# Worms. Gross.



## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

And out of nowhere, Wrex now has worms. He pooped 3 times in a 4 hour period. The last one a watery beige mucus full of spaghetti worms. Guess that explains why his butt was so itchy the last couple days. 

I'm SO glad it's Sunday with no vets open! (can you hear the sarcasm?) I'm off to the local pet store to find something OTC for relief.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Assuming they are round and not flat those sound like ascarids. If they are flat then they are tapeworms. I hope you find something to tide you over until you can get to the vet. Be sure to take as fresh a stool sample as you can with you even if it doesn't have obvious critters.


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

Thanks, lily, I'll be sure to do that. I just left the store with Sentry HC WormX Plus Broad Spectrum. Its pyrantel pamoate & praziquantel combined. The clerk recommend a bit of pumpkin to help relive the diarrhea, so I'm going to the grocery on my way home. 

Any recommendations on how much pumpkin to mix in his kibble?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

All I know about pumpkin is that it seems to work at both ends of the poopy problem spectrum. I guess start with a big spoonful and see how it goes.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Totally it does, I give the elder twins roughly 3 tablespoons daily as per my vets rec., they are toys soooo


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Poor Wrex! Maybe this explains some of his explosive cage problem. Poor you, if that happens again.


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

It very well could. I'll have to talk to the vet tomorrow. I gave him the pill with breakfast and some pumpkin at 11. He had lunch at 3 with more pumpkin. He hasn't pooped since that horrible diarrhea at 9:30 this morning, despite having two meals. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. He spent most of the day so far sleeping, but all of it confined to his crate. Once I see his stolen start to normalize, he can come out. Maybe I'm over reacting, but I would far rather clean the crate than my carpets or furniture should he have more diarrhea, or any leakage. He finally started drinking water again at lunch time, and is urinating again...that is a good sign.


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

Aside from dead worms in his poop, Wrex is back to normal. I was really getting concerned yesterday with the lack of any bowel movements at all even though he'd been eating normally. But, I guess it makes sense that he was all cleaned out after the diarrhea that morning. Finally, he went after dinner. Normal color and consistency and chock full of dead worms. <gag>.

He was so glad to be released from the crate! Ironically, after the initial bout of play, he just racked right out on the new padded crate blanket I made for him. He likes them very much, I think, as he didn't have explosive diarrhea all over (tee hee hee) like the fluffy cushion I made last week. (Which was ruined and had to be tossed. Boy did he hate that fluffiness).

I spoke to the vet office this morning and was told if he's eliminating dead worms and is eating/drinking I don't need to bring him in. They recommended giving him that second dose in about 2-3 weeks, give it a week or two, then bring in a stool sample to make sure it's clear.


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## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

OMG! Poor poor Wrex and poor poor you! I wonder if this problem could have something to do with all the skin problems he was having. How does something like this even happen where puppies are routinely wormed? I am not an expert on worms so I'm asking.

Wrex is so cute and he's lucky to have such a great dog mom.

pr


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

Poodlerunner said:


> OMG! Poor poor Wrex and poor poor you! I wonder if this problem could have something to do with all the skin problems he was having. How does something like this even happen where puppies are routinely wormed? I am not an expert on worms so I'm asking.
> 
> Wrex is so cute and he's lucky to have such a great dog mom.
> 
> pr


I sure wish I knew so I could prevent it from happening again. Every single thing I've experienced with this dog so far has been outside my scope of experience or knowledge. I'm just making this stuff up as I go. Thank goodness for Google and the Poodle Forum! Such a mystery. He was dewormed by the breeder in August and had a clear stool sample in early October. We haven't come into contact with any random stool when we walk (that I know of, I guess). Not that I'd let him sniff it anyway. He's not a poop-eater (thankfully...my mom had one of those). The only times he was exposed to other unknown dogs was at the groomer, but for the amount of infestation....it would need more than 5 days from exposure, right? I don't know. 

I certainly don't feel like a good dog-mom. I feel like I project the image of a neglectful owner. In truth I'm cleaning up after my own inexperience. But if the results are the same, does it matter? Poor Wrex. He deserves to be healthy!


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## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

cmarrie said:


> I sure wish I knew so I could prevent it from happening again. Every single thing I've experienced with this dog so far has been outside my scope of experience or knowledge. I'm just making this stuff up as I go. Thank goodness for Google and the Poodle Forum! Such a mystery. He was dewormed by the breeder in August and had a clear stool sample in early October. We haven't come into contact with any random stool when we walk (that I know of, I guess). Not that I'd let him sniff it anyway. He's not a poop-eater (thankfully...my mom had one of those). The only times he was exposed to other unknown dogs was at the groomer, but for the amount of infestation....it would need more than 5 days from exposure, right? I don't know.
> 
> I certainly don't feel like a good dog-mom. I feel like I project the image of a neglectful owner. In truth I'm cleaning up after my own inexperience. But if the results are the same, does it matter? Poor Wrex. He deserves to be healthy!



Don't you dare blame yourself. You take excellent care of him. You do NOT project the image of a neglectful owner AT ALL. I see you as an intelligent, level headed dog mom who rolls with the punches with a sense of humor. I also see that you are committed to Wrex, despite some doggy doo doo. He is a lucky lucky boy in my opinion. 

pr


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

Poodlerunner said:


> Don't you dare blame yourself.
> 
> pr


Thanks, Poodlerunner. It's hard not to second guess yourself.


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## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

Somehow this reply got sent in two parts LOL

Part II

You do not project yourself as a neglectful owner AT ALL. I see you as a dedicated, level headed dog mom who has dealt with all the doggy dod-doo thrown at you with a sense of humor and a commitment to Wrex. He is a lucky lucky dog!

pr


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## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

PF forgive my repeating posts. my first message didn't post (I thought) so I re typed it. So embarrassing. 

pr


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

These were probably ascarids, hookworms, whip worms or tapeworms. Tapeworms are acquired by dogs and cats when grooming themselves if they swallow fleas containing larvated tapeworm eggs. The ascarids, hookworms and whip worms can variously be transmitted from mothers to puppies, from feces, from grooming and from egg or larvae contaminated soils. Clearly all of these conditions are only limitedly managed by husbandry. You absolutely should not be blaming yourself. Instead you dealt with a challenging circumstance head on and in an absolutely appropriate fashion for Wrex' well being.


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## hopetocurl (Jan 8, 2014)

It is kind of like being a parent.... Things happen and you get advice. Sorry about the worms.... Annabelle (RIP) had them a couple of times... But have not noticed them with Willow.... Yet!! (Notice the yet!)


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

If the blankets in the photos are the ones you made, they are beautiful. I love that way you finished the edges with the extra rows of stitching. If you ever decide to sell them, please put me at the top of the list!


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## Coco86 (Oct 23, 2014)

cmarrie, we've been in the same boat as you with Sammy! We purchased him on October 17th, and five days later on October 22, we discovered he had worms. He was diagnosed with roundworms and started on Strongid once a week. He also had Coccidia, so he was given an antibiotic for ten days. We had to take him into the vet the day after we got him because he had an ear infection, and we thought about doing a fecal test then, just to see if he had anything like worms, giardia, etc, but decided against it. I guess we should have gone with our instincts, and had it done then. 

When we took him in for the worms, we also had a blood test done to check for anything else. I think that's how the vet discovered the Coccida. But everything else looked good. The vet said that he was not given enough dewormer by his original owner. He had only been dewormed three times since his birth on June 29th. His last deworming had been September 15th, and we bought him on Ocotber 17th. The vet said he should have been dewormed about once a week up until eight weeks old, I think. Or every two weeks up until eight weeks old. I can't remember which.

The woman we got him from was actually selling him for her friend's daughter, who needed rent money. He was born in California, but she brought him to Vancouver, Washington along with his brother. We live in Idaho, but met her halfway in Oregon to get him. We called her and updated her on his health issues, and she agreed that he had not been dewormed enough early on. 

Then last week, I discovered a small, white rice-like worm in his poop, the same as I saw just before he was diagnosed. We took him back to the vet, and it turns out he also had tapeworm, which was missed in the initial poop test. The worm I saw that first day was actually a tapeworm, too, but it had fallen inside the bag of poop we took to the vet, and the test missed it. So he was given a Drontal tablet, and so far, no more tapeworm segments have been in his poop. The dose of Drontal is supposed to help his roundworm too. We deworm him again tomorrow with our last dose of the Strongid, then after three days they want to test his poop again and see if he's clear. 

This has been a long, stressful experience for all of us. We have three other poodles, and even though they are on a monthly worm preventative, we have had to keep Sammy separated from them, mainly so they aren't be infected with the Coccidia, or a small infection from the roundworm. The tapeworm was of no danger to them, or us, thankfully. I have been keeping his pooped picked up every time he goes. We have been washing his bedding daily! At least one load of laundry a day, since he has bedding in two rooms of the house. We let him out separately for exercise outdoors, and inside on a huge blanket. He hasn't been allowed to wander the house or get on any furniture. He turned four months old on October 29th, and is growing rapidly.

He's anxious to be out of confinement and play with the other dogs, and just explore the house, since he hasn't really had an opportunity to yet. We don't want to take any chances of the worms infecting the others. But I haven't seen anything, no fresh worms and no dead ones, in his poop for five days now. I think he's clear of them, and I can't wait to find out! He also goes in for his vaccinations on Thursday.

Oh, I replied to your thread "Learning to live with Wrex" about two weeks ago. Turns out I explained everything we are going through with Sammy in that thread...except the tapeworm, which was discovered last Tuesday.


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

Charmed said:


> If the blankets in the photos are the ones you made, they are beautiful. I love that way you finished the edges with the extra rows of stitching. If you ever decide to sell them, please put me at the top of the list!


Thanks, Charmed. I did make those! Wrex seems to like them very much. They wash up well too, seeing as how they are fleece and quilt padding in the center. The fleece is warm, soft and comes in a zillion colors/patterns. Best of all, it's not woven, so there's nothing for Wrex's teeth to catch on when he tries to "arrange" it. I've got enough fleece for a couple more. I need to knock them out to make laundry less urgent.


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

I really appreciate your story, Coco! It helps, for sure. I don't know how you manage that stress all the time and for so long. (or how any of you with sickly guys manage). 

Yesterday was my last vacation day of the year. All I wanted was to go to yoga at 11am and sew. I was all dressed and ready to go. I took Wrex out one more time before I left and noticed (now that it was day light) that his poor bottom looked painful. Raw. Swollen. There was a bump under his tail that looked SKINNED. It had been irritated from last week's diarrhea and worms, of course. I had expected, now that his stools had regulated again, that it would start to get better. Clearly, it was much worse. I brought him in and called the vet. They could see us at 10:40 or 11:10. Disappointed, I changed into regular clothes and drove to the doctor.

1 hour and $50 later, we headed home with a tube of cortizone-containing Rectal Ointment. The good news is that it wasn't anything serious like impacted or infected anal glands. The bad news is that I have to rub this ointment into Wrex's anal skin twice a day. Yes. I bought disposable gloves before the first application.

But wait, there's more!

It's a 10 minute trip from the vet to home. I literally could see my backyard when Wrex vomited all over the floor of my car. Even when it's only 30F outside, dog barf reeks.


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## hopetocurl (Jan 8, 2014)

CMarrie.... Ever feel like you are having one of those days?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

hopetocurl said:


> CMarrie.... Ever feel like you are having one of those days?


She's having one of those weeks!!!


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Could be worse...you could be Wrex!


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