wormcount

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katej215
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wormcount

Post by katej215 »

Hattie has just had the results back from her wormcount, which were virtually clear..(a less than 20 count for toxocara, nil for others?) - she hasnt been wormed for about 4/5 months..so a little surprised she has such a low count, plus can't help thinking about that fact that I would have been pumping all those chemicals in her for nothing.. :?


They are suggesting i keep to 3 monthly counts, but wondering if this is overkill?? Is the fact that we are heading out of summer (maybe this should be past tense!) a factor? She meets other dogs briefly when out, and does love a stinky ditch or stagnant pool? Just wondered what the main factors were in weighing up risk..
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Nettle
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Re: wormcount

Post by Nettle »

I would have thought 6 monthly adequate. It takes 6 months-ish for a tapeworm to go from egg to mature enough to be killed by wormer. I don't know about toxocara but as you have managed this length of time with nothing much, it seems daft to reduce the test interval.

Meeting other dogs etc. won't make any difference as worms have a more complicated life cycle than passing straight from dog to dog.

Why not try 4 monthly then if that's okay you can go 5 monthly etc.
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katej215
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Re: wormcount

Post by katej215 »

Brilliant - thank you Nettle :D
ClareMarsh
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Re: wormcount

Post by ClareMarsh »

Or if you're concerned then do a count in 3 months and if clear switch to 6 months. We have a kit to hand all the time, we do 6 monthly but if concerned about anything we just send one off :D
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katej215
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Re: wormcount

Post by katej215 »

Hey guys,

was just curious as to when i first posted Hattie's clear wormcount results...

so 11 months or so on..and we have had another lot of results back and they havent changed, she's virtually clear!! I don't think she has been wormed or de -flea'ed since possibly the beginning of 2013...and not a flea or a worm have we seen.. :shock: Also, to add, its not even as though she spends most of her walks on pavements or parks..most of our walks are in rural areas, where she's off lead busy tracking through long grass and bushes or wading through foul smelling bogs!!! :D

I'm not about to get complacent...but am really stunned as to how much in the past I have been brainwashed by Vets & Drug Companies into thinking that unless I give my dog monthly flea and worm treatments I'm a bad owner..Unbelievable !! :evil:
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Nettle
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Re: wormcount

Post by Nettle »

Thanks for the feedback - that is really interesting.

I understand that horse owners are making similar discoveries.
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ClareMarsh
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Re: wormcount

Post by ClareMarsh »

Ella was last wormed at 10 weeks old by her breeder. I had her tested at 6 months and all clear :wink:

I'm not a breeder so I don't need to worry about the up to 10 weeks stage but so much for having to do them every month :!:
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katej215
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Re: wormcount

Post by katej215 »

Just thought I'd look back at this to see when I last wormed Hattie...coming up to 3 years ago :shock: . She has just had another count back and she is STILL on the lowest possible score. I just keep thinking how can this be??...it's probably perfectly normal and I've just bought into the whole parasite scaremongering more than i realised. She has never had a flea either...given she is never pavement or park walked (and loves a stinking bog, or muddy squelch!!)

Mostyn's was sent off earlier....it'll be interesting to see what his comes back as... :|
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Nettle
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Re: wormcount

Post by Nettle »

Interesting :wink: isn't it?

I suspect that once they have been adequately wormed as puppies (and I am diligent about worming puppies - boy, can puppies be wormy :shock: ) many dogs do not nowadays lead the lifestyle that adds too many worms from then on.
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JudyN
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Re: wormcount

Post by JudyN »

Silly question, but what sort of lifestyle does lead to worms in dogs? I've also not had to worm Jasper for a few years, and if eating cow poo, wading in stagnant water and such like led to worms, he should have had plenty!
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Nettle
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Re: wormcount

Post by Nettle »

Life cycles of parasites are quite complex and usually involve a third or even fourth party. stop reading now if squeamish! For instance a dog won't get worms directly from cow poo, but if a cow poos out worm eggs and those eggs are eaten by a certain mite, and then the dog eats the mite while eating something else that isn't necessarily cow poo, the egg in the mite MAY develop into a being that finds a suitably comfortable place in the dog and then flourishes.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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