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Heart Worm Question

Joanne M

Well-known member
Every month I give Tucker heart worm medicine. He's taking interceptor pills. He got his monthly dose this morning and about 10 or so hours later, I see a milky something in his poop. I do not recall ever noticing before. Has anyone ever seen an actual heart worm? I didn't see anything like little worms, more than likely it was the medicine itself. But it has got me to wondering.
 
Hey Joanne I am almost certain that dogs never poop out heartworms. They actually get into the chamber of the heart & eat holes in it. I doubt very much that what you saw was a heartworm. For heartworms to make their way out of the heart & into the bowel, would have the dog dead long before that happened I think.

If it was a worm it would most likely be an intestinal worm. If your heartworming medicine covers for other types of worms then it could be this. I think some (Heartguard) have an additional ingredient in it to cover for roundworm & hookworm.

Here in Australia we routinely worm our dogs (for intestinal worms) every 3 months but I know in some other countries this is not done unless there a stool sample indicates that worms are present.

Is it possible for you to go collect what you saw & try to see if it is a worm?

Some good information re heartworm here http://www.heartwormsociety.org/CanineHeartwormInfo.htm
 
Actually I could. It's in plastic bag outside.

Thanks about the heart info. I realize that though I've given Tucker monthly heart worm medication since I've had him, I never asked, "what exactly is a heart worm" I appreciate your comments.
 
I have seen a heartworm in a preserved heart at the vets (yuk !) It just looks like a worm but lives in the heart (I think).

I am pretty sure they don't poop em out also. You may find it was actually the effect of the tablet, often when I worm the boys it make their pooh go pastey and white ? The stringy wormy looking thing may have just been mucus ? (and again yuk!)
 
It was not stringy. God can you believe we are discussing this? LOL It was mucousy, that is how I would describe it.
 
My guess would be the tablet has upset his tummy a little (which wormers do) and it has caused all of this. It should be back to normal with 24 hrs if not I would ring the vet and have a chat about it ?

Obviously if he is in pain or discomfort or any real change in his disposition then I would get onto it asap but otherwise would think it will be all good 8)
 
Hey Joanne,

If Tucker is well tomorrow (ie he has not got an upset tummy) and if you are still unsure as to whether what you saw was a worm or not, why not simply give him a dose of all-worming medication. That way all bases are covered.
 
Joanne, I give Interceptor to my dogs, too. It removes adult roundworms and whipworms, and controls adult hookworms, as well as preventing heartworm.
 
Thanks everyone. No problems yet today Caraline.

Cathy, I'm glad I stuck with the Interceptor. When I switched Vets, Tucker was changed from Heartguard chews to the Interceptor Pills. The new Vet said she preferred it as it prevented more than the heart worm but I didn't know what that was. Thank you as always for your information.
 
Joanne--Did the Heartguard upset Caraline's tummy? Whenever I give it to Mia it seems to mess up her tummy for a couple of weeks. Maybe I need to change to Interceptor? I'm kind of afraid to give it to her again...
 
Hi Denise,

Tucker loved the heartguard and ate it right up, and I never noticed anything amiss afterward. The interceptor seems okay too. Initially I wanted to stick with the heartguard as I thought it would be easier to administer as Interceptor comes in the form of a little pill, but Tucker gobbles the pill right up too, along with his Kibble when I give it to him with food.
 
Think I'll try the Interceptor. I remember the last time I gave it to Mia, I swore to myself I wouldn't give it to her again. I really messed her up. Of course, she's older now, so that may make a difference. Maybe I'll try giving her half of a Heartguard one day and then the rest a few days later...

Thanks, Joanne!
 
We have our dogs on Frontline Plus for fleas, ticks, lice, etc. in addition to the Interceptor for Heartworm and other worms.

You might want to check with your vet to make sure your dog is fully protected for fleas and ticks as well this Spring when you take your dogs in for their Heartworm blood tests! ;)
 
I give Tucker Front Line Plus too. Even though I do not have tick bushes in the yard, there are ticks in the northeast that carry lyme disease.
 
Hi Joanne -- I live about ten miles south of you down 495... Our previous dog had always been treated with Heartguard, but now with our young Cavs they are both getting Interceptor once a month. The vet told me that it's best here in New England because there's a lot of whipworm in our dirt and it's the only thing that handles that (I'd never heard about that before).

We have tons of ticks around. They are everywhere--in the grass, in the leaves--just everywhere. Does Tucker tolerate the Frontline Plus pretty well?
 
:lol: Uuhhhh, I was thinking of testing it on myself before giving it to Mia--didn't you say you tried it and it upset your tummy??? Yeah, that's the ticket... :sl*p:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Sorry Caraline!!
 
Hi Pat,

Tucker does tolerate it well, though I wondered Saturday when I gave him his latest dose if it bothered him a bit, it may sting, he wanted to mash himself all over the bed, where I held him to squeeze the contents on his flesh. He was fine in about 5 mins, other than I had to hold him until it was absorbed because he kept trying to rub the stuff off himself onto the linens.

Joanne
 
Thanks, Joanne. I'm going to talk to the vet later this week about getting mine started on it, as spring is apparently coming soon and that means the darn baby ticks (that you can't see without a magnifying glass) will be out in full force.

If the only "side effect" is keeping them from rubbing it off when it's administered, I guess we can deal with that. ;)

BTW, Tucker and Pepper are almost exactly the same age. Pepper was born on May 8, 2005.
 
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