Long haul hookworms

[Jerilyn]

I know this has been discussed a lot but I’m feeling a bit defeated and looking for any other suggestions.

Wiki just got another positive test. We’ve been treating her for about 16 months. She’s had a couple negative tests but always followed by another positive one. She’s on Advantage Multi monthly and has had multiple courses of Drontal with various timings. She was quite sick when I got her but after a course of Panacur she’s been asymptomatic – perfect poops, no squeaky belly, she’s active and shiny and sassy. 

If you’ve had a long fight, what finally worked for you?

It seems like Moxidectin is the magic ingredient and I’ve heard good things about the ProHeart vaccines. If you use those did they get you a negative result or just keep them negative?

Is it possible for a dog to just be hookworm positive forever without any serious health effects?

Thanks!

[Time4ANap]

With Kate and Petunia it took just about a year to get multiple negative fecals. 

I can tell you that Petunia was so loaded with them that she pooped massive amounts of blood for the first month. We went outside with her every time in case we needed to scoop her up and go to the E-Vet. Then one day the stools were magically normal. 

We modified the Prison Protocol due to their age (each was 11 when they arrived from the farm) and stuck to the schedule. Drontal Plus on the first of each month and Advocate (Advantage Multi) on the 15th.  There were a few courses of Metronidazole for their tummies as well.  Gradually each one went from Loaded With Hooks, to Positive With Eggs, to Positive Antigen and finally Negative. 

Each of them had a point where they were obviously feeling better because they started playing. Kate had never played and at about 6 months in, she would come in and get me out of bed every night at midnight, make me go to the living room, and she would do spins and fling toys. 

Did Wiki come from a farm or off the track? Just curious. Kate and Petunia came from the same farm and were absolutely loaded with hooks. 

EDIT - I neglected to mention that Mark and LaVida are both currently being treated with the same protocol. Even though they each had different owners prior to arriving here, they were both positive on arrival at their first vet visit. Neither has a bad case of them. Mark had been in his prior home since 2015 or so when his owner passed away, and LaVida had been in her home for a year or so when her owner passed away. They were both well cared for, so it just shows that the hooks can crop up anywhere or anytime. Mark has had one clean fecal after two months of our modified protocol. LaVida is still positive for the antigen but had no eggs. We are doing another month before we retest. 

Edited May 13 by Time4ANap
added info

[1Moregrey]

No advice, Journey and I are at a similar spot she just had a positive result after a few negative.  She just finished two doses and we get another fecal next week.  So I will be following this too.  August will be two years for us. 

[Jerilyn]

15 hours ago, Time4ANap said:

Did Wiki come from a farm or off the track? Just curious. Kate and Petunia came from the same farm and were absolutely loaded with hooks. 

Wiki is a broodie off the farm too. And her adoption group didn't even test her for hookworms! Her fosters though her horrible poop was an intolerance to chicken and tried to solve it with benefiber.

I just read an interesting paper about using a topical treatment for cats as an oral treatment for resistant hooks. It's an off label use and scares me a little. Anyone try that?

[Time4ANap]

2 hours ago, Jerilyn said:

Wiki is a broodie off the farm too. And her adoption group didn't even test her for hookworms! Her fosters though her horrible poop was an intolerance to chicken and tried to solve it with benefiber.

I just read an interesting paper about using a topical treatment for cats as an oral treatment for resistant hooks. It's an off label use and scares me a little. Anyone try that?

I haven't seen the treatment you mentioned.  I would be reluctant to try anything like that without a ton of data to back it up and my vet's blessing. 

Broodies...

[palmettobug]

I first read about it on Reddit, it's apparently something vets in Europe were doing? Anyway, there's a study from UGA addressing it, the file is too big to attach here.

[oldrunners]

There is a FB group, Getting Rid of Parasites in Retired Racing Greyhounds. Drs. Ng and Castro post the latest info.  Read the briefs section.  The drug is Profender, and is used topically in cats, orally in greys.  My Pippin just had 2 negs after two years of Advantage Multi, then Drontal 2 weeks later.  I"ll test him again next week, and if he is still neg. I'll stop the Drontal but continue the AM for life.  If he is positive, I'll be doing the Profender.

[greysmom]

{{{hugs}}} 

 

Even if she's gets a negative, she may be reinfecting herself from her own yard without an effective monthly tx.  An advantage of the Proheart I didn't mention.  

Andi was hook+ when she came to us.  She'd been well taken care of but was living on her owner's farm in Nebraska, just hanging out rehabbing a shoulder injury.  So she came to us with hooks.  We did 6 months of the prison protocol with only one negative test.  In the meantime, I had put Lilly on ProHeart on the advice of our vet due to her very adverse reaction to oral medications.  It worked fabulously for Lilly, and the vet said to try it with Andi and Felicity as well.  After 2 months, it was like Don said - just a flip of a switch! - and everyone's poops were perfect and we got three negative fecals spaced out over 3 months time (2 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks).  I've had all three on ProHeart ever since.

It is important to clear them.  Lilly had a very difficult time getting rid of them as a puppy, and my vet and I believe that the destruction of her gut lining contributed to the digestive and intolerance issues she had her whole life.  

[JenniferS]

23 hours ago, oldrunners said:

There is a FB group, Getting Rid of Parasites in Retired Racing Greyhounds. Drs. Ng and Castro post the latest info.  Read the briefs section.  The drug is Profender, and is used topically in cats, orally in greys.  My Pippin just had 2 negs after two years of Advantage Multi, then Drontal 2 weeks later.  I"ll test him again next week, and if he is still neg. I'll stop the Drontal but continue the AM for life.  If he is positive, I'll be doing the Profender.

Yes, if you are on Facebook be sure to join the group https://www.facebook.com/groups/829551573866770 for the most up to date protocols

[cleptogrey]

They contacting Carol from God's Greyts. She had posted something on the GIG fb page.she is from Florida and well acquainted with the problem and has both generic meds and info. Carol is a wonderful resource.

[zimsmom]

Following.   I just asked Dr Poling this question via zoom.  What if I opt not to treat.  If I understood him correctly they can have inflammatory bowel, bleed and lots of GI issues.  I have been treating for a year next month.  No blood no worms ever noted which I guess is good reading the above posts.