Hootie & Hobbs have tapeworms!
 

Well, I kept noticing rice-looking stuff in our bed but hubby and I both concluded that it was just something in the yard that H&H were tracking in. I've been seeing the stuff for about 3 weeks now. Well, I had to take Hobbs to the vet today, so out of curiousity I gathered the "rice" from our bed this morning and took it to the vet with us. She told me it was pieces of tapeworms! I'm so disgusted. I'm totally and completely grossed out. She gave them this new heartworm pill that also kills tapeworms and said the worms should be gone within 2 weeks and shouldn't come back since I'll be giving them a monthly preventative.

Anyone else experienced this? I cannot WAIT to get home tonight and really deep clean our home and bleach our sheets. YUCK!

The saddest part is is that my hubby is so grossed out by this that he said Hootie & Hobbs are banned from the bed "indefinately," or at least until their worms are completely cleared up. H&H are going to be so devasted. They've slept in the bed with us since the day we brought them home. There hasn't been a single night their whole entire lives that they've slept anywhere other than our bed. It's going to be a sad night. :( :( :( I'm going to put their wire crate on my nightstand. Hopefully they won't be too bummed out.

Iam glad that you found out when you did because it might have made them sick if it had gone on longer. That is a good idea about putting the crate on the night stand. I can't say that I blame your husband for that...:eek: . What heart worm pill did they give? Maybe we should all be using that.

Awwww maybe hubby will reconcider or you can talk him into it????? Poor babies.

They will go away. One of my girls came to me with tape worms and it only took 1 treatment and they were gone, never to return :) They will be fine. :)

OOOH I can see where he would be a bit disturbed. I think that it's a good idea and also a good compromise to put the crate on the night stand. Your babies might not like it but it's a good idea at least until they are completely cured and you have some time to work on Hubby.

Here is what the vet gave them...it's new...prevents all kinds of stuff...not just heartworms. It's called Iverhart Max Chewable Tablets.

http://www.1800petmeds.com/pdetail.asp?SK=11001&SP=dog

Poor babies. Chachi had tapeworms once and it just took one treatment to treat it. I am curious about the kind of heartworm that is too. Ive never heard of one treating tapeworms

It's new!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO HAPPY that this treatment was available because she said the alternative treatment for tapeworms is super expensive. This way, I am getting a heartworm preventative and treating them for tapeworms all at the same time.

Poor H&H. Thanks heavens you thought to bring those white particles to the vet. Those things can really grow to great lengths. I have to be honest I would be grossed out by this also and wouldn't want my pet in bed with me
until they were gone. Humans can also get tapeworms! I don't know if they can get them from their pet but they can get them.
Glad the meds will get rid of them. That's a good idea to put the crate on your nightstand so they can be close by you.

Yeah, I was concerned about my hubby and me getting them, but my vet said that humans cannot get this type of tapeworm unless they ingest a flea. So, that's a sigh of relief. Hopefully H&H won't be too traumatized by sleeping in their crate instead of their bed. If they really don't mind it, it might become a permanent thing. Sometimes the yorkies can be disruptive to our sleep. I will sure miss cuddling with them, though!

Im sorry that H & H have those nasty criters, Im glad they didnt get sick from it. I have to take molly next week , so im going to mention this new prevention med to him, sounds great if it preventions both.:)

Awww how sad!!! Poor babies! I hope they get better really soon! Don't feel bad Rebecca, you'll have a harder time than they will I'm sure :rolleyes: When my fiance stays over the yorkies go in their own bed, because my bed is too small for all 4 of us. Plus they are disruptive to our sleep as well...They never make a sound, I'm the one staying up all night watching them sleep, well at first anyway, no anymore :D We cuddle with them on the bed right before bedtime and they are happy with that :p Hope they get better soon.

Thanks, Nobella! You are always so encouraging! :D :D :D I just hope I can get passed being totally and completely grossed out by the whole thing. YUCK!

They got the tapeworms from ingesting a flea. The fleas are completely OUT OF CONTROL in my apartment complex and the apartment refuses to spray outside. Luckily we're moving in 3 weeks! I can't wait!

The "rice" I found in the bed were actually pieces of tapeworms. Totally gross, I know. I get the hibby jibbies just thinking about it! YIKES!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

No problem. I was devistated at first at the thought of not sleeping with them, but to be totally truthful (shh don't tell Coco or Rocco) I sleep way more undisturbed now. I still sleep with them when my fiance is not over, and those nights I'm woken up a dozen times to move so I don't squash them :rolleyes: You'll be fine. I don't blame your hubby, I would be grossed out too..lol..You may actually enjoy sleeping again, so look on the bright side..lol

Awww I'm sure the babies will be ok!! I would have freaked out too! Tapeworms are nasty but it's so hard when there are fleas everywhere. Good luck and give Hootie and Hobbs kisses from me!

Ok, well that's an eye opener. Gosh, I can't believe it - out of no where :eek:

I do feel for both of you! I can handle a lot of things, peeing in the bed, pooing in the bed, puking in the bed, but I don't think that I could handle pieces of tape worms in the bed.

I do think that it is best to keep them crated until it clears up :D

LOL (sorry, having experienced this with my own critters, I can relate)...

there is GOOD news.

You will never again ignore little pieces of rice:D

Also, those little rice like peices are dead, so rest a little easier.

I KNOW what you mean! I will NEVER ignore the "rice" ever ever again!!!!!!!!! What did the vet give your critters to clear up the tapeworms? Did the tapeworms ever come back? How long after you gave the meds did the "rice" go away??

LOL and you many never EAT rice again either :D

Poor little guys - that sucks they got tapeworms but the upside is it is easy to treat and they should be back to normal in no time - YOU on the other hand may take longer to get over it - I'd be grossed out too - Man what are fleas even good for I wonder - they're the most nasty creatures..... little bloodsuckers !

I completely loathe fleas. I hate them with every fiber of my being. They have cost me SO MUCH MONEY! Urrrrrrrrrrr :mad::thumbdown :mad::thumbdown :mad:Between the monthly Frontline to prevent them, and now this...ugh.....I don't even want to think about it!

ewwwww this just happened to me too!!! I found the little pieces of "rice" in the bed about 4 days ago, but I just bought Brooklyn a new bone so I thought it was little pieces of that bone and I just kept brushing them off. GROSS... well today she had an accident on the floor for the first time in a long time.. and I went to clean it up and noticed little white things in it .. EW!! Now I see it's tapeworms... I'm going to get her some meds ASAP tomorrow. This is SO gross. At least you know you're not alone.

I'm also buying NEW sheets and tonight will be the first night she DOESN'T sleep with me!!!

Make hubby sleep in the kennel! Your Hootie and Hobbs need extra loving!

Well, it was a long night. The yorkies had to be in their crate all night. No way was I letting tapeworms back in my bed. We started off with them in the crate and the crate on my nightstand. I was hoping that maybe that way, they would maybe "feel" like they were in bed with us. Well, Hootie was fine, but Hobbs whined until 1am at which point hubby told me he couldn't take it anymore and for me to move the crate to another room. So, I moved the crate to the living room and turned on the radio for them. Well, the whining went to barking and the barking never ceased. I felt so bad for the yorkies and for my hubby who didn't get any sleep last night. I hope it's a better night tongiht. *sigh*

Awwww don't worry Rebecca its only hard for the first night or two, I promise. Just do it again tonight, but this time just put them in the other room to begin with and maybe a little earlier than your bedtime. Like maybe 30 minutes before bedtime put them in their crate in the other room. You and your hubby can start getting ready for bed and just hanging out. That way the yorkies might get tired sooner and in the 30 minutes get their barking out of their system..lol...Don't worry it gets easier I swear. Before you know it they'll be heading into their crates at night to go night night.

Thanks, Nobella! You are always so encouraging!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully it will only get better, not worse.

I don't recall the name of the pill, but it is a single treatment (one pill, yaay) and it seems to me it clears up pretty darn quick.

We live in an old home and our cat kills a mouse or two every fall (until they get smart enough not to come in this house:rolleyes: ) anyway, mice often have tapeworms which the transfer to kitty (lucky us). So I know to keep an eye out for the rice and get him treated at first sign.

Ginger and Bernie have never had them, but Shelby did. This was years and years ago, but I believe hers cleared up pretty quickly as well. Oh, and with her I didn't find rice, I saw one fall out of her butt...like you, at that time I had no idea what it was and I FREAKED!!!!

****makes a note to herself to check the bed before she crawls in it tonight for little white pieces of rice****

I checked their crate this morning when we got up and I checked it again when I went home for lunch and there are no signs of rice. Hopefully it will stay that way!