Hookworm Treatment Question

[Guest AngelPup]

As I was reading the most recent post on the dreaded hookworm issue, I started wondering if we should be more aggressive treating Brady for hooks. Since I didn't want to hijack that post, I started another. He started his first three days of Panacur the first week I had him (May 13) and his second three day treatment three weeks later (June 3). His first stool sample showed nothing, but vet decided to treat anyway (thank God) just in case (he had symptoms). At his second appointment on June 3rd, they found hookworm eggs in his stool.

 

I'm just curious.....when do eggs typically start showing up in stools? If I bring a stool sample this Saturday, would it be too soon?

 

His vet said to being a stool sample in a month to check, but I have no intention of waiting that long after reading all the posts on these nasty buggers. I just don't want to go too soon either and get a false negative. Or, should I just insist on one more round of Panacur starting next week (two weeks after his second round) and THEN bring a stool sample three weeks later?

[DonnaBehr]

Does he eat dirt in your yard?

[Guest psdirector]

Our boy Hutch came to us with a bad, bad case of hookworms. He had already had a round of Panacur in the prison program. Three weeks after he arrived, almost to the day, he had horrible symptoms again - bloody, loose stools, bloody vomiting. The hooks showed up in his stool sample. The vet gave us three rounds of Panacur, each three weeks apart. Recently Hutch started having stomach issues again (upset and diarrhea, but not bloody), so we brought two stool samples, each a week apart. Neither sample showed any kind of parasites. They even checked for Giardia and he doesn't have that, either. Turns out it was the yogurt I was putting on his breakfast that caused the recent tummy upsets. Knock on wood, but it seems that the hooks are finally gone. Our other grey, Tibbs, never got them. Fortunately neither dog is a poop eater and they use one corner of the yard for pooping and we clean up after each time.

 

I know that there are things beside the Panacur that work for hooks as well, but I also know that hooks can be tough to get rid of. I hope Brady is better soon!

[Guest AngelPup]

Does he eat dirt in your yard?

 

No. And we clean up his poops daily, sometimes two orthree times a day.

[Guest AngelPup]

Our boy Hutch came to us with a bad, bad case of hookworms. He had already had a round of Panacur in the prison program. Three weeks after he arrived, almost to the day, he had horrible symptoms again - bloody, loose stools, bloody vomiting. The hooks showed up in his stool sample. The vet gave us three rounds of Panacur, each three weeks apart. Recently Hutch started having stomach issues again (upset and diarrhea, but not bloody), so we brought two stool samples, each a week apart. Neither sample showed any kind of parasites. They even checked for Giardia and he doesn't have that, either. Turns out it was the yogurt I was putting on his breakfast that caused the recent tummy upsets. Knock on wood, but it seems that the hooks are finally gone. Our other grey, Tibbs, never got them. Fortunately neither dog is a poop eater and they use one corner of the yard for pooping and we clean up after each time.

 

I know that there are things beside the Panacur that work for hooks as well, but I also know that hooks can be tough to get rid of. I hope Brady is better soon!

 

Ok,thanks. It sounds like we're on the right track, but I like the idea of doing a third round just to be on the safe side. I'm going to call the vet to see what she says.

 

Brady will only go in certain areas of the yard (on mulch) and we clean them up quickly. I also bleached the heck out of the poop areas after we found out he had hooks.

[Booker_Aye]

Our vet does three days of Panacur, then another three days three weeks later, then another three days three months later. FWIW. I don't know if this is what they do for other breeds, but it is what they do for greys, Our Booker had very persistent hooks. They were terrible. He had a lot of pain. At one point, his gums were so pale from the loss of blood, poor baby.

[Guest AngelPup]

Our vet does three days of Panacur, then another three days three weeks later, then another three days three months later. FWIW. I don't know if this is what they do for other breeds, but it is what they do for greys, Our Booker had very persistent hooks. They were terrible. He had a lot of pain. At one point, his gums were so pale from the loss of blood, poor baby.

 

Wow, that's awful! Brady doesn't seem that bad. The only reason we initially thought he might have worms was because he had smelly pudding poo that persisted even after getting used to his diet and his new home. The regiment you describe is exactly, I think, the same as what is suggested in "Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies." I'm a little paranoid though, so I don't feel comfortable waiting three months for another round.

[RaineysMom]

Zeke had super bad hooks when we got him in January. We did one round of Pancur, then one Drontal Plus, then another round of Panacur (can't recall the timing though). After the 3rd it was finally cleared up.

[Guest AngelPup]

Sounds like the third time is the charm!

[KF_in_Georgia]

 

I'm a little paranoid though, so I don't feel comfortable waiting three months for another round.

 

You may not want to wait three months, but you *do* need to repeat in three months, regardless of whether you treat sooner or not. The waiting schedule is so that you'll catch the new hatches. It doesn't fix the problem if you treat now, but then miss the ones that hatch in three months.

[Guest AngelPup]

 

You may not want to wait three months, but you *do* need to repeat in three months, regardless of whether you treat sooner or not. The waiting schedule is so that you'll catch the new hatches. It doesn't fix the problem if you treat now, but then miss the ones that hatch in three months.

 

Oh, I didn't realize how important that third month round is! I'll definitely be sure to do that, regardless of whether we do another round sooner. Thanks for the tip.

[Guest AngelPup]

:::UPDATE:::

 

I spoke with the vet a little while ago to give her an update. Poops are becoming softer and increasing in number again, so we're starting another round of Panacur tonight and will begin Forti-Flora once the antibiotics are finished (three days).

 

These critters are nastier than I thought.... The vet said she had read an article a while back about the hookworm life cycle. She said that they imbed and become dormant in the muscle tissue and when there is a massive 'kill' or decrease in number of hooks active in an animal, they somehow know they need to become active and reinfect the intestines to start the cycle all over again. She said that there is a whole other world going on in there... EEW!

 

Sounds as though she really wants to get aggressive and keep treating until every last bugger is gone! GOOD!

 

I did ask about Drontel Plus, but she said that Panacur has the same ingredient that treats hookworms and is much less expensive and safer than Drontel Plus. She also said that the other ingredients in Drontel Plus have been around forever and some worms have built up a resistance.

 

Hopefully, the third round will be the charm!

[RaineysMom]

:::UPDATE:::

 

I spoke with the vet a little while ago to give her an update. Poops are becoming softer and increasing in number again, so we're starting another round of Panacur tonight and will begin Forti-Flora once the antibiotics are finished (three days).

 

These critters are nastier than I thought.... The vet said she had read an article a while back about the hookworm life cycle. She said that they imbed and become dormant in the muscle tissue and when there is a massive 'kill' or decrease in number of hooks active in an animal, they somehow know they need to become active and reinfect the intestines to start the cycle all over again. She said that there is a whole other world going on in there... EEW!

 

Sounds as though she really wants to get aggressive and keep treating until every last bugger is gone! GOOD!

 

I did ask about Drontel Plus, but she said that Panacur has the same ingredient that treats hookworms and is much less expensive and safer than Drontel Plus. She also said that the other ingredients in Drontel Plus have been around forever and some worms have built up a resistance.

 

Hopefully, the third round will be the charm!

 

Zeke was on the Forti-Flora too and I think that really help his poop a lot. Good luck!

[Guest AngelPup]

 

Zeke was on the Forti-Flora too and I think that really help his poop a lot. Good luck!

 

It's been recommended to me a lot and the vet said that people swear by it, so I figured I'd give it a shot--especially since Brady has been on antibiotics and has had diarrhea for a while now. Hopefully, between the Panacur and Forti-Flora, his digestive system will get back to normal soon!