Tapeworms...what to do?

I took Bailey to the vet on Monday afternoon , 2-23-09, where she got her yearly shots, heartworm test and stool sample check.

Well...this morning, I noticed there were tapeworms in her poop. Um...shouldn't the stool sample check have caught this? The clinic said her fecal sample had come back negative. How can Bailey have tapeworms now? I'm a bit peeved because the clinic said I could bring in a sample of her stool and they would run another test but they have to charge me for it. I took her in less than 48 hours ago!

My question is this: If I saw worms in Bailey's stool this morning, then how long has she been infected? I took her to the vet Monday afternoon at 4 pm. The clinic says the fecal sample came back negative. Today, less than 48 hours later, at 7:30 am, there are tapeworms in her stool. Can tapeworms really develop so quickly?

Should I treat her with D-worm or go with veterinary treatment? I want them gone!

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Permalink Reply by Sam on February 25, 2009 at 10:23am

I know that my vet gave us a d-worm when we got Ein checked up and said that if he did have any that we might be finding them in his stool during the next few days. Did the vet not give you a d-worm and now they are showing up? If that is the case then I would bring in the sample and ask them just how long it takes to develop and if it is longer than two days I would possibly ask the vet about not charging you for bringing it in this time. Secretaries seem to just spout of memorised responses most of the time and really aren't in a position to bend rules for those times that one might fall into a shade of grey anyway.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on February 25, 2009 at 10:33am

Hey Ducky! Bailey could have been infected for a while, however, unless the tapeworm break apart at the right time during the fecal test, it may just slip through the cracks undetected. There is a strong correlation between dog poop, fleas and tapeworm, if I was in your situation, I would first put all Bailey's toys and bedding through the hot water cycle. Vacuum the carpet real good, make sure he does not get to other dog poop, pick up his own poop and dispose of it immediately. Mow down your lawn, avoid tall grassy area, treat him when you see the first sign of fleas. You can go with the regular OTC dewormer, unless there is a stubborn infestation, you can get an oral or injection from the vet.

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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on February 25, 2009 at 1:58pm

Are you 100% they were tapeworms in the stool? My sis is an MD -- once had a patient on the phone in total worm-phobic hysteria after seeing "tapeworms" in her stool, until she realized -- oh, yeah, those sesame seed crackers....

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Permalink Reply by Wendt Worth Corgi's on February 25, 2009 at 5:50pm

That is called a false negative..just because a stool sample tested negative doesn't totally put you in the clear that your dog is clean of them. To best make sure what you are seeing is infact a tapeworm you should take it to the vet so they may view it and give you the correct medication for it. Not all wormers take care of tape worms...most are for roundworms and hookworms. She might want to give you something that will take care of a wide spectrum of worms like a Fendbendazole over a period of 3-5 days. Best to talk this over w/your vet.

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on February 25, 2009 at 8:29pm

There's an over the counter pill that you can give them, you have to go to a pet pharmacy type place to get it though, it's called Droncit. The first time Dax had tapeworms I brought him to the vet and this is what he gave him. He got them again about 6 months after that so I just went and bought some, it's like 3 doses to make sure they're all gone and it was about $13, less than a vet visit. The typical over the counter de-wormers don't really work on tapeworms, so if you can't find the Droncit you might as well go ahead and take her to the vet. Good luck getting rid of them, they're nasty little things!