Just wondering if you can help me with another doggy problem. I was all set to start Finnegan at a doggy daycare today but had taken a stool sample to my vets (the daycare requires this and I understand why). I had to take him to have nails trimmed and thought I would pick up the paperwork saying he was free of worms. Well he wasn’t. He had tapeworms right after I got him from Kentucky which I understand is common in dogs from the south. Well now he has roundworms. They gave me the medication to treat it (two syringes) one for now and one in two weeks. None of my dogs have ever had worms so this is new to me. The medication they gave me is Strongid. After I gave it to him I thought why did I do that I am trying to take care of things naturally. I looked up natural remedies for treating worms and these are some of the things I found but wanted to check with you and Emily too.
The site I looked at said Wormwood or Artemisia, Eugenia Caryophyllata or cloves Granatum Vermifuge and finally Homeopet Worm Clear or Wormout.
As I already gave him one treatment I wondered if it is still ok to use any of these treatments. I’m also thinking I should either take a sample in for McKenzie or just treat her naturally. I also found a good preventative was to add ground pumpkin seed to their food daily and add wheat bran.
I’d love to hear your opinion on this. Needless to say we couldn’t go to Doggy Daycare today and can’t for a month as they said I shouldn’t give the second dose of Strongid for two weeks and then 2 weeks after that bring in another sample. -Jean-
Canine Round Worm (Source: australian-shepherd-lovers.com)
Hey Jean… I’m sure you’re a bit disappointed that Finn can’t start Doggie Daycare now, but he’ll be ready to go in a couple of months. Worms and parasites are something most pet owners will have to deal with at some point! Interestingly, I had never had any worm issues over the past 20 years until bringing “the Brothers” (feral mature kittens) indoors two years ago. Fuzz had Round Worms and I discovered that because he had vomited a spaghetti like worm EWWWW!! He also had intermittent loose stools that would improve then loosen up again… I remember being so intrigued by this new found worm that I brought it in to The Animal Kingdom to show our team… I thought it would be a good learning experience for all of us… Funny thing… the other ladies were not nearly as fascinated as I was with the worm LOL!
I did use some natural methods to try clearing the worms including…
(1) Homeopet Worm Clear (Homeopathic Remedy- liquid):
Ingredients: Granatum Vermifuge – 6c&30c; Kamala Vermifuge – 6c&30c; Chenopodium Anthelminticum – 6c&30c; Filix Mas – 6c&30c; Cucurbita Pepo – 6c&30c; Thymol – 6c&30c; Teucrium Marum – 6c&30c; Cina – 6c&30c; Spigelia Anthelmintica – 6c&30c; Naphthaline – 6c&30c; Nux Vomica – 6c&30c; Arsenicum Album – 6c&30c in 20% USP alc. in purified water. AND,
(2) Azmira Giardia Parasitic D’Tox (Herbal Tincture- liquid):
Ingredients: A proprietary blend of Wormwood, Quassia Bark, Black Walnut Hulls, Neem Leaves, Bilva Herb, Embelia Ribes, Eclipta Alba, Phyllanthus Amarus, Gentian Root, Ginger Root, Grain Alcohol, and Spring Water.
I typically don’t recommend using several products together, but in this case I knew I could use an herbal and a homeopathic remedy together safely. The most important thing to remember when using natural approaches to treat (vs. preventative) worms is that you must be diligent and give all of the recommended doses at suggested intervals… And, you will probably need a fairly large amount (multiple bottles) to treat one or both of your Labrador Retrievers.
At the time Fuzz had roundworm I was still socializing “the Brothers” in a separate room with a separate litter box from my other resident cat and dog. Hence, I only treated Fuzz and his brother, Smudge, for the Round Worms. Fortunately, Fuzz’ worms cleared up after about eight weeks of treating with the homeopathic remedy and the herbal tincture. However, Smudge must have had a more severe case and after trying for over 10 weeks to get rid of the worms naturally, he just couldn’t get rid of them.
I made the decision to use the STRONGID for Smudge and had to give him two treatments over the course of four weeks. Thankfully, the Strongid got rid of the worms and Smudge had no ill affects from the stronger chemical wormer. I did, however, give Smudge Milk Thistle for about five days and one dose of the Homeopathic Remedy, Thuja 30c, to cleanse his liver following the use of Strongid.
REGARDING Finnegan… It’s up to you whether or not you continue to treat with the Strongid or try the natural protocol. If you decide to go with the remedy and herbs, I would wait about one to two weeks and begin treating him with the two products I mentioned above…but be diligent with both products. REGARDING McKenzie… I would begin treating her naturally with both products as they are safe and are also used for general colon cleansing. If you notice your dogs are getting loose stools after you begin using the remedy and herbs, just cut back a little bit on the doses.
My opinion… I will usually try to treat conditions with natural approaches whenever possible. However, there are times, when I will have to reach for the conventional treatments, in this case the Strongid. Minimizing the use of chemicals and strong medications with potential side affects is very important, but it’s okay to use them when necessary. Just follow up with some Milk Thistle and Thuja should you decide to use the Strongid. Good Luck!
