Parasite

[Lorraine Bromley]

Hi there, Well Neely has had a bad couple of weeks. He started about that long ago, one night we awoke to poop or loose stool near our doorway.
The night before he had been out just before bed and I went off to bed and he went back to the door and rang the bells. I didn't beleive him as he was just out. I thought that due to the heat he just hadn't had enough excercise and wasn't quite ready for bed. Apparently he wasn't fooling.
This has been happening nightly and he must run to one door and then when he knows he can't get out that one he runs downstairs to go out the other door. Where he doesn't quite make it and leaves a mess right in the hallway in front of the exit. During the day he has also had loose stool. I started to give him pumpkin and that seemed to help a bit. He is feeling fine in every other way. No lack of enthusiasim or eating issues.
I started to notice that he would have loose stool but still try to strain as if he had something he was trying to pass. I started to think he must have eaten something that he was trying to get through. I checked the poo and didn't see any noticable worms. The stool was also very mucusy.
We were to go away this weekend and I started to worry about the hotel and going down an elevater and holding it if he has to go. So I called the vet and we took him in. Luckily I did get a fresh sample to take as well. The vet also had a student. They analized the stool and found a parasite that they could not identify. The student had just finished a course in this subject and was also stumped by this critter.
Neely is now on a broad spectrum anti biotic as well as a pro biotic. They also have him on a gastric diet. He hasn't had any diarreah since the anti biotic is on board. The problem is that he has a very sensitive nose. He also is a very danty eater with his kibble. The pills he must take must smell and taste bbad as he will not take these at all in anything. He will take a bite and finish everything and still spit the pills (4) out whole. The gastric food is a canned food but very firm and dry. He takes little scrapes off the food and it crumbles and gets into his beard it makes a mess. Then he drops the crumbs off his beard and leaves them all over the place. Tonight I ground up the pills and put them in the food. Bad idea. He wouldn't touch any bit of food that had any trace of pill in it. The only way he would eat it is if I took it piece by piece and fed it to him bite by bite. If there was even the slightest aroma of pills on it, no way. His nose was wiggling like a mouse' wiskers sniffing for cheese. I tryed mixing his regular kibble into the mix but then he wouldn't touch it because it is about the same size as the pills. He is hungry but is not going to compromise his culinary standards! These doodles are so smart. Any other dog you could smear peanut butter on it and down it would go.
Has anyone else had a parasite that was unidentifiable. If he doesn't have anymore poo issues we won't bother sending it away to a lab to find out as treatment would be successful. He said that he is a very healthy dog and that he may have felt worse if he wasn't as healthy as he is. That is good to know. It does make you wonder though just where or why he got this parasite from. I can't stay away from something I don't know?

[Lorraine Bromley]

Thanks, We have to keep rying the pill in the back of the throat. I have had to do this with other dogs but Neely can still regurgitate up just the pill he swallowed! I will try the rubbing of the neck next time to see if this helps. I had to do the cover in peanut butter, ram down as far as my hand could go snap shut then syringe liquid in so he would swallow. That got it down to stay. He had a normal poo today. I guess we'll never know what kind of parasite it was becase the treatment os working so no need to pay lab fees for curiousity.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Put the pill on the very bottom of the tongue at the tonsils (do dogs have tonsils?) Hold the snout closed - they swallow automatically in this position. You have to be fast...this whole procedure should be only a couple of seconds long - before they have a chance to realize what is happening and fight it.

[Linda,Yankee & Finn]

I just use my finger and shove the pill down the back of the throat. I have done this with both my dogs and it works well. You just have to make sure you get it far enough or out it comes.

[Adina P]

I have no idea about what parasite this could be...
BUT have you ever tried "Pill pockets"? It's a yummy treat with a hole in the middle for a pill. If those don't work then get a pill plunger. It looks like a syringe except the end of it has a pill holder. You open the dog's mouth, put the plunger into the back of the throat, push the plunger to make the pill come out and rub the dog's neck to help him swallow and voila! Our border collie can tell a pill a mile away, so this is the only way to get a pill into her. Works quick and easy!!