worms

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PREVENTING INTESTINAL WORMS

OUT OFMAY BE WORM FREE.
Or, maybe not. The truth is most dogs do have worms. Puppies and young hounds are the ones most at risk. A tummy full of whipworms can kill off a litter before they are ever weaned. Hookworms, roundworms, whipworms and tapeworms are the primary intestinal worms that plague our little hunting buddies. This is without question a case when, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

I can remember in another life, before I became the know it all that I am today; I was always trying to rid of my hounds of worms. I would wait until a dog got down or showed signs of worm infestation before I would take any action. Only then would I make an effort to get rid of the worms. I tried it all. That is, all that I knew about. I remember the big purple pills that I could not get down their throat. The ones for a 20 pound dog were the size of a hen egg and there was no way you could get a wormy hound to swallow that. If you used two pills for a 10 pound dog, then you got to attack your dog twice. Then there was the banana flavored liquid gold that I got from the vet. Now I want everyone to know that I never tasted that worm medicine, it just smelled like bananas and the dogs liked it even if it did not do much good. I called it liquid gold, because they sold it in small bottles for big money.

Too many hunting dogs spend most of their lives with a gut full of worms. Once a dog is grown they develop a tolerance that allows them to coexist with the parasites that live within them. They just accept this relationship and serve themselves up as host to a variety of worms, because that is the way it is and that is the way it will always be.

“THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE”
Who Said That?
I am not going to take credit for it. There is sure to be someone out there that will say they said it first. With that said, getting rid of the internal worms that invade our hounds is the first step we must make. To do that we need a dewormer. One that is effective, easy to use and economical. This product would need to deal with the grand array of worms that are present in dogs. Once the worms have been eliminated, we must then establish a prevention program as our defense against their return.

I know that there are many products on the market today designed to take care of this need but my goal is to share information about the best product I have found. Again this product is not sold in the pet department of Wal-Mart but is on the shelf at your local co-op or ready to be shipped to you from a number of suppliers of products used for horses and cattle. I first heard of Safe-guard Dewormer several years back while surfing the web and ending up on the Beagles Unlimited Site. Now that site is no longer active, but may be viewed by all. http://www.beaglesunlimited.net/ On that site there remains a wealth of beagle training, beagle health and a host of other information. Once I read about Safe-guard, I then went straight to my co-op. There I picked up several 25 gm tubes to try on my worm infested hounds. I had three hounds that were full of tape worms. Tape worms will take the life and energy right out of a hound. The article said that safe-guard could do what I needed done, and I was going to find out. I used the dewormer as directed by the Beagles Unlimited article. It called for a prescribed amount to be given for three consecutive days. After the first days treatment the hounds started to spill the tape worm parts. After the second day two of the hounds passed large segments of the tape worms. After the third day all dogs treated were clear of any worm sign. From that day on I have been a Safe-guard convert. When I said my prayers that night, I said, “God bless mom, God bless dad and God bless safe-guard.

My first experience with this product, I used the paste. This paste may be found in most co-ops or feed stores. Today’s price is $6.95 for a 25 gram syringe which is intended for horses. The syringe has a plunger marked off for a 1000 pound horse. This presents some what of a challenge when you are trying to dispense the correct amount to your hound.

The correct amount of safeguard for your hound is 1 gram for each 5 pounds of dog body weight. This syringe has a total of 25 grams. The scale on the plunger is 0 to 1000. If we divide 1000 by 25 we will see that 1 gm of paste would equal to 40 on the plunger. If you had a 25 pound hound you need to divide 25 by 5 to learn you need 5 grams of paste. If 1 gm = 40 on the syringe plunger, you must multiply 5 times 40 to find that 200 on the plunger is equal to the 5 grams of paste needed. Following the directions on the box, remove the syringe tip, turn the dial ring down to zero, depress plunger to advance paste to the tip, now set the dial ring at the graduation you have determined for your 25 pound hound (200), dispense paste onto the back of the dogs tongue. Now that you have it all figured out, get ready to start over, because all your dogs do not weigh the same and if they did, you would have to move the ring to 400 for the next dog, then 600 and so on. If you do it all right you can take care of five 25 pound hounds with one syringe for one day. This is done three days in succession, every other month.

That is just too complicated for most of us to make it work. By the time I did all the above calculations, adjusted the dial ring, administered the paste then ran back to the co-op for more paste the number of worms in the last hound to be treated may have already doubled in number.

Safe-guard is a good choice but the paste may not be the way to go.
Safe-guard liquid
Contains the same active ingredient as the paste.
(fenbendazole)

Liquid safe-guard is manufactured as a dewormer for beef and dairy cattle. This liquid comes in 1000ml containers and is by far the best choice for your hounds. It is easy to measure and administer. On top of that it is much cheaper than the paste.
The paste cost $6.95 for just 25 gm. 1000gm would cost $278.
A 1000 ml container, including shipping cost about $115. This means that you can worm a 25 pound hound for three consecutive days for under $1.73 and just $10.38 per year. This same dog when using paste would cost $4.17 for three days and $25.02 for the one hound for the year. For less than half the price the liquid is by far the best choice.

Measuring is as easy as using a 10 or 12 cc syringe to draw up the amount you need. To know the exact amount to give each hound, I developed a chart that tells how much to give each hound based on their weight.
Safe-guard Chart
Safe-guard is given bi-monthly, 1cc or ml per 5 lbs. For 3 consecutive days.
LBS=ML     8=1.6   9=1.8   10=2   11=2.2   12=2.4   13=2.6   14=2.8   15=3   16=3.2
17=3.4   18=3.6   19=3.8   20=4   21=4.2   22=4.4   23=4.6   24=4.8    25=5
26=5.2   27=5.4   28=5.6   29=5.8   30=6   31=6.2   32=6.4   33=6.6
34=6.8   35=7   36=7.2   37=7.4   38=7.6   39=7.8   40=8
In the above chart the first number is the dog’s weight and the number following the equals sign (=) is the number of ml or cc of safe-guard to give for that weight.

Where can liquid safe-guard be purchased ?

Most co-ops and feed stores will not carry the liquid safe-guard. They have the paste and make many sales both for horse and hounds. I think I have already explained that you would have to be a math professor married to a rich woman to use the paste.

Liquid Safeguard can be purchased from most animal supply catalogs.

Two good sources that I have used are:
Lambriar Vet Supply
1-800-344-6337
www.LambriarVetSupply.com
The 2005 price at Lambriar is $108 plus shipping.

Jeffers Pet
1-800-533-3377
http://www.jefferspet.com/ssc/default.asp?id=10659&link=33
The current Jeffers price is $103 plus shipping. The Jeffers catalog will not have the liquid listed but you can tell the sales rep what you need.(1000 ml Liquid Safe-guard) The item number is 16s0

What are the steps to follow to prevent intestinal worms In your hounds?

1. All hounds should receive safe-guard for three consecutive days every other month. I always do this on the 15th, 16th and 17th of every other month. Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep and Nov.
2. On the first day that safe-guard is to be given, (15th) I will weigh each hound and record their weight. I use a bathroom scale to weigh the dogs. I first weigh myself. I try to keep my weight at a nice round number. (200 lbs.) I then pick up a hound and step back on the scales. The difference between my weight and our combined weight is obviously the weight of the hound. This is not an exact science, but is better than just guessing. If you are off a pound or so it is not a show stopper. Safe-guard is just that, safe. If you give a little too much no harm is done. However, giving to much is a waste, so try and be as accurate as possible.

3. Based on each dog’s weight and using my safe-guard chart I give each hound the correct amount of safe-guard. I use a 10 or 12 cc syringe, without a needle. I shake the safeguard up and then poor some into a small shallow cup. It is easier to draw the safe-guard out of a cup than trying to get it out of the 1000 ml jug.
4. Just open each dog’s mouth and inject the safe-guard over their tongue and into the back of their throat.
5. This process is repeated on the 16th and 17th. Having recorded each hounds weight on the day of the weigh-in, there is no need to weigh them again.

Notice: Safe-guard should be kept refrigerated after it is opened. When receved it will have an expiration date. I have never received a shipment with less than a 2 year shelf life. Any one who has 5 or 6 average size beagles will use up the 1000 ml container within two years. Many dog owners alternate between safe-guard and other products. I do not. I have had my hounds on safe-guard for over 6 years now and I would dare to say they are worm free.

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