Freckles had a tapeworm.

Spotted you know what in his you know what so I took a sample to the Vet yesterday and it was identified as a tapeworm infection. Two pills will clear it up but, as I understand it, this is transmitted via an ingested flea that is carrying tapeworm larva.
We don't have fleas in either the house or the yard so it might have been picked up at the kennel or dog park. People who don't know about well cared for dogs usually assume a dog park must be a flea haven but as most dogs that are transported to a special dog park are usually flea free due to caring owners. Of course it only takes one tapeworm carring flea to cause an infection.
Fleas can also show up on squirrels, possums, rats and other wild animals so it's impossible to control them all.

Just glad its so easy to treat.

 

Both Emma May and Chomper came to me with tapeworms. They look like rice-sized squirmy things in the stool. One dose of Droncit cleared it up for both of them. The dead worms get re-absorbed into the body, so you won't see them come out in the stool.

As you know, they are from ingesting a flea or dogs can also get them from rodents. It's possible Freckles ate a dead something-or-other at home or at the park. My vet assured me it is not transfered dog-to-dog, although I always picked up the wormy poo anyway, because it made me feel better.

Sure enough, none of my dogs have shown any signs of worms. I also fed raw pumpkin seeds for a few days, though, just to be sure.

 

Jamiya,
What do raw pumpkin seeds treat?

 

Worms!