New to hookworms

[1Moregrey]

In August got a 2 1/2 yr old  gh that has hookworms.  First dog that I have ever had with hookworms in 40 plus years of dogs. Have done two rounds of Panacur with interceptor plus.  She sometimes cries when pooping is this from the hookworms/treatment?  No loose stools.  

Am I being overly cautious I have not let her in the yard to play due to thinking worms would not take that long to get rid of and she had a reaction to her spay stitches.  She does get walked.

Wondering if she should be on different hookworm meds.  I know she is still positive test done Monday.  Have not talked to the vet due to Holliday.  So not sure if her level of worms has decreased.

Words of wisdom appreciated as my vet with years of greyhound experience retired and have a new vet that I have never got to see in person.

thanks for reading.  Have a happy thanksgiving.

[Time4ANap]

Checkout this thread - 

 

Any treatment using combinations of deworming meds should be coordinated with your vet.  You might want to take a copy of the Prison Protocol for the vet to review if the hookworms persist. If you are in the US, the dogs coming from the tracks and farms have a strain of hookworms that have become more and more resistant to the standard meds, and it takes the combination in the Prison Protocol over many months to eradicate them. 

Our two broodies were each 11 years old when adopted, and had ridiculous amounts of hookworms.  We did a modification of the protocol in conjunction with approval from our vet.  Each dog took a year to get rid of the hooks using twice monthly treatment. Due to their age, they got one part of the med combination of the first of the month and the other half on the 15th to spread it out and not overload them.  For the first few months, you may need some flagyl or other stomach meds to help with diarrhea and stomach irritation after each treatment.  One of our dogs was so infested that there were huge amounts of blood in the stool after the first few treatments, so we had to monitor her carefully for blood loss, dehydration etc. 

The process takes a while, but you can get rid of them with persistence and time. Also note that a negative fecal is not conclusive that they are gone.  It only means that the particular test was clear.  You need at least 3 clean fecals in a row to declare them to be under control. 

Good luck! 

[macoduck]

Jennifer NG, DVM, has become quite the authority of the treatment of hookworms.

This is her most recent protocol from Sept 2019:

http://www.greyhoundcrossroads.com/index.php?page=resistant-hookworms

[Time4ANap]

1 hour ago, macoduck said:

Jennifer NG, DVM, has become quite the authority of the treatment of hookworms.

This is her most recent protocol from Sept 2019:

http://www.greyhoundcrossroads.com/index.php?page=resistant-hookworms

Just to add to my post above, we basically modified Dr Ng's "modified prorocol" due to the age of our girls.  

[1Moregrey]

Thanks for the information I will share with my vet hope by Monday.

Did anyone do any quarantine of home or yard.  I wonder if I am being paranoid about them.  She is only allowed in two rooms and in the turn out run.  Is this overkill?

[MaryJane]

Use diluted bleach where your dog goes to bathroom. 

[1Moregrey]

Update:

We went from 3+ to a 1+.  So hope it continues to get better.  Changed to new vet she is now on Advantage Multi.  Vet thinks that should take care of then will check in January.

Has mostly great 💩 which I am thankful for,  just an occasional loose two days and she is very interested in her poo in those days and very hungry. Thinking it is a flare up of the worms?

[Time4ANap]

It will take a little time to be sure they are completely gone.  The first negative fecal is not the final say.  most people do 3 tests over several months to be sure they are gone.  Both of ours took a full year before both the hooks and the hookworm antigen were negative, but you will see such an improvement in your dog overall when the hooks are gone that all of the treatment and attention to poop is worth it. 

[1Moregrey]

 

16 minutes ago, Time4ANap said:

It will take a little time to be sure they are completely gone.  The first negative fecal is not the final say.  most people do 3 tests over several months to be sure they are gone.  Both of ours took a full year before both the hooks and the hookworm antigen were negative, but you will see such an improvement in your dog overall when the hooks are gone that all of the treatment and attention to poop is worth it. 

Thanks was just not prepared to pick her up in August 10 days after spay and not have that resolved until November.  Sometimes the rough starts end up being the best dogs.

 I feel better after the visit with the new vet too.  She said as long as she is clean I can relax her routine inside and she can keep her bed too.   I so want to let her on the couch as long as she is on her blanket.  Have been waiting months for that.  My last greyhound passed in March and I got Journey end of August.  Seemed like a really long search for her but she was worth it.  (Hence the name Journey)

[Time4ANap]

1 minute ago, 1Moregrey said:

 

Thanks was just not prepared to pick her up in August 10 days after spay and not have that resolved until November.  Sometimes the rough starts end up being the best dogs.

 I feel better after the visit with the new vet too.  She said as long as she is clean I can relax her routine inside and she can keep her bed too.   I so want to let her on the couch as long as she is on her blanket.  Have been waiting months for that.  My last greyhound passed in March and I got Journey end of August.  Seemed like a really long search for her but she was worth it.  (Hence the name Journey)

Even with 2 hounds with hooks we didn't have any recurring infections based on the dogs going in the yard or sharing beds so I think you will be fine as a long as you pickup the yard after she goes. There is a solution of diluted bleach you can spray on areas if needed, but our yard is rocks and astroturf so we didn't have to worry about killing any grass by doing so. 

[1Moregrey]

I have been using Borax in the turn out.  Deck and attached 24x16 concrete run.  Will save the yard for spring and hope for the best.

Thank you for your information I feel more at ease that inside contamination is no as big a worry as I thought.

[1Moregrey]

Update:  Today is a day to celebrate it is our first NO PARASITES seen in her fecal check.  So happy looks like we found what works.  Now just need two more in the next 8 months.  
 

[1Moregrey]

[MP_the4pack]

Yay!

BTW,  she's gorgeous. 

[Time4ANap]

That's awesome!  You are pretty much on schedule based on our recent experiences with two dogs off of racing farms.  We were pretty much an entire year to get 3 clean fecal tests in a row with each of them. You will see big improvements in your dog as well once those hooks are gone. Congratulations!

[KCBella]

https://cluejay.com/add-on-fec/ is offering complementary McMaster Fecal Egg Count’s on all Dog Stool Tests Level 1, 2 or 3. This a from home test. Also the facebook group "Getting rid of parasites in retired racing greyhounds" is an excellent community of support on this topic - you will see ClueJay mentioned here.

[1Moregrey]

1 hour ago, KCBella said:

https://cluejay.com/add-on-fec/ is offering complementary McMaster Fecal Egg Count’s on all Dog Stool Tests Level 1, 2 or 3. This a from home test. Also the facebook group "Getting rid of parasites in retired racing greyhounds" is an excellent community of support on this topic - 

Her last fecal she had larva leak bloom they said it was not a huge amount am thankful for that.  It gives me hope I might be getting a good hold on them. Looking forward to more negative results back to back I hope.

Thanks for sharing this I am not on Facebook so I appreciate the information.

[greysmom]

Just for an alternate perspective

We had to try something different than the very successful protocol from Dr Ng listed above due to one of my dogs having an extreme negative stomach reaction to oral meds for hooks.  Our vet suggested we try the reformulated ProHeart 6/12 injections.  It was initially for just heartworm protection/prevention, but it also has the meds for most internal parasite prevention.  This has worked extremely well for her.  So well that I have put all our dogs on it.  We have had no issues whatsoever, everyone tolerates it perfectly, and all our hooks were gone in a few months and have not returned.  Plus, I don't have to remember to give out pills every month.  The cost is about the same, or a little less depending on your area, and you get a free heartworm test every year. 

[EllenEveBaz]

Sending hook-free wishes to all.

[cleptogrey]

sounds like your vet knows what he/she is doing. stick with their protocol. the local adoption group has a horrible experience w/ one of the hook/protocols. the dog was allergic to one of the chemicals and has suffered irreversible damage to eyes and kidneys( talk about and expensive worming- over $6k!). my motto is less is more- don't go for the big guns unless one really needs to.

the worming/antigen test should reveal everything. good luck and don't go crazy. monthly interceptor helps as well.

[zimsmom]

I'm battling this currently also.  I have been told I will be treating for a least a year.  My grey is completely asymptomatic.  Gaining weight eats well & lots of energy. 

[1Moregrey]

6 hours ago, zimsmom said:

I'm battling this currently also.  I have been told I will be treating for a least a year.  My grey is completely asymptomatic.  Gaining weight eats well & lots of energy. 

Sounds exactly like Journey’s experience,  she had a few days of soft at the worst pudding poos when looking back was a flair up of worms/hatching then she would have ok poos.  Thankfully she never had the bloody or truly liquid poos.  She would have tummy grumbles/poos.  Talked to the vet and ended up moving up her worming meds (just a few days) to match her tummy grumbles that seemed to help knock them down.  The 28th will be her 1 year gotcha day.  So we will be close to 18+ months before we could get two negative fecals.  Maybe next year she can play in the yard.  For now we just go on walks I am not letting her on the grass in the yard.  I do not want to be fighting hookworms in the soil for years to come.  (Probably over kill and paranoia but not gonna happen if I can help it.)

I did find when she went off of her food due to a flair up a little buttermilk would entice her to eat and she never refused it.  So she would get an ounce or two in the morning every three weeks or so.

Hang in there, light is at the end of the tunnel 

[zimsmom]

I let her play in the yard.  We just pick up right away.  I hope I'm not making things worse for her (or her sibling) 

[1Moregrey]

Today is a day to mark on my calendar and celebrate each year!  Journey has finally had back to back negative fecal test!   Been working on them since August 2020.
She got to  and in the yard finally it was a great day.  Next is the 6 month check.  For those of you fighting the battle there is light it took us 15 months but we made it two negatives in a row.  I am so happy and she will be to each time she gets to play in yard without a long walk before to make sure she was empty .  
Thanks for all the advice and support along the way.

       

 

[cleptogrey]

On 8/13/2021 at 12:23 PM, greysmom said:

Just for an alternate perspective

We had to try something different than the very successful protocol from Dr Ng listed above due to one of my dogs having an extreme negative stomach reaction to oral meds for hooks.  Our vet suggested we try the reformulated ProHeart 6/12 injections.  It was initially for just heartworm protection/prevention, but it also has the meds for most internal parasite prevention.  This has worked extremely well for her.  So well that I have put all our dogs on it.  We have had no issues whatsoever, everyone tolerates it perfectly, and all our hooks were gone in a few months and have not returned.  Plus, I don't have to remember to give out pills every month.  The cost is about the same, or a little less depending on your area, and you get a free heartworm test every year. 

one of the new intakes in the local group had a sever negative reaction to the hookworm protocol- $5k later she is blind and a mess with neurological problems. do work with your vet and make sure that you don't poison your pup. it's a difficult task to clean them up. i personally would share the pro heart 6/12  regime and ask your vet a ton of questions.