Tapeworm?

[brentonlwin]

I purchased a 1-1/2 year old female GSP about 4 weeks ago. She was vet checked the day before I picked her up. I have the records for her and I know they did a fecal that was negative. Last week, I saw what seemed to be a 2" long strand of mucus hanging from her rear end. It was hard to tell exactly which spot it came from. I thought it was probably just a female thing and decided to just keep an eye on it. I didn't notice any problems or other symptoms until yesterday when I had her out running. It looked like she was trying to go #2 but nothing was coming out, I immediatley suspected worms. Then I noticed what looked like mucus again hanging from her rear but this time it was dragging behind her as she was running around and was about 6-7 foot long.

I took her to the vet this morning and dropped her off. I didn't get to talk to the vet and the assistant just called and told me the fecal was negative. I explained to her what I saw and ask her to tell the vet to please check again. I just got another call from a different assistant and I told him again what I saw. He said large tapeworms may not show up on the fecal so they would treat her for that. I hope to talk to my vet when I pick her up.

Anybody seen something like that and had the fecal come up negative?

[shags]

Tapeworm ova rarely show up in a fecal float. Finding dried segments or segmants on the stool is the usual way of diagnosing them.

That worm your dog expelled needs to go in a museum! Geesh, finding the segments is gross enough....

[brentonlwin]

Had to be what it was...it was very similar looking to mucus but to be that long without breaking off it has to be a worm.

[mcbosco]

Doesn't sound like a tapeworm. As stated, you find segments sometime in the stool or around the anus hanging on. They don't lay eggs in the host so they wont show up. I wouldn't worry even if it is, not hard to get rid of and a healthy dog is largely unaffected.

Do you have a photo? Tapeworms look like wrinkled, segmented linguini or fettucini.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 31&bih=920

[brentonlwin]

No, I kick myself for not taking a pic with my phone. I was spreading seed with a 4-wheeler and excersising the dogs at the same time. They were hot and I was trying to keep them watered and finish spreading and when I saw that I was kinda grossed out and trying to think of what it could be but didn't try to get a pic or sample...dumb.

Yeah, I googled pics of worms as soon as I got to my computer and it didn't really look like a typical tapeworm. I was raised on a dairy farm and have helped birth MANY baby calves. It looked very much like the mucus that comes before the calf. Slimy, kind of transparent, and more round and smooth than flat and wrinkly. I has me stumped. I haven't seen anything in the stools but I haven't examined them thoroughly.

[snips]

Yes, I have seen Tapwworms like this. Not pretty And they may not show in stool sample til they shed....