worms and round worms. Hook worms and whip worms are too small to see - so your vet will need a stool sample to look under the microscope. They also have quite elaborate life cycles, and sometimes all that's seen are the eggs or cysts - the adults are quite cryptic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chickenpotpie Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 Most types of worms that infect the intestinal tracts of dogs are not visible to the naked eye. My recollection is that you can only see tape worms and round worms. Hook worms and whip worms are too small to see - so your vet will need a stool sample to look under the microscope. They also have quite elaborate life cycles, and sometimes all that's seen are the eggs or cysts - the adults are quite cryptic. Oh thats interesting, thanks for this heads up! i had been looking through her poo to see if I could find anything...lol I think I lost like 5lbs considering how that killed my appetite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OPointyDog Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 (edited) Oh thats interesting, thanks for this heads up! i had been looking through her poo to see if I could find anything...lol I think I lost like 5lbs considering how that killed my appetite. Ha! Yes. Shortly after we got our first grey, she tested positive for hook worms, and I found myself checking her poop to see if I could see anything. One day I saw an ENORMOUS reddish brown worm! ... And then looked closer and discovered she'd eaten a rubber band. Our other grey did have tape worms and you could see them - they looked like small white grains of rice and even moved sometimes. Totally disgusting, but the dewormer took care of them right away! Welcome to GreyTalk - which really should be called Grey PoopTalk, I think.... Edited May 18, 2013 by OPointyDog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_daerr Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 Welcome to GreyTalk - which really should be called Grey PoopTalk, I think.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chickenpotpie Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 @Opointydog, I agree! I now know more about doggie poop than I ever wanted to Speaking of poop, she's going pretty good today, eating nearly all her food this morning which makes me a very happy camper. Her poop is firmer which is great. One more day of the panacur and I HOPE that will do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peglywegly Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 I didn't read every post - and I hope I can help- Pete soupy poops got much better with Less food.... and now he is a free feeder. it takes him most of the morning to eat his 1 3/4 cup of dry food. He was super boney and has filled out nicely. Quote Peggy - Pete (Wild Pan Thief), Remy (Exotic Ziricote) Buddy the Golden 11-26-04 to 9-18-15, the KATZ - Ozzy, Freckles, Jake and Elwood Hubba, Desert Tortoises Tortilita, and Athena. and when I figure out how to make a PET collage they will all be included in this signature. I included my 2 most recent fosters. Marie a sweet darling of a girl. And Willie, a dog I want to keep. He is a loveable mushy boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cvdrumsta Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Thought I'd mention that Moon is now on Merrick Grain Free kibble and is doing pretty great. Her poops are regular and usually pretty firm and she has gained three pounds since I got her (she now clocks in at a whopping 61.6! ) I think the best advice I got, for anyone else who's wondering, is to keep worming her. Those hooks are tricky buggers, but we're on top of them now. Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beledi Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Only on this Forum can you talk about dog poop without everyone thinking you are crazy. Happy moon is doing better. Quote "Then God sent the Greyhound to live among man and remember. And when the day comes God will call the Greyhound to give Testament, and God will pass judgment on man." Persian Proverb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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