Worms

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

I was curious how they test for worms in dogs? If we brought a stool sample into the vet to get it tested for Giardia would it show if there the dogs had worms?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, they do a fecal test to test for worms. 

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Thank you karen! I am still trying to solve the mystery as to what was making the boys so sick and thought it was possible they had worms of some sort. I read online some where that if their poop has little white specs that resemble little grains of rice in it that it could mean they have worms. Both dog's poop looked like that so i was thinking it was a possibility. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think it may actually have been grains of rice, lol, since you said you were feeding them rice. 

But a fecal test would definitely have shown if they had worms. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If they are on heartguard plus or anything similar, that also protects against worms. 

[c zoomer]

Giardia is tricky.  Sometimes it shows up in the test and sometimes it doesn't.  My vet wanted a warm sample...not more than 1 hr. Old.  Out of three tests, it finally showed up.  It's much smaller than a worm and harder to find.  Requires a microscope.  I was given 5 or 7 days worth of treatment with Panacur as liquid in syringe.

My experience with tapeworm was there were segments that wiggled, and powdery eggs.  If they lick themselves they get reinfected if not treated.  Those powdery eggs are capable of getting into anywhere the animal sits. Fleas eat them, and the pet eats the flea to continue the cycle.