worming advice

Question
Question: Hi-I have already been to the vet and am just kind of looking for another opinion. I have 3 Alaskan Malamutes who run free in my very large fenced in yard. They are strictly outdoor dogs as that is what they prefer and are most happy with. Yesterday I took my youngest, 9 mos. to the vets because her first heat cycle seemed to be going on forever but everything is ok. I brought a stool sample in but obviously having 3 of them I was not 100% sure whose it was. The poops all look identical and they all go the same place. I was disturbed to find it tested positive for both hookworms and whipworms, especially since we are diligent about removing the droppings daily and none of them have a loose or runny stool. The vet gave me Panacur and told me to dose all 3 but I was wondering if I should not try to see if I can catch each of their droppings and try to have each one tested. This would take considerable time and effort as they will not go when you are outside because they want to play and it's very hard to stand and watch from in the house as the yard is so large. So should I just go ahead and dose all 3 just to be safe? I am more of a natural type person but with things of this difficulty you need a veterinary wormer. I would appreciate your opinion. Thanks in advance. The dogs are all females-9 mos. unspayed, and 2 yrs. and 6 yrs. both spayed and weigh in at around 100 lbs. each. Thank you.

Answer

Hi Maria,

Yes, it's safe to treat all your dogs for hookworms and whipworms.

If you gave your dogs monthly heartworm preventatives, they would also be protected from both hookworms and whipworms. Heartworms is present in most areas in the US, and is spread by mosquitoes. It is fatal if left untreated. Because your dogs live outside, they should receive monthly heartworm protection.

Even though you are diligent about keeping your yard clean by picking up the dog's feces, the adult "worms" larvae are excellent swimmers that can travel through raindrops or dew on leaves and vegetation where they wait for a suitable host animal to come along. Larvae entering through the skin migrate through the bloodstream to the lungs and trachea, and are coughed up and swallowed. They attach themselves to the intestinal wall, mature, mate, and produce eggs, thus completing the life cycle. Some larvae may migrate to muscles, fat, or other tissues and become dormant. This is why it's important to treat all of your dogs. All of them might be infected.

According to the University of Florida, effective treatments for the control of hookworm include the use of salt brine (1.5 lb common salt per gallon of water, applied at 1 pt per sq ft) or borax, for bare ground, gravel or concrete. There is no known product for both effective for control of infective hookworm larvae on/in living turf or other plants and safe for plants.

Most wormers only kill the adult worms in the intestine, but not the larvae. That is why two or more treatments are generally recommended.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti