# Beige strands found in my dog's stool



## BDD888 (Feb 6, 2011)

Recently, he's been a little lethargic. On and off. Days ago he was constipated. Gave him a little lettuce. Helped him a lot. Yet today I noticed thin "strands". Off white in colour. Could they be undigested strands of Pedigree Dental Sticks? I had been giving him 1 stick every night for weeks. 

I think he's pushing it out now. Ideas?

Might make an appointment with the vet tomorrow anyway. He seems "better". I can pick him up without him barking in pain. He would do this usually when I'm picking him up to bring him inside from the cold (-10C lately).

Also, seems he's more lethargic when outside. Hard to time getting him to come back in. Once inside 98% of the time he seems "normal". Walks at regular speed. Asking for snacks. Good appetite. No vomiting...etc.

If I had taken a photo of his stool I would have posted it. Might be easier for you all to see if you don't recognize this.

Thought it would be worms. But of the 2 types you can see these Tape Worms they say look like rice. So that means the worms should be tiny. The strands I saw in his stool were maybe 4" long roughly the same length of the Pedigree Dental Sticks. Hence my guess...


----------



## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I'm guessing it was the lettuce. Dogs don't digest raw veggies very well, and the leaves get a bit washed out in the stomach acid (hence the off-white color). I would think the DentaStix would come out in chunks and not strands. Although I do think one dental stick a night is too much.

If you think he's acting "off", a vet visit is never a bad idea.


----------



## BDD888 (Feb 6, 2011)

I don't think it's the lettuce because I have given him a little in the past. His stool always looked normal. Nothing that I can see that shouldn't be there. As far as I can recall. 

But you do have a point in that it shouldn't be the Pedigree Dental Sticks. As it should be in tiny chunks. If visible. If he chewed them down to strands and tried to swallow them he would have been choking. So I guess this rules out the sticks.

Perhaps he has a type of worms I didn't spot online. Who knows.

Guess I'll be making an appointment tomorrow. Was hoping he would "get over it". I think he is. But it wouldn't hurt to get a professional opinion. Even if I will end up having to pay more crazy vet bills. I always feel like I had been robbed when I leave there.  Even if it is for the good of my dog.


----------



## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Could be roundworms. They are kind of spaghetti ish. Or he could be eating something in the house made of woven fabric..you may want to have a good look at your rugs/carpets, furniture and drapes to see if there is any evidence of ingestion anywhere.


----------



## BDD888 (Feb 6, 2011)

Hi Cracker,

Heh...sort of a derogatory nickname.  Any how....round works? You maybe right. Just read an article. Would explain his dry coughs as the round worms can make their way to a dog's throat then be digested back into his intestines. 

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_roundworms_in_dogs___puppies.html

As I said I guess a trip to the vet is inevitable. Better to know for sure what this is and treat it properly.


----------



## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

My first thought was also worms.


----------



## Western Blot Reagents (Feb 9, 2011)

I have noticed white strings in my dogs stool...is that a type of worm.?
Is there something over the counter I can get for him ?


----------



## BDD888 (Feb 6, 2011)

WBR,

I think your dog has "round worms". As you say it's "strings". My dog looks to have "tape worms" as the strands are flat and dried out looking. I'm taking him to the vet today. Was hoping for a stool sample this morning but he didn't produce. Oddly enough. Maybe he'll be ready in a few minutes to produce #2. And I would say see a vet and get the proper diagnosis and right meds. I know how you feel. If we could avoid the expensive vet bills... I'd rather get this done properly. See a "professional". We here are just guessing.


----------



## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

BDD888 said:


> Hi Cracker,
> 
> Heh...sort of a derogatory nickname.  Any how....round works? You maybe right. Just read an article. Would explain his dry coughs as the round worms can make their way to a dog's throat then be digested back into his intestines.
> 
> ...


Glad you're having your pup checked out. Better safe than sorry.

And yes, Cracker's name is a bit tongue in cheek. She's a rescue from a crackhouse.


----------



## BDD888 (Feb 6, 2011)

Cracker, 

Didn't know if was your dog's name. 

As for my dog...running a battery of tests. Everything is running me $550.00 CAD. Urine test (soon as I can give them a sample from my dog). Handed them my dog's stool sample yesterday (which they will send off for testing). Checked his eyes (found out he has cataracts...serious in his left eye...not a lot of vision left...right has a little but not bad). We're hoping he'll keep enough vision for the rest of his years. He is 13. 

Gave me 3 deworming tablets. To give my dog 1 1/2 pills yesterday then the other 1 1/2 2 weeks later. 

He seemed so energized after coming home. Had having been given the meds. Appetite was good. Wasn't till I later gave him a dental stick did he have real pains. He's peaceful now. 1:44 AM EST.

Vet is to report back to me in the morning after 9. More bad news? 

A shame to find out my dog is loosing his vision. His hearing isn't the best already. Hate for him to come to a point where he can barely hear anything and not see out of both eyes. He might panic. Wondering what happened to the lights. Or will he adapt? Hard to say. As long as he isn't having internal pains I suppose it might not be that bad. Though, he might wonder where I am if I don't make enough noise for him to hear me if he can't also smell my scent. Might have to make that inevitable decision. Maybe when I know his lights are nearly out. 

This is the part of dog ownership we dread. We enjoy them when they are healthy. Yet, they all eventually come to a point where there body starts to deteriorate. Body systems start to fail one by one.

Any how, hope to get some news I can live with from the vet in a few hours. 

I'm from Toronto too.


----------



## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Many old dogs go blind and deaf and do fine, so as long as he's healthy in other ways I wouldn't worry too much about it. I walked a totally blind bichon for two years before she started to fail in other ways. Since he's already partially blind I'm sure he's been adjusting well, you didn't notice any change, right? Dogs do more with their noses than you can imagine. 

I think the most important thing is to ensure you don't move the furniture around and give him time to realize where steps and curbs etc are when on walks. Since his hearing is starting to go as well, using light touch to let him know you are there etc can help keep him from being startled.

I hope your tests come back with good news!


----------



## BDD888 (Feb 6, 2011)

Still waiting to hear from my vet. I do hope my dog can maintain enough vision in his right eye to carry him throughout the rest of his days. But as you say they do some how learn to adjust. Just hope, should he quickly loose all of his sight, that he not overly panic. Being that his hearing isn't the best either. He can hear hand claps and my voice if I am standing near him. 

When you were walking the blind dog for 2 years how did he navigate the sidewalks? Or the grounds where you walked him. Just by scent and the tension on the leash? 

I live in a condo so he only has to worry about bumping into things. Should his sight suddenly go quickly. For now his right looks okay. And of course find out what is giving him abdominal pains sporadically.


----------



## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Yes, I used the leash to help guide and she wasn't totally deaf so I could warn "Stairs" etc she learned the cue pretty quickly. I also let her sniff things to her heart's content. As long as the dog is not a brachycephalic breed (short nosed, like a pug or shih tzu) I wouldn't worry too much about bumping into things as long as there are no sharp objects protruding. 

I have a client that had a totally blind lab mix for years (he was a rescue, they adopted him regardless of his special needs) and he did fine. He learned to trust his human would warn him about stuff outside and navigated the house like a pro. They are much better at adapting then we give them credit for and with only a minimal amount of guidance and support from us.


----------



## BDD888 (Feb 6, 2011)

Ok thanks Cracker. Good to know. And I do have a Shih Tzu coincidentally. Still waiting on the vet. Sheeesh!!!


----------



## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

I had a cocker that went blind and deaf. I walked her by keeping a little contact on the leash to guide her. I also would put something made of a different material by the doggie door so she knew when she was close to the door. Plug in wall scents can be used in different areas of the house, keeping a different frangrance for different rooms will help her know where she is.


----------



## BDD888 (Feb 6, 2011)

Did hear from the vet. Good news!! Blood work results were good. Organs in good shape. 

Still need to send in a urine sample if I can get my dog to pee on newspaper again. Need some way to let her pee and be able to contain enough to provide a sample in this tiny jar they gave me.

Could follow him outside with the small plastic container and quickly slip it underneath him when he goes. Hopefully it doesn't get messy (e.g. on my hands). 

He arches his back sometimes. Accompanied by barking in pain (or not). The vet for now is guessing the pain is from my dog's arthritis. Might need to x-ray to take a look inside to make sure there isn't anything inside his system (e.g. stones...though no pink or red in his urine). Just to rule out.

If it's arthritis that's causing him sharp pain once in a while then he'll need pain medication. I'm assuming it would be specifically for arthritis and not just another kind of aspirin.


----------

