Quote:
Originally Posted by PILOTthePuppy  Pax ...black tarry diarrhea, almost like dark chocolate pudding. We rushed him to the emergency vet and she stated she found hookworm eggs. We gave him Drontal Plus and started Flagyl ... black diarrhea seemed to clear up for a few days but then came back this past Friday .... Pilot, didn't have any symptoms until this past Friday ... [then he too] had the same black tarry diarrhea as Pax did. ... vet but did not have enough stool sample ... gave him Flagyl and Drontal Plus as well .... fear it may come back just like Pax did. |
Sending you thoughts and prayers.
Below are links to three articles about hookworms. From the VCA article (emphasis added),
"Female hookworms pass hundreds of microscopic eggs in the feces of infected dogs, where they contaminate the environment. Larvae hatch from the eggs and
can remain infective in the soil for weeks or months. A dog may become infected when it inadvertently swallows hookworm larvae, often by
grooming its feet, or from sniffing feces or contaminated soil. The larvae may also burrow into the skin if the dog walks or lies on contaminated ground."
And also,
"There are several effective drugs, called anthelmintics, which will eliminate hookworms. Most are given orally and have few, if any, side effects. However,
these drugs only kill the adult hookworms. ... it is
necessary to treat an infected dog again in about two to four weeks to kill any newly formed adult worms that were larvae at the time of the first treatment."
Nasty. It is environmental--Pax may have picked this up from elsewhere, but likely it's now been introduced to your home environment.
American Kennel Club, "
Understanding Hookworm in Dogs."
PetMD, "
Hookworm in Dogs."
VCA, "
Hookworm infection in Dogs."