Hi THere,

Deborah, COPD Guide here. I have a question...

I have 4 dogs. 3 pure bred Great Danes, and a Rottweiler. My female and Rottie have been fixed. The two big boys, have not, they are each at least 150 lbs. Now, the boys have always been interested in my female's private parts. Afterall, boys will be boys I suppose, and what makes dogs any different than humans. LOL! But, enough is enough for God's sake.

Lately, my boy dogs have been OBSESSED with licking the butt of my female. I mean, they are really INTO it. I have to keep them separated. Is this a sign of worms? She is not licking herself, but they are licking her. And, the two boys have vomited a couple of times lately, as well as some soft piles of poop, although I don't see worms in their stool. I feed my dogs REALLY expensive dog food. Both the two big boys look thin, in spite of getting enough food. I went ahead and ordered wormer today, but this is grossing me out totally. Do you think it is worms? YUYYYKKKYY. Can they get into my house? Double yuk, I am almost hurling as we speak.

Help, from a fellow dog lover and de-wormer,

 

Danes should be on the thin side - they are the largest sighthound
type, and with their height + weight, need to remain not merely fit,
but somewhat lean, to keep their joint health.  so slim is GOOD,
IMO.

without a stool specimen to determine what sort of worms are there,
if any, a broad-spectrum vermicide may not treat what they Might Have -
or Might Not Have.  i would not worm them blindly.

it sounds more likely that the F has a urinary infection -
this can smell like heat / estrus, and many Ms will mount, lick, etc,
even tho the F is spayed or nowhere near her season.
i would check her for a UTI, and ask for a culture - a smear under
a scope might not show it, altho it is a good 1st-step.

hope everybody is OK,
 ---  terry

Not only can they 'get into' your house, but certain types can infect humans.  Typically you won't see whole adult worms in the stool, only microscopic eggs.

Sudden loss of weight plus GI problems definitely means a trip to the vet.  They will want stool samples.

I wouldn't deworm them yourself.  If it isn't worms you can make any problems much worse, and even if they do have worms whatever dewormer you use may not be effective.  Vet for sure!

When was the last time they had a wellness check?

No butt licking does not mean worms. It can mean that your female has anal gland issues going on, a UTI brewing, etc. Your female needs a good vet exam including fecal test and urinalysis. She also needs her anal glands checked.

Also entering into this is the fact that you have 2 intact males. This behavior can be common with intact males.A misconception is that if worms are present they will be seen in the stool, another misconception is if worms are present a dog wil lbutt scoot or there will be butt licking. Parasites are rarely seen , with the exception of tapeworms. Routine fecal tests should always be done and if worms are present a proper vet approved dewormer needs  to be administered.

Adult Danes should not be lean, nor should they be overweight. Dane puppies should be on the lean side but not underweight.

Dale

HI To All,

I have taken them to the vet, and, at the time, they did not have worms. I think part of my problem is, I have been overfeeding them. The f is a perfect weight, but the two big ones are most likely about 150 lbs, and I can see a bit of their spine. The white, he is my baby, you can even see his hip bones. I have been feeding the white about 8 cups of food per day, in three seperate meals, and he is still thin, in my opinion. Do they typically get diarrhea with worms, or just soft stool. Only one has a soft stool, but he also has food allergies and is on a special diet. I guess I should take them to the vet. Thanks for everyone's advice.