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Ask Jane Lefler Your Own Question
Jane Lefler, Behaviorist, Breeder, See Qual.
Category: Pet
Positive Feedback: 100 %
Satisfied Customers: 15414
Experience: 15 years Breeding Experience, Former vol. Vet Assistant, Dog Behaviorist
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My 5 mth old puppy has had issues with loose bowels. Originally thought it was food allergy since we changed to premium dog food his bowels are better. On Monday of this week I saw threadlike white worms...not ricelike in stool...not moving...Vet treated for tapeworms with praziquantel. I wanted to know if these were tapeworms or whipworms. My oily likes to eat bugs ie beetles ants moths could he get reinfected again? Would you recommend a heartworm preventative with praziquantel in it like iverhart plus?

Submitted: 12 months ago.
Category: Pet
Expert:  Jane Lefler replied 12 months ago.

Hi JaCustomer,

My name is XXXXX XXXXX X've been a professional answering questions concerning dog health and behavioral issues here since 2006. I've professionally worked with animals for over 16 years. I have over 14,000 satisfied customers. It will be my pleasure to work with you. It will be my pleasure to work with you. If you need to reply to me, please use the continue conversation or reply to expert button and not the rating box. Rating should be given once you are satisfied with my answer.

The most common worms seen in vomit or feces is the roundworm and tapeworm. Tapeworms are normally seen in feces and resemble grains of rice while roundworms resemble spaghetti. Your vet has already treated for tapeworms.

The most common worms found in dogs are: Roundworms, Hookworms, Tapeworms, and Whipworms and Heartworms

In some cases these worms are passed from the mother to the puppy, in other cases such as tapeworms, they are contracted by other methods such as ingesting an infected flea. Most over the counter medicine will only kill one or two types of worms, so your best bet is to take a fecal sample to your vet to determine the type of worms your dog may have and then decide on treatment. Dogs should be checked for worms periodically even if they appear healthy. This is so if your pet does become ill, you are not fighting a worm infestation along with a more serious problem.

For additional information about worms, see this site

http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/worms.html

http://www.truecompanionvet.com/site/view/124515_CanineIntestinalParasites.pml


Common dewormers are Panacur, which is a prescription product so you need to obtain it from your Vet and it works on roundworms and whipworms. Wormers labeled as Pyrantel Pamoate are the best over the counter medication for roundworms. Drontal plus is also a prescription product and is used for the treatment of Tapeworms, though dewormers with praziquantel work well against tapeworms. Many heartworm preventatives also help control whipworms and roundworms. Another reason to keep your dog on Heartworm medication.

Usually you see roundworms and tapeworms in the stool. Your vet should have done a fecal exam to determine what type of parasites your dog had. If he did then it is likely you are seeing dead tapeworms. it won't hurt to go ahead and deworm for roundworms with Pyrantel Pamoate and start your dog on heartworm preventative. You can read the following site for a comparison of heartworm medications.
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=488

Iverhart plus has ivermectin and Pyrantel which you can read about here:
http://www.iverhart.com/Iverhart-Plus/

Your dog can become reinfected by ingesting a tapeworm segment or infected flea, so it is possible for your dog to become reinfected if any flea problem isn't addressed.

If you would like any additional information or have more questions please don’t hesitate to press the reply to expert or continue conversation button.

I would appreciate you waiting until I have addressed your concerns before rating me. Please note that you are rating my help and not the site. IF you feel the need to rate me negatively, I hope you will reconsider and reply to me via the "REPLY TO EXPERT" or "CONTINUE CONVERSATION" button so I can address any issues you still have. If I have helped you, please click on the highest rating possible so I am credited for my help. If you are having problems with the rating system, please respond and let me know so it can be taken care of.

If you have questions in the future that you wish me to answer, you may click here and bookmark the page or make it a favorite. It is best to put my name "JANE" in the question as well.

Since there have been recalls on certain foods, please check the following site to be sure the food your animals eat is not affected. If it is affected, contact your vet as soon as possible. Have your dog seen if they have any symptoms.

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/


I hope you find this information helpful.


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