# Worm phobia, and deworming our pup.



## noisebug (Nov 22, 2008)

OK, maybe its not a phobia. But I have a BIG problem with worms. I hate them all, they scare the heck out of me. I don't know why, but I can't hold one. I can do spiders, snakes, whatever... but worms are just wrong.

So, I got the good news from our vet that Max our 7.5 week beagle has worms. Aside from being angry at our breeder, we now have to deal with it. Our vet gave us something for the diarrhea, and we now have to wait until friday to give him "the pill".

I read some stories (horror stories for me), of what happens. If he poops that stuff out in the house, I don't know what I'm going to do. 

Anyone out here actually have to do this themselves? How was it? What should i expect?

If a moving roundworm comes out, I don't know what I'm gonna do... 

The other one living with me has the same problem.


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## BarclaysMom (Aug 24, 2008)

Yeah, you're not going to be too happy about this...

We had a rescued dog for a short time, and he had roundworms. They came out after treatment. It was really gross, it was just a clump of worms. Worst of all you need to pick them up when they are pooped out and dispose of them in the trash, because you don't want to leave them laying around out in the yard. 

It's gross, just steel your nerves and do what you have to do. Get a poop baggie and pick up whatever comes out. It will be over before you know it, luckily, and then you won't have to worry about it again. Ours pooped them out for a couple days after treatment and that was it. No more worms, and one happy dog!

If it makes you feel any better, it's not like they are fast moving worms or anything. They barely move at all. They're not going to come after you or anything.


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## noisebug (Nov 22, 2008)

Yeah, I was afraid of that. If they don't move as much as an earthworm I might be ok. But a big clump of them? Darn, I thought it was like 1 - 3 that come out, I didn't expect a colony.


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## BarclaysMom (Aug 24, 2008)

yeah, I thought I was going to heave when I saw a CLUMP of them - but I just tried to remember how much better the pooch would feel without those nasty things!


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## noisebug (Nov 22, 2008)

Yeah i'll do anything for Max. I'm actually afraid, because he has no symptoms except liquid poop and a pot-belly. But other than that he is as playful as ever. I expect he will have even more energy after this.

Oddly, this thread is making me more nervous... but talking about it is helping. Oh well, its not about me but about my dog. I can do this for him. 

Plastic spatula and oven mitts I guess. :\


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## Great Dane (Nov 18, 2008)

Mental note to self:

Don't be eating your lunch and reading a thread titled "Worm" anything...


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

If you own a dog long enough, they'll probably get some kind of worm. It just comes with the territory. Even moreso if you live in the south/warm climate. Intestinal nasties just love it down here.


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## noisebug (Nov 22, 2008)

Just wanted to say thanks for all the feedback and support. After hearing about some of the experiences here it made me feel much better, stronger knowing i will be helping Max.


WARNING: The following may be graphic for some viewers! 
As per vets request, we gave him the stuff today. Two poops later, the worms came out. Actually, I only saw one... in the middle of his poop. Looked like it was 10 inches, white, coiled up, and yes.. moving, but slowly.

The vet called and told me there MAY be more.

Regardless, I wasn't freaked out. I sort of looked at it with a scientific appreciation. 

So yeah, it wasn't a colony but still very gross. More to come? Who knows.

Thanks all


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## txcollies (Oct 23, 2007)

I really wouldn't get angry at the breeder. All dogs can get them easily, puppies more so. The pup could have been de wormed and then what you saw was worms being passed on through.

*shrugs* nothing really to get upset about. They can be fixed.


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## Spicy1_VV (Jun 1, 2007)

Glad its going ok for you. Any dog can get worms, so I wouldn't be too angry. Although it is nice to get worm free pups who are at least 8wk or older. Breeders should try their best to keep pups worm free and have a worming schedule for them. The last pup I got I had to deworm wasn't a big deal, one before that I didn't at all. 

I've had experience with it, some not so bag and some really nasty where a whole pile knot of worms come out. Really they just look like spaghetti to me and not that bad.


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## noisebug (Nov 22, 2008)

Spicy you are right. I'm not angry per say... I just feel like our breeder should have mentioned, "Oh by the way, the mother had worms 1 week before you picked him up". 

Also, judging by the size of this thing... its been there for at least 1 month. 

Apparently our breeder de-wormed her pups 3 times since birth, but when we spoke to the vet and gave him the name of the drug she used... he said that should have gotten rid of everything. So did she actually de-worm them? Who knows.

Again, this could all be coincidence... I just find that a lot of the hassle and our pups pain could have been avoided if we only knew the mother was sick. Could have acted sooner.

Oh well, its done. Everything seems to be OK. Looking forward to a more energetic pup!


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## txcollies (Oct 23, 2007)

Could be that the breeder didn't know the dam had worms.

Litters get routine de wormings, but sometimes breeders forget to do a fecal on the dam.

I'm sure the breeder did de worm the pups. Could be that he just needed another dose.


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## noisebug (Nov 22, 2008)

I thought that too. I don't think she did it intentionally, I do think she for whatever reason forgot. When we called her about our puppy's sickness and told her he had worms, she slipped and said "Oh yeah, the mother had worms last week".


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## Spicy1_VV (Jun 1, 2007)

She should have mentioned that the mom did have worms, I agree there. That way you'd know to be on the look out, or just take your pup for the vet check and if worms here there get it dealt with it instead of it being a surprise. You can deworm dogs and they still have it, even if she did 3 times it is easy to get reinfected especially with a litter if one gets reinfected can spread to the others. Worms can also become immune to certain wormers, same with fleas become immune to certain pesticides. A parasites defenses!


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## noisebug (Nov 22, 2008)

Spicy, you make some very good points. I agree with a lot of that. After thinking about it, I'm not really mad at anyone or trying to point fingers. Things happen, I'm just happy we have a healthy dog now!

Thanks all!


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## BobSD (Feb 1, 2008)

This sounds like your first pup. It is standard procedure to have most if not all pups dewormed. And a reminder, it is a good idea to take a stool specimen once ayear to check for new worms. My male dog is eight and and his last stool check was postive for worm egg. So he got the right treatment for the type worm. 

BTW, I keep African cichlids,"Fish", And they love eating worms as a special treat, so I have to cut up large nightcrawlers with a razor blade I actually feel remorse for the worms, but they end up in the fishes belly real fast! My fish are in a four hundred gal tank.


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