Whip Worms for 6 years Without Treatment

by Kellie Brown
(Fort Worth, Tx. USA)

My dog was diagnosed with whip worms and given fenbendadole by the doctor. He had lost 10 lbs. and had diarrhea. I had given him fenabendazole since then but not on a regular basis.

Now he is 13 years old and has all the symptoms. He paces all day mostly at night. He strains to poop. The feces is slimy in consistency and red dark in color. Sometimes the color is light brown, sometimes normal depending on which canned food he eats.

He is suffering from loss of appetite and pants loudly every night after a meal. He is pooping while sleeping, still runs and jumps up on the couch when playing, always hungry but never gains weight, has dry hair, all bones showing no stomach. He has teeth that are swollen at the bottom gums, bad breath, memory loss of who or where he is sometimes, stands in a position with bottom almost touching the ground while eating or when he's been up pacing or standing too long. He will not rest or lay down until I go to sleep and, howls when I leave the house for more than 2 hours.

Can I put him on pancur every three months until I have the money to get him to the doctor? He's on frontline plus every month no fleas but he is extruding black feces around the anus.

Suggestion From Our Veterinarian

Hello,

I am sorry to hear about what your dog has been going through. His condition sounds quite serious, and it really is important that he be seen by a veterinarian as quickly as possible.

While some of the symptoms you describe can be seen with whipworm infestations, others don’t fit well with that condition at all. You can give Panacur to dogs on an intermittent basis to prevent whipworms but doing so without a definitive diagnosis is not in your dog’s best interests.

Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM