A question about wormers

[Ruby Red]

Just wondering what everyone else does. As most of you know my 2 eat outside – dirt and mud and all, and love nothing better than drinking the dirtiest pond/puddle water they can find. I haven’t wormed them for a while now and was wondering how often do you worm your dogs? and what do you use?

[AussieGirl]

I do the standard 3 month (12 weeks) using Paragard. I know they say they don't like a healthy host but having young kids I'd just rather not risk it.

[Ruby Red]

Originally Posted by AussieGirl

I do the standard 3 month (12 weeks) using Paragard

This is soooo funny – I put paragard in google to check the wormer you give your Ruby and it come up as an IUD CONTRACEPTIVE!!!! hee, hee,hee, I did laugh – especially as you mentioned that your Ruby was spayed!!! Anyway, I put 'paragard + dog wormer' in and found it, thanks.

[Spyglass Sally]

Buddy has never been wormed -even as a puppy. The breeder wanted to do it but I talked her out of it so that I could get him checked first. I did and he was negative. I've had him checked a couple of times (he's 9 months old) and he's always negative. My theory is I would not want to be given a toxic substance to kill something I don't have , and I'm guessing he wouldn't either.

But if you don't de-worm as part of a maintenance program, you need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of them. Are they scooting across the floor or have diarrhea? Do you see little spaghetti type things in the poop or vomit, or weight loss and a pot belly (think roundworm) or maybe rice (think tapeworm). Is the animal anemic with pale gums, tarry stool or weak (think hookworm). Whipworms often cause no symptoms, but there can be persistant, watery diarrhea, especially if the animal has a compromised immune system. Some worms are so small you won't see them, so you do need to periodically (approx. once a year) bring a stool sample in to the vet even if you think they are okay.

Dr. Pitcairn considers worm-infested animals in three categories:

• very young animals that get roundworms before or after birth from their mom
• young or mature animals infested with fleas or that eat wild animals and get tapeworms
• mature but run down animals that are unhealthy and susceptible to parasites inside (roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, whipworms) and out (fleas, ticks, lice)

He does not support the practice of routinely worming puppies and kittens unless they have large numbers of worms and are symptomatic (diarrhea, pot belly, etc.).

What you use depends on the type of worm and the level of infestation. Many people have reported good effects with a product called Parastat. I haven't needed it, but have read good things about it from people who have used it as an intestinal cleanser. The dose would need to be adjusted for a dog.

Dr Pitcairn's possible non-chemical remedies include:

• Category 1
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp (depending on animals size) of wheat or oat bran daily to help carry out the worms. Also, the same of one of grated carrots, turnips or beets
  • Garlic - 1/2 to 2 cloves (depending on animals size). Fresh, chopped, or grated into food.
  • diatomaceous earth which is sometimes used for controlling fleas and is also effective against roundworms. Apparently the shell remnants of the diatoms are irritating to the outside of the worms and fleas and cause them to loosen their hold and leave. Cool, huh? You add 1/4 to 1 teaspoon to each meal. Don't use the kind for swimming pool filters, but the natural unrefined kind available through herbal or garden suppliers.

According to Dr. Pitcairn, if an animal is healthy, and they are fed a good diet high in protein, a roundworm infection in a new pup will gradually decrease over the first few months of life and by six months they are seldom infected. With mature animals, it is important they get enough vitamin A since a deficiency will allow worms to reinfect.

• Category 2
  • Pumpkin seeds are a safe treatment. Grind 1/4 to 1 teaspoon to a fine meal and give them to the pet immediately, with each meal.
  • Wheat germ oil - 1/4 to 1 teaspoon to each meal.
  • Vegetable enzymes - 1/4 to 1 teaspoon with each meal.
• Category 3 is more involved and he recommends working with your vet.

Dr Pitcairn's book goes into more detail, but these are his basic recommendations that he says are very effective. If a dog has a stubborn problem in getting rid of any intestinal worms, he recommends an occasional dose of castor oil. Giving this after a day of fasting will flush out all weakened worms. Use 1/2 teaspoon for puppies less than 3 months old and 1 teaspoon for 3-6 months. Adult dogs: 1 1/2 tablespoons for medium size and 2 tablespoons for large dogs.

Check the stool 6-8 weeks after treatment to be sure the problem is solved.

[AussieGirl]

Thanks Sally, I always learn something new from you

[Spyglass Sally]

Worms are a funny subject because it's easy to think they're gone but if you've not made the environment inhospitable, they will return. The purpose of some of these treatments is not necessarily to kill them, but to annoy or irritate them over time so they loosen their hold and pass out.

It's possible with tapeworms for instance, to use a chemical that may kill the worm, but sometimes it just cause the sudden loss of most of the segments, leaving the head still intact. It grows a new body (eeewww!) and is back in business again.

Buddy gets some of these "treatments" (cooked oats, garlic, shredded carrots) as part of his daily diet for nutritional reasons. But it's nice to know they also protect him from parasites.

[bruinsBoxers]

I don't use wormers regularly . I would rather have a sample checked if I thought there was a problem .

[KeeperBoy]

We do give a heartworm pill every 6 weeks in the summer that takes care of many types of worms. Other than that we do stool samples.

[starjess]

I use Paraguard as my contraceptive

[Doreen]

I never thought you would worm a dog on a regular basis. I've never done it. My vet requires stool samples like every 3 months and my dogs are always on heartguard too for heartworm and other parasite preventative all year round. I am told that here with only a few months of freezing temps it is safer to have them on it year round. Years ago, they believed only to give preventative in the summer months. But they were finding mosquitoes,which carry the heartworm are living longer through the year.