# Mysterious black "worm" carried inside by dog



## kailuaphnx (Aug 28, 2012)

I own a 6 month old dog which is 3/4 Shiatsu, 1/4 Miniature Poodle. Just tonight after letting him back inside he started running around the living room as usual however this time he seemed to shake off a small slimy black worm looking creature. I'm not sure what it is and am fairly certain it's just a little pest that grabbed onto him while he was in the lawn but I was curious if anyone knew exactly what it might be. I live in Hawaii on the island of Oahu if that helps at all. 

It moves somewhat like a slug and has tiny little black eyes on it's "head" (skinny part on the right side of the creature as you look at the attached picture) which it constantly bobs up and down as it moves along leaving a slimy trail. It's very small as you can see, about an inch long.


----------



## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

I think it's a leech.


----------



## Deaf Dogs (May 28, 2012)

Looks like a leech to me too.... nasty!


----------



## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

I'm not sure if that's a leech. I haven't played with leeches since I was a little kid but iirc leeches really only taper towards one end. They also move by kind of grabbing and pulling.

I really have no clue what kind of critters are in a place like Hawaii.


----------



## kailuaphnx (Aug 28, 2012)

After researching a little I thought it was a leech at first as well but as zhaor said they seem to move by suctioning one end and then pulling the other end up where as this little guy is flattening out and squirming around. I'm leaning towards some kind of flat worm at this point. Def a freaky little guy either way!


----------



## kailuaphnx (Aug 28, 2012)

My main concern was making sure it wasn't some kind of parasite infesting my dog but of all the possibilities I've found so far, none of them have a parasitic nature.


----------



## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

kailuaphnx said:


> After researching a little I thought it was a leech at first as well but as zhaor said they seem to move by suctioning one end and then pulling the other end up where as this little guy is flattening out and squirming around. I'm leaning towards some kind of flat worm at this point. Def a freaky little guy either way!


I was thinking flatworm too, I remember learning about them in a biology class, but I was more interested in vertebrates so most of the stuff I learned about inverts kind of got forgotten. I like a good biological mystery.

Does it move like this?
Perhaps it is one of these
Or maybe a blue planerian worm

In any case, none of these are hazardous.... to your dog. (Your garden is another story though).


----------



## Shaila808 (Feb 14, 2021)

kailuaphnx said:


> I own a 6 month old dog which is 3/4 Shiatsu, 1/4 Miniature Poodle. Just tonight after letting him back inside he started running around the living room as usual however this time he seemed to shake off a small slimy black worm looking creature. I'm not sure what it is and am fairly certain it's just a little pest that grabbed onto him while he was in the lawn but I was curious if anyone knew exactly what it might be. I live in Hawaii on the island of Oahu if that helps at all.
> 
> It moves somewhat like a slug and has tiny little black eyes on it's "head" (skinny part on the right side of the creature as you look at the attached picture) which it constantly bobs up and down as it moves along leaving a slimy trail. It's very small as you can see, about an inch long.





kailuaphnx said:


> I own a 6 month old dog which is 3/4 Shiatsu, 1/4 Miniature Poodle. Just tonight after letting him back inside he started running around the living room as usual however this time he seemed to shake off a small slimy black worm looking creature. I'm not sure what it is and am fairly certain it's just a little pest that grabbed onto him while he was in the lawn but I was curious if anyone knew exactly what it might be. I live in Hawaii on the island of Oahu if that helps at all.
> 
> It moves somewhat like a slug and has tiny little black eyes on it's "head" (skinny part on the right side of the creature as you look at the attached picture) which it constantly bobs up and down as it moves along leaving a slimy trail. It's very small as you can see, about an inch long.


I just found a small black worm too, and I also have a puppy. I thought it was a leech but did you find out what it was??


----------



## Shaila808 (Feb 14, 2021)

Shaila808 said:


> I just found a small black worm too, and I also have a puppy. I thought it was a leech but did you find out what it was??


I live on Oahu Hawaii


----------



## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

The original poster hasn't been here in nine years. I'd recommend you start a new thread to increase the likelihood of getting any responses from active members.


----------

