LoveToKnow Dogs:Custom Dog Worm Topics

I've never heard of a heart tick before, and I couldn't find any information on it. I think you may possibly mean heartworm? If this is the case, you have come to the right website to learn more about this issue.

A dog can be infected with heartworm larvae from the bite of a mosquito carrier. The larvae are transported through the bloodstream and typically colonize in the heart where they grow to adult worms and eventually cause blockage.

It's a dangerous situation, but it can be prevented by keeping a dog on heartworm preventative and making sure your pet has an annual heartworm check up. A dog already infected with heartworm can be treated, but it's complicated and frankly a bit dangerous. That's why prevention is so important.

We have some great articles on this topic, and we're really focusing on it with the new articles going up this month. Here are few you should read to get started.

• Heartworm
• Heartworm Medication
• Heartworm Symptoms

I hope this turns out to be the information you were looking for, but if not, don't hesitate to write again. We'll do our best to help. :) - posted by:Kelly

The best thing you can do is save a sample of the worms in a ziplock bag and take them and your puppy to the vet right away. I can't be sure, but this sounds like a very advanced case of roundworms. During their life cycle, they spend some time in the lungs, and this produces coughing. Once they are coughed up, some are swallowed and delivered back into the digestive system, and this sometime produces the vomiting you've seen.

An advanced case of roundworm is especially dangerous because it can produce intestinal blockage, so it's extremely important to have your vet treat your dog right away. While it's possible to treat your dog at home with a roundworm dewormer, I don't recommend it due to the severity of your dog's case. Better to let your vet positively identify the type of worms and administer the correct medication.

For more information, check out our article about the Symptoms of Dog Worms. Thanks for sharing your situation, and I hope this information proves helpful. Best wishes for your puppy's recovery. - posted by:Kelly

First, let me commend you for your act of kindness. It sounds like this dog truly wouldn't have had a chance without your intervention. Adopting her was definitely the right thing to do, even if you can only keep her long enough to rehab her before she goes to a new permanent home.

Right now, the heartworms are issue one. The biggest danger to the treatment is that the worms can cause a blockage that results in a heart attack. It's incredibly important that this dog is kept crated and quiet nearly all the time while undergoing treatment. She'll only be allowed brief potty breaks and then have to return to confinement. That will offer her the best chance for survival. If your vet can rid her of the infestation, you can enroll her in obedience classes later on, and the trainer will help you work through her behavioral issues. If you can get to that stage, she may surprise you on how quickly she learns what you want from her.

You're wise to consider the expense, but in my personal opinion, it would be money well spent to try no matter what the final outcome may be. In the end, you have to follow your heart and do what it tells you.

Thank you for sharing your story, and please let us know how it all turns out. Best wishes. - posted by:Kelly

The topic of dog worms can be upsetting, but many dogs pick up a case of worms at one point or another in their lives. Luckily, these parasites can be eliminated with the proper medication from the vet and some thorough house cleaning.

First, it's important to have the vet perform a fecal exam to determine the exact type of worms. Tapeworm and roundworm are the two most common types found in canines, but there are several others. The vet will chose the dewormer that is most effective on the species.

While on the wormer, it's important to immediately clean up all feces to remove dead, dying and even live worms from the environment.

It's true that tapeworm and roundworm are transferable to people, but it really doesn't seem to happen that often. Somtimes people pick up worm ova while petting an infested pet. The ova or actual live worm segments can be sticky and attach to clothing, furniture, hands, etc. If the hands aren't washed after petting the dog, it's possible to ingest the pest.

So, it's very important to wash your hands. As for your home and car, wash all the bedding, and vacuum the floors and furniture very thoroughly. Vacuum the seat and floors in the car as well. Don't forget to wash your pet's bedding and also give him a bath. All of these measures reduce the chance that your family will pick up worms.

For more info, check out the following articles:

• Tape Worms
• Symptoms of Dog Worms

Although worms can be worrisome, it really is possible to rid them from your pet and your environment. If after reading the articles above you believe anyone in your family might be infested, make an appointment for an exam with your family physician. A round of medication also clears up the problem in people.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you find this info helpful. - posted by:Kelly

Unfortunately, it sounds like your puppy has a very serious worm infestation that will require immediate veterinary attention. Although it seems like the worms are being vomited, it's more likely that they have reached your puppy's lungs and are being coughed up. This would be the third stage of the worms' life cycle, so as you can see, the infestation is rather advanced. Since your puppy is only seven weeks old, it's very likely the worms were passed on to him by his mother, either in utero or during nursing. This means that his mother and his littermates are probably infested as well.

You'll want to have your vet confirm the type of worms your dealing with in order to use the right type of wormer to treat them. I'd also recommend that you call the person or shelter where you got the puppy from to report the infestation so they can make sure the mother receives treatment as well as any other pups in the litter.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes for your puppy's health. - posted by:Kelly

I'm sorry to hear your dog is so ill today. If the vomiting didn't begin until after you gave the worming medication, there's a strong chance that this is the cause for your dog's current upset. That medication is bitter, and it can cause nausea in some dogs. However, it sounds as though your dog is having an especially difficult time. There's a possibility that your pet is actually having a reaction to the medication itself. I think the best thing you can do at this point is call your vet, relay the type of wormer given, the dosage you gave and your dog's exact symptoms. It may be necessary to take your dog in for further examination, but let the vet make that call.

Thank you for sharing your situation, and I hope everything will be alright. - posted by:Kelly

I'm so sorry to hear about your new pet's health crisis.

There is a lot of conflicting advice about using Heartguard as a treatment for heartworms. It works far better as a preventative because it kills the microfilaria circulating in the bloodstream. As I understand it, this medication is not effective for killing adult heartworms taking up residence within the heart muscle itself. In the best case scenario, it would stop the infestation from progressing and allow adult worms time to die off and dissolve. However, that is a lot to hope for, and I can't be sure it would be the right course of action in your dog's case. In fact, it could prove just as fatal as the treatment your vet is recommending now.

You stated that your vet felt this was an advanced case of heartworm, so there are likely a number of adult worms infesting your dog's heart. In this case, I tend to think the Heartguard wouldn't be as much help as your dog needs. The medication could stop the microfilaria from developing into more adult worms, but your pet would still be at risk for heart failure from clogging caused by the current crop of adult worms.

What I honestly recommend is that you have another discussion about your dog's case with the vet. Tell her what the breeder is recommending, and see how useful your vet feels the Heartguard would be in this case. You'll then have to make a decision on how to pursue treatment, but at least you'll be as fully informed as you can be. No matter what happens, please keep in mind that you are not responsible for your dog's infestation. It was well under way before she came to you. To do nothing about the worms would surely lead to her death, so any treatment gives you better odds than no treatment at all.

Thanks for sharing your situation, and please keep us posted on what you learn, which treatment you decide on and how things turn out. We get many questions from other visitors about heartworm, and other dogs and their caretakers might be able to benefit by your experience.

Best wishes that your situation has a happy ending. - posted by:Kelly

Does that worm look smooth like spaghetti? If so, it's probably a roundworm. If it's more like a grain of rice, or it looks like it has segments, it's a tapeworm.

Roundworm and tapeworm are highly contagious, and dogs and cats can pick them up easily when an infested pet is sharing their environment. Even if one of your other pets doesn't have worms now, chances are strong they will contract them if they accidentally ingest ova that are shed by the puppy. My advice is to have all your pets wormed, and to try to thoroughly clean the environment, including bedding, furniture and flooring, to eliminate the ova. It's probably not necessary to have each pet's stool analyzed, but you do want to make sure exactly which type of worms your puppy has in order to know which type of wormer to use. You may have to use different wormers specifically for dogs and cats because cats can't always use the same types of meds as dogs. It would really be best to consult your vet about the entire situation so you also get the right dosage for each pet.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you find this information helpful. - posted by:Kelly

It's usually best to let a vet perform a fecal exam to determine exactly which type of worm is present. This is because there are various medications that are effective against one worm, but not effective against another.

That said, there is a worming product called Drontal that is designed to treat roundworm, tapeworm, hookworm, and whipworm.

While it isn't possible for owners to identify every type of worm their dog might have, our article about Symptoms of Dog Worms will help you learn the difference between roundworms and tapeworms. These are two of the most common types of worms pets usually contract. If you do decide to worm your dog yourself, pay careful attention to the dosage directions for your dog's weight, and don't hesitate to call your vet if your dog develops serious side effects from the medication. Remember that if you use a product like Drontal, you will likely give your dog additional medications that he doesn't need because a combination of chemicals are used to treat multiple types of worms.

Thanks for your question. :) - posted by:Kelly

That's a lot of deworming to still clearly see worms in the stool. Chances are the worm medication is not the appropriate one for the type of worms this puppy has. I'd recommend taking another stool sample to the vet for analysis. Provide the vet with the name of the medication you've been using, as well as the dosing schedule you've followed. I do not recommend that you vaccinate the puppy at home at this time because his/her immune system is probably overtaxed by the infestation already. Leave it to the vet's descretion whether to vaccinate or wait until the worms are gone.

As for the risk to your own dogs, you'll want to be very careful because it is possible for them to contract these parasites. Wash your hands carefully after handling the puppy or cleaning up after him/her. Clean up stool immediately to lessen the chance that ova are left behind. I would go so far as to set up a fenced area in your yard for the puppy to use as a potty stop. Since the infestation still seems out of control, you may even want to limit contact between your dogs and the puppy because your pets could pick up ova that cling to the fur around the pup's anus. To be proactive, you may want to bring in stool samples from your own dogs to the vet appointment to have them checked.

As you can see, you've got your work cut out for you. I wish you the best for the health of all the dogs involved. - posted by:Kelly

I've spent some time searching too, and I haven't been able to find a worm image that fits your description. If you still have the worm saved, it would be a good idea to let your vet take a look at it. He/She may be able to identify exactly what it is, whether a worm, a leach or some other parasite.

In the meantime, here is a link to a website that has many worm images. Perhaps if you leaf through all the pages, you'll find a match.

• CureZone.com

Thanks for your question, and I wish I could have been more help. - posted by:Kelly

This is a very good question, and one that is often debated. Technically, if the preventative is doing its job (there's still a slight chance of contracting heartworm even while on prevetative) and you keep your dog on it year-round without missing a dose, you might be able to continue the medication without retesting. However, if you live in an area that has deep cold winters, you may only keep your dog on preventative during the spring, summer and fall. If your dog managed to contract heartworms early in the spring, prior to resuming the preventative, the medication could make your dog very ill. This is why vets want to perform an annual heartworm check before resuming preventative medication.

That said, many vets insist on testing annually no matter what the circumstances. This ensures the dog isn't made ill from the preventative, and the vet can be sure it's safe to resume medication. All things considered, it's better to be safe than sorry, and getting a yearly baseline is a good thing.

Thanks for your question. :) - posted by:Kelly