Hookworm!

[Daks]

For what it's worth, we've had zero issues giving the Advantage (and drontal) twice a month. Poop gets a little worse the day after treatment but that's it.

 

I guess I've just read so many people that had side effects with the drontal/advantage on the prison protocol that the whole thing just freaked me out. So I wanted to try a "less extreme" approach first. But I'll probably have to end up doing it anyways, wasted time and money, but oh well.

[Bizeebee]

 

I guess I've just read so many people that had side effects with the drontal/advantage on the prison protocol that the whole thing just freaked me out. So I wanted to try a "less extreme" approach first. But I'll probably have to end up doing it anyways, wasted time and money, but oh well.

It's tough, people are less likely to talk about things that work, and then it feels like all you read is about when it doesn't.

[PaddysDad]

It's tough, people are less likely to talk about things that work, and then it feels like all you read is about when it doesn't.

Usually the case

 

I think that the Drontal and Panacur (Safeguard) probably work equally well on the hooks when used with the Advantage Multi (Advocate) on the prison program dosing schedule. If your dog tolerates Drontal reasonably well, then why not follow the prison protocol to the letter and just use the drontal, even if you have to break up the daily dose into two or three meals.

 

Couple notes: I am not a big fan of crushing pills. If the dogs do not like the taste, it is hard to hide that in a powdered pill, and the entire meal may get rejected. Plus it is hard to tell how much of the med was ingested and what the additional makeup dose should be. I personally have found that just breaking the pill in half and covering it with butter followed by another blob of butter or a cookie (to encourage them to swallow the buttered pill without chewing/tasting) works well here with both dogs.

 

I see "Advantage" referred to above. I hope this is referring to Advantage Multi (Advocate if from overseas) and not the regular Advantage, both made by Bayer.

 

Good luck to all still fighting the fight. I hope that I am not one of you still. Still haven't got consecutive negatives, but all seems clear so far.

[Bizeebee]

Usually the case

 

I think that the Drontal and Panacur (Safeguard) probably work equally well on the hooks when used with the Advantage Multi (Advocate) on the prison program dosing schedule. If your dog tolerates Drontal reasonably well, then why not follow the prison protocol to the letter and just use the drontal, even if you have to break up the daily dose into two or three meals.

 

Couple notes: I am not a big fan of crushing pills. If the dogs do not like the taste, it is hard to hide that in a powdered pill, and the entire meal may get rejected. Plus it is hard to tell how much of the med was ingested and what the additional makeup dose should be. I personally have found that just breaking the pill in half and covering it with butter followed by another blob of butter or a cookie (to encourage them to swallow the buttered pill without chewing/tasting) works well here with both dogs.

 

I see "Advantage" referred to above. I hope this is referring to Advantage Multi (Advocate if from overseas) and not the regular Advantage, both made by Bayer.

 

Good luck to all still fighting the fight. I hope that I am not one of you still. Still haven't got consecutive negatives, but all seems clear so far.

Yes, I definitely mean Advantage Multi/Advocate!

 

Good luck to you as well

[Guest Bstewart09]

My greyhound has been treated for hooks several times. My vet just called to say he is positive for hooks again, but the test only showed a few larvae. He currently does not have diarrhea (he was having soft stools but a food change fixed that). The vet basically said since my dog isnt experiencing symptoms currently and he gets Interceptor monthly, we shouldnt be concerned. Basically he will always test positive for hooks (this test was about 2 weeks after his monthly Interceptor dose and a three day corse of Panacur) and we dont need to treat or worry about it. Has anyone else had similar advice for their vet? Its just not sitting right with me.

[LaFlaca]

My greyhound has been treated for hooks several times. My vet just called to say he is positive for hooks again, but the test only showed a few larvae. He currently does not have diarrhea (he was having soft stools but a food change fixed that). The vet basically said since my dog isnt experiencing symptoms currently and he gets Interceptor monthly, we shouldnt be concerned. Basically he will always test positive for hooks (this test was about 2 weeks after his monthly Interceptor dose and a three day corse of Panacur) and we dont need to treat or worry about it. Has anyone else had similar advice for their vet? Its just not sitting right with me.

I've heard this theory from several people, one who had been told this by her vet. It does not make sense to me.

[DaintyDutchess]

 

My greyhound has been treated for hooks several times. My vet just called to say he is positive for hooks again, but the test only showed a few larvae. He currently does not have diarrhea (he was having soft stools but a food change fixed that). The vet basically said since my dog isnt experiencing symptoms currently and he gets Interceptor monthly, we shouldnt be concerned. Basically he will always test positive for hooks (this test was about 2 weeks after his monthly Interceptor dose and a three day corse of Panacur) and we dont need to treat or worry about it. Has anyone else had similar advice for their vet? Its just not sitting right with me.[/quote

Same here. Using different monthly brand than you but vet was afraid to follow the prison protocol to a T since he didnt want to overdose her....

Havent had a chance to post what deworming routine I was doing for my grey but bottom line is it just lessened the load of worms. I was deworming very consistently after the first month of having her. Stools are good now just shiny kind of.

[PaddysDad]

I think if the hooks are environmental, meaning ongoing REinfestation rather than ongoing infestation, as from larval leak, then maintenance from a "preventative" and periodic treatment is the traditional approach. If it is larval leak, then the traditional approach doesn't seem to do the job, and may cause the problem to worsen by continuing at a rate that more eggs get laid than adults get killed off.

 

I am not a vet nor do I claim to be one.

 

However, my vet's approach was the same as yours. At first. Now his whole office is following the prison protocol once the traditional methods prove to be ineffective.

Edited December 20, 2018 by PaddysDad

[Bizeebee]

My greyhound has been treated for hooks several times. My vet just called to say he is positive for hooks again, but the test only showed a few larvae. He currently does not have diarrhea (he was having soft stools but a food change fixed that). The vet basically said since my dog isnt experiencing symptoms currently and he gets Interceptor monthly, we shouldnt be concerned. Basically he will always test positive for hooks (this test was about 2 weeks after his monthly Interceptor dose and a three day corse of Panacur) and we dont need to treat or worry about it. Has anyone else had similar advice for their vet? Its just not sitting right with me.

Our vet didn't act like the hooks were "no big deal" the way it sounds like some have, but they definitely didn't have any idea about the ongoing hook resistance in greyhounds, and had no knowledge of any treatment protocols outside the standard (that no longer works). You will probably need to educate them thoroughly on the "greyhound hookworm problem" and various protocols that are out there, and research extensively on what a lifelong hook (even low level) infection could look like for your pup (diarrhea isn't the only symptom). I've read enough to know that I don't want that for mine.

 

I would hope once vets are educated they'd realize that the Prison Protocol was created by other vets and as long as it isn't being given along with other flea/tick/heartworm meds the risk of overdosing is minimal. Obviously, some dogs are having a hard time on the protocol, but it does seem to be working for the dogs that can stick to it.

 

If the problem is REinfestation (as opposed to larval leak), and you live somewhere where it freezes in the winter, you might actually have a chance of getting the hooks out of your dog while the winter gets it out of your environment. But larval leak is also a real contender issue and the Advantage Multi (active ingredient) is the only thing I've heard that really deals with that.

[LaFlaca]

Well, the good news is that we've had a second, negative Devil Worm fecal in as many months. What makes me suspect false negatives, besides my own paranoia acquired after 16 months of fighting the War of the Worm, is that Lola has been trying to tear her anus off; usually a sure sign that Satan's Little Helpers are still in residence in my poor girl's gut. Her right anal gland produced a bit of goo. Let's hope that was what was making her tushy tingle.

 

The vet gave me a rather large vial and asked me to bring her a "big piece of poop" to retest. Ew. Oddly, there was an insect leg visible on one of the slides under the microscope. It was fuzzy, the leg. Lola has been known to eat bees. Tastes like honey-chicken.

[PaddysDad]

We had a dog with chronic anal gland issues who would fuss until they were manually expressed. Soft stool can contribute to this, since firm stool will express the glands and keep them from filling up and becoming infected (smelly goo). She may just need her glands emptied, then with no worms and firm stool, things should run smoothly.

Hope it is a true negative for you.

[LaFlaca]

We had a dog with chronic anal gland issues who would fuss until they were manually expressed. Soft stool can contribute to this, since firm stool will express the glands and keep them from filling up and becoming infected (smelly goo). She may just need her glands emptied, then with no worms and firm stool, things should run smoothly.

Hope it is a true negative for you.

Hi, PaddysDad! We're neighbors, it seems...both in Florida.

 

I'm hoping it turns out that she's just super-sensitive to having goop in her glands. This time, there was only a small amount of stuff in the right one. She's not had a tushy-licking fit since the vet emptied her out yesterday.

 

I'm considering adding physillium husk to her meals to firm up her stool and, if necessary, express her anal glands myself on a more frequent basis. We'll see. The next couple of fecals will tell the tale.

 

Happy holidays to all you Devil Worm warriors out there!

 

[DaintyDutchess]

Happy Holidays! All we want for Christmas is to have some negative fecal tests! lol ;-)

[LaFlaca]

Happy Holidays! All we want for Christmas is to have some negative fecal tests! lol ;-)

Amen, amen!

[cgs]

Just want to thank PaddysDad for the butter-coated Drontal with a butter chaser idea. That worked! Percy's had two doses of Drontal now (two weeks apart) followed by Advantage Multi. Fingers crossed. Will have him tested in a couple more months. I have 4 more doses, so two more months and then we'll see.

[LaFlaca]

Just want to thank PaddysDad for the butter-coated Drontal with a butter chaser idea. That worked! Percy's had two doses of Drontal now (two weeks apart) followed by Advantage Multi. Fingers crossed. Will have him tested in a couple more months. I have 4 more doses, so two more months and then we'll see.

 

May the New Year bring us all worm-free, healthy hounds!

 

Lola tested negative a couple of weeks ago after 4 months on the Prison Protocol. I had intended to go the full 6 months but she had a very bad reaction to the Advantage Multi. We test again in February.

[PaddysDad]

Just want to thank PaddysDad for the butter-coated Drontal with a butter chaser idea. That worked! Percy's had two doses of Drontal now (two weeks apart) followed by Advantage Multi. Fingers crossed. Will have him tested in a couple more months. I have 4 more doses, so two more months and then we'll see.

 

You are very welcome. I wish I had figured that out two dogs ago.

 

 

So far so good here. We haven't retested yet, but everything seems ok so far. she is on Advantage Multi monthly now and he is back on HG+.

 

As a side note, she quit eating her food because we think she associated it with the sick feeling from the medication, so we switched her to Iams minichunk, which she loves. Paddy just finished transitioning to it and both are doing extremely well on it. << Obligatory dog owner poop comment. Having it available in a 50lb bag at Sams is an added bonus.

 

May your new year be negative for hooks and positive in all other things.

[cgs]

Good luck LaFlaca! And that's interesting about the food PaddysDad.

[Daks]

For those who have given Drontal Plus- do you split up the dose between two meals, or give it all at once with breakfast/dinner? We're about to give our first dose, he had it when he was in foster care, though I don't know how he reacted to it.

 

Also- did you see any improvement after the first dose? We had been treating with panacur, and he would improve after a course of that, but would then decline again (in terms of poop quality )

[PaddysDad]

For those who have given Drontal Plus- do you split up the dose between two meals, or give it all at once with breakfast/dinner? We're about to give our first dose, he had it when he was in foster care, though I don't know how he reacted to it.

 

Also- did you see any improvement after the first dose? We had been treating with panacur, and he would improve after a course of that, but would then decline again (in terms of poop quality )

We split the dose, giving each half (buttered) just before feeding each meal. She is queasy the next day, but shows improvement by the day after that. Splitting the dose makes all the difference for her being able to tolerate it.

[Bizeebee]

For those who have given Drontal Plus- do you split up the dose between two meals, or give it all at once with breakfast/dinner? We're about to give our first dose, he had it when he was in foster care, though I don't know how he reacted to it.

 

Also- did you see any improvement after the first dose? We had been treating with panacur, and he would improve after a course of that, but would then decline again (in terms of poop quality )

We don't split, but our guy seems to eat it and tolerate it just fine. We also do the Drontal and Advantage Multi on the same day (I think some people stagger by a day). Sometimes the following day his poop is a less than ideal, but it usually returns to normal the day after that. But our "normal" poops aren't that bad, and have probably been more about the food he's on than the hooks.

 

You could probably reach out to whoever fostered yours and see what they did. We've fostered before and were more than happy to talk to the owner about their dog's time with us.

[LaFlaca]

It would appear that the Prison Program protocol has worked! Lola has had 2, consecutive negative fecals. The vet asked me to bring her "a huge chunk of poop" for this last test to make sure that it was not a false negative. I brought her two vials of poop from two different 'deposits'. We return next month for vaccinations. I'll be bringing another couple of vials -full for testing. Only took 18 months to eradicate the devil worms! Sheesh!

[PaddysDad]

It would appear that the Prison Program protocol has worked! Lola has had 2, consecutive negative fecals. The vet asked me to bring her "a huge chunk of poop" for this last test to make sure that it was not a false negative. I brought her two vials of poop from two different 'deposits'. We return next month for vaccinations. I'll be bringing another couple of vials -full for testing. Only took 18 months to eradicate the devil worms! Sheesh!

 

Congrats!!! That is big news after a long battle.

[NewGrey2017]

Woo hoo!!!

 

Thank you for bringing a fecal sample in. We have gotten those results back and no ova or parasites were seen at this time. Please continue your monthly dose of flea, tick & heartworm preventative

 

Advantage Multi is doing the trick! 9 months in the clear.

 

(This is the only place I can discuss my dog's poop results without appearing strange.)

[Beachbum1]

Woo hoo!!!

 

Thank you for bringing a fecal sample in. We have gotten those results back and no ova or parasites were seen at this time. Please continue your monthly dose of flea, tick & heartworm preventative

 

Advantage Multi is doing the trick! 9 months in the clear.

 

(This is the only place I can discuss my dog's poop results without appearing strange.)

We need pictures