Natural remedy for worms!

[brightspark]

Just discovered that my dog has worms...white, flat and about 2 cm long. Any ideas what type it is and also if anyone has successfully used a natural remedy. When I searched google something called woodworm came up also called artemesia annua ( a remedy, not type of worm!), does anyone know anything about this and where I could buy it?,

[princess peach]

Hi Brightspark.These are segments from a tapeworm.
My dog had these and when i took a sample to the vet he told me what they were.They still wriggle when the segments come out in the dogs poo.You need to get proper vetinary medicine.
You will also need to de flea the doggie as this re infests if not all treated together.

http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/tapes3.jpg

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_tapeworm.html

Nothing to worry about,but in this instance i wouldnt recommend you use natural products to get rid of these critters.

[brightspark]

Thank you for the really helpful info. I've had dogs for years and seen round worms but these do look different and yes, wriggle, so would make sense! I will definitely take a visit to the vet.

[crazyred]

Hi Brightspark,

They do sound like tapeworm. Once you've got this lot treated you can buy something called Four Seasons Anti Parasitic from the Holistic Pet Supply company which I give to mine monthly and he's not had any worms yet. Alternatively you can use Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) tincture, which sometimes comes mixed with clove & Black Walnut Hull extract which is a good combination for treating and preventing (Black Walnut Hull extract is poisonous to horses so can't be given to them). Alternatively you could get wormwood tincture and the capsule forms of Clove & Black Walnut.

[princess peach]

No probs Brightspark glad i could help you.

[brightspark]

Hi Princess P, just wanted to let you know after a visit to my vet with the appropriate 'sample' your diagnosis was spot on and thank you. I was a bit unsure about posting on forums but have found the responses really positive and helpful. I was definitely naive as I thought tape worms were really rare and panicked a bit so thank you for your calm reassurance. Hopefully the problem will now be sorted and to also reassure others that it's quite treatable.

[princess peach]

aww,how sweet of you to reply.
Its no problem at all,i was glad to help you.
There are lots of doggie owners on here who are only too pleased to try and help with any problems if they can.

[towser]

How do I tell if my dog is infected? "Infected dogs will pass the tapeworm segments within the faeces. These appear like grains of rice in the faeces and may be seen on the skin around the anus. Your dog may also show signs of **** irritation by dragging its bottom across the floor. This usually occurs as a result of the worm segments being shed. Occasionally, a worm may enter the stomach of the dog causing irritation. This may make the dog vomit and an adult worm may be visible in the vomit
What you are describing are more likely to be Hook Worms. There are no 'natural' cures for intestinal parasites, and seeing that these types of parasites are responsible for the blindness of unborn human infants in the mothers womb, I humbly suggest you seek out a vet and buy a 10% solution of Panacur Broad Spectrum Wormer and dose your animal accordingly.
Can roundworms infect people?Roundworms can infect people. In children in particular, roundworm larvae migrating around the body may settle in the eye and cause blindness. Proper worm control is essential to minimise the number of worms in the environment and is very important as a public health measure.
The hookworm is a parasitic nematode worm that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human. Two species of hookworms commonly infect humans, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. Hookworms are also bilateral, meaning that if cut in half, the worm would be the exact same on each side. Necator americanus predominates in the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, China, and Indonesia, while A. duodenale predominates in the Middle East, North Africa, India and (formerly) in southern Europe. Hookworms are thought to infect more than 600 million people worldwide. The A. braziliense and A. tubaeforme species infect cats, while A. caninum infects dogs. Uncinaria stenocephala infects both dogs and cats.

Hookworms are much smaller than the large roundworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, and the complications of tissue migration and mechanical obstruction so frequently observed with roundworm infestation are less frequent in hookworm infestation. The most significant risk of hookworm infection is anemia, secondary to loss of iron (and protein) in the gut. The worms suck blood voraciously and damage the mucosa. However, the blood loss in the stools is not visibly apparent.

Ankylostomiasis, alternatively spelled anchylostomiasis and also called helminthiasis, "miners' anaemia", "tunnel disease", "brickmaker's anaemia" and "Egyptian chlorosis", is the disease caused by hookworms. It is caused when hookworms, present in large numbers, produce an iron deficiency anemia by voraciously sucking blood from the host's intestinal walls. The name is derived from Greek ancylo "crooked, bent" and stoma "mouth."

Hookworm is a leading cause of maternal and child morbidity in the developing countries of the tropics and subtropics. In susceptible children hookworms cause intellectual, cognitive and growth retardation, intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, and low birth weight among newborns born to infected mothers. Hookworm infection is rarely fatal, but anemia can be significant in the heavily infected individual.