My dog has heartworms. Why are new worms appearing and is he itchy?

Question

Hello. I just adopted a dog who is being treated for heartworms. After beginning another round of the deworming pills, I have noticed that in addition to the white, flat worms in his stool, I am finding tiny, round, pink worms with white tapered ends on the floor, in his bed, and anywhere he lies down or drags his butt. Are these worms the same? Or might he have a second type? Also, is general bodily itching a common side effect of HW treatment? He doesn't appear to have fleas. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 50 lbs

Sarah Box, BVSc · Accepted Answer

I am sorry to hear about Max's heartworm diagnosis. I am glad he is receiving treatment for this. The worms you describe that have recently started appearing sound like tapeworms. Do they resemble grains or rice or sesame seeds? Most deworming medications do not contain the ingredients needed to take care of tapeworms, so I would recommend discussing this with your veterinarian so you can broaden the spectrum of Max's treatment. I would also suspect that even though you don't see any obvious fleas that Max has been exposed to some. Tapeworms can be transmitted by fleas and so management of a tapeworm issue typically needs to include a specific dewormer AND a flea preventative.

My dog has heartworms. Why are new worms appearing and is he itchy?

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