GALTx eNews: The Horrors of the Modern Hookworm!
Hookworms are increasingly common and more difficult than ever to clear from our greyhounds. According to a study by the University of Georgia, today’s hookworm is a hybrid resistant to all treatments currently approved in the US. Hookworms can even 'hibernate’ and re-infect a greyhound after the treatment clears the active infection.
After reviewing many combinations of parasitic medications, Bill Feeman, DVM at Animal Medical Centre, Medina, Ohio, recommends a treatment regime that appears to be the most successful:
Coraxis, or Advantage Multi, for 6 months (applied topically once a month)
Pyrantel Paramote based on each dog's weight, given 2 weeks after the Coraxis or Advantage Multi for 6 months
Recheck fecal 2-3 weeks after the last medication administration.
Coraxis, or Advantage Multi, is a preventative for heartworms and intestinal parasites. GALT's veterinarians at VCA Preston Park Animal Hospital in Dallas are on board with this protocol. Sometimes, with this protocol, it takes 6 months or more to show a consistent clear fecal. Click here to read Dr. Feeman's memo dated November 1, 2019, or click here to read Dr. Feeman's "Greyhound Medical Idiosyncrasies" which addresses hookworms on page 8, Item 32.
If the Greyhound you are adopting is positive to hookworms, GALT adopters receive the medication doses required and a schedule of when to administer them in their adoption packets. Please follow this schedule religiously! At the conclusion of the six-month treatment, GALT pays for the fecal if you schedule it through GALT at VCA Preston Park Animal Hospital. If the test is negative, we recommend rechecking again in two weeks with your vet to confirm the negative results. Click here to read the full letter and step by step checklist included in our adoption packets. Click here to download a letter you can present to your vet.
To help minimize the possibility of re-infestation and spreading hookworms to other dogs in your household, please always ‘pick up’ after your greyhound immediately after each elimination. Thank you for your assistance with finding a solution to keep our fur babies happy and healthy!
May 29, 2020
