What is this worm thing and did it come from my dog?
September 15, 2018 11:16 AM Subscribe
Found a couple weird worms(larvae??) in my dog's crate with him, which is also coincidentally underneath a giant houseplant. Not sure what kind of worm it is and whether it came from the plant or the dog. Pics included inside.
Both worms were sorta dried up and dead. One was about a centimeter long, the other one was longer, about an inch. Off-white, cream colored, sort of a circular mouth, no visible legs.
Mostly I'm wondering if they are something parasitic that came out of the dog or just unrelated bugs that happened to end up in the dog crate while he was in there. They don't really look like what I've seen of tapeworm segments when he's had them before. The dog is acting like his usual self.
Potato quality photo of one of the smaller worms and a chunk of something that may or may not be worm??: https://imgur.com/a/MTTaGJe
Both worms were sorta dried up and dead. One was about a centimeter long, the other one was longer, about an inch. Off-white, cream colored, sort of a circular mouth, no visible legs.
Mostly I'm wondering if they are something parasitic that came out of the dog or just unrelated bugs that happened to end up in the dog crate while he was in there. They don't really look like what I've seen of tapeworm segments when he's had them before. The dog is acting like his usual self.
Potato quality photo of one of the smaller worms and a chunk of something that may or may not be worm??: https://imgur.com/a/MTTaGJe
It's some kinda maggot, or larvae. If it's from the plant, it could be a root maggot... as not all fly larvae eat flesh.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 1:08 PM on September 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Cold Lurkey at 1:08 PM on September 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
I'm sorry to break this to you but I think you or an unlucky member of your household should probably sign up for the fun task of examining your dog's next poop.
If the plant is not too heavy, maybe you could tip it over and in a way, you get lucky that it's the plant.
But I think both should probably be examined.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:16 PM on September 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
If the plant is not too heavy, maybe you could tip it over and in a way, you get lucky that it's the plant.
But I think both should probably be examined.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:16 PM on September 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
hmm these look a bit like the tapeworm eggs my ex-cat was shedding from his butt when I first got him aas a kitten. The infection travels via fleas, the vet told me. Cat was fine after a deworming.
posted by Morpeth at 1:27 PM on September 15, 2018
posted by Morpeth at 1:27 PM on September 15, 2018
Best answer: Yes, that's a larvae or maybe a grub, not a roundworm, hookworm, whipworm or tape worm. If it came out of your dog it would come from a skin sore, not his intestines. Probably it came from the plant or the dog brought it in on something he ate or his fur
posted by fshgrl at 1:49 PM on September 15, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by fshgrl at 1:49 PM on September 15, 2018 [3 favorites]
You can take his poop to the vet for a test.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 3:35 PM on September 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 3:35 PM on September 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Bistyfrass at 11:52 AM on September 15, 2018