Elderly dog with recurring worm problem

Question
Hi :) Our family dog is 15 years old. She has drastically dropped in weight and is slowing down :( She has had a worm problem for the last 6 months. My Mom has given her four courses of dewormer, which seems to work temporarily. For example we took her to the vet after one course of treatment and her stool sample came back clear. Now she has them again! My Mom is not sure if it is a wise decision to give her another course of treatment. The worms show up as approx. 1/4" white worms in her feces. She is an outdoor dog and it is winter right now. Any suggestions as to what type of worms these may be and what our next steps are?
                 Thanks Casey

Answer
Hi Casey,

Thank you for writing to me about your senior dog.

My best advice is to take a stool sample with the 1/2 white worms showing and let your vet analyze exactly what they are and what the best course of action would be.  A general dewormer that your mother has gotten from a catelogue or pet shop may not address the problem directly and may in fact be way too harsh for a senior dog.

If what you are seeing are not worms but rice looking pellets in the feces, then what you are likely dealing with are tape worms.  Sometimes, a stool sample will come back clear if the little white rice pellets are not present.  It doesn't mean that your dog is rid of the worms.  You have to wait until you see the evidence and bring that within 24 hrs to your vet for analysis and proper meds.

I hope that this will help to clear up the problem. Your dog's drop in weight can be due to the worms eating all the nutrients that she needs so she isn't getting them.  I would also have your vet do a blood test for anemia.

Best Regards,
Shelley Davis