Pinworms** might be gross +/- boring.

[Guest guest]

> Hi Jen

> AFAIK, pinworms don't infect dogs or cats. I was referring to how the fur

> of the pets can pick up the eggs and carry them around, and be a cause of

> reinfection via human ingestion. <yeah, ick!> Pets can and do eat garlic,

> and it is a good general dewormer for them, along with some herbs,

brewers

> yeast, etc., But, as I said, pets don't 'get' pinworms.

 

Hi Anya,

 

This is really bad, we know better than to talk of EOs this way. ;-)

 

I think we need to specify what " worm " we are talking about. Humans can

pick up various nematodes (roundworms) that infest dogs, cats, ruminants

etc. I was thinking specifically of _Strongyloides_spp. , which is a

free-living, soil dwelling, nematode of cats dogs and large animals,

commomly called *threadworm*. These worms are " free living, so they

would be seen in the stool and around the rectum. These are a Public

Health Significance - PHC.

 

There is also _Toxocara vitulorum_, which is carried by dogs and cats,

and IS seen in children (visceral larval migrans, and the even creepier

ocular larval migrans.) However, ova are passed through the stool - so

you wouldn't see this one. Still a PHC.

 

Then there is family _Ancylostomatidae_, including _Ancylostoma

caninum_, (specific host is the dog) _tuberforme_, (cat) _braziliensis_,

and _doudenale_ (both dog and cat)which are skin travelers (cutaneous

larval migrans) these are hookworms. But again, larva passed through

stool, it would be invisible. PHC.

 

Then (finally) there is the _Oxyuris_ spp. _Oxyuris equii_ is the

*pinworm* that causes horses to knock down fences with their frantic

rectal itching (quite and image, eh?) These worms DO leave adults AND

eggs on the rectum, where they can reinfest the victim. Diagnosed by

the lovely " scotch tape prep " method - I'll leave this to the

imagination. This is where my notes left off the PHC thread. So I

googled the taxonomy and saw this :

 

http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~parasite/enterobius.html.

 

It looks like the culprit is Enterobius vermicularis. Also called

*threadworm*, OR *pinworm*. Treatable with menbenazole or pyrantel.

All household memeber need treatment, and treatment needs to be repeated

again in two weeks per the life cycle of the parasite.

 

Info for the OP:

 

http://tinyurl.com/yw8wf OR

http://www.personalmd.com/news/pinworm_071900.shtml

 

I used to date a pediatrician. We live in a very rural area. Since I

was a vet tech, we often talked about the wierd intersection of our

jobs. According to him, it is quite common for children to get infected

with roundworms, by letting the dog lick them in the face. That is NOT

the pinworm you and I are talking about , nonetheless - he used the

phrase " pinworm " as a catchall for the various pediatric parasitic

infestations - probably because the same meds kill both parasites.

Hence my error.

 

My main point was to reassure the OP that the meds are, in fact, very

safe.

 

****Garlic is NOT goods for cats**** It may be a good dewormer and they

may eat it, but it also can cause a Heinz body hemolytic anemia. Dogs,

however, seem to tolorate it well, but I would not consider adding it to

the diet of a dog who was compromised.

 

JenB.

[Guest guest]

At 11:43 AM 1/21/2004 -0500, you wrote:

> > Hi Jen

> > AFAIK, pinworms don't infect dogs or cats. I was referring to how the fur

> > of the pets can pick up the eggs and carry them around, and be a cause of

> > reinfection via human ingestion. <yeah, ick!> Pets can and do eat garlic,

> > and it is a good general dewormer for them, along with some herbs,

>brewers

> > yeast, etc., But, as I said, pets don't 'get' pinworms.

>

>Hi Anya,

>

>This is really bad, we know better than to talk of EOs this way. ;-)

>

>I think we need to specify what " worm " we are talking about. Humans can

>pick up various nematodes (roundworms) that infest dogs, cats, ruminants

>etc. I was thinking specifically of _Strongyloides_spp. , which is a

>free-living, soil dwelling, nematode of cats dogs and large animals,

>commomly called *threadworm*. These worms are " free living, so they

>would be seen in the stool and around the rectum. These are a Public

>Health Significance - PHC.

 

snipped all the good info on worms to save bandwidth. Thanks for the info,

Jen. AFAIK, the Dr's diagnosis of 'pinworms' was focused on the type of

symptoms I noted, correctly, or not. Tapeworms,hookworms, roundworms --

they all have different symptoms, no? All in all, a general deworming

program, intently focusing on hygiene to avoid reinfection, is called for

for all the worms mentioned.

 

Re: your information on garlic and toxicity with pets (truly a subject I

was unaware of, seeing garlic cookies in the store for dogs), I did a

google search and found 170,000 hits for 'garlic dog' and 13,000 for

'garlic dog toxic'. Clearly the word needs to get out more about this.

Please keep in mind, even unaware of the toxic problems, I was not

advocating putting the pets on a constant diet of garlic (nor the humans).

Everything in moderation. The raw garlic was just for the deworming period.

 

My experience with toxic problems due to diet with pets? Well, Roxy the

RastaPoodle loved her turkey and chocolate, and they're supposed to be big

no-nos. She only got it as treats, occasionally, of course, and she

tolerated it well. In subsequent years, I have read many reports of

chocolate doing harm to dogs (couldn't get any in the cat's mouth no matter

how hard I wrestled the furball :-) ha ha

 

Additionally, I recommended the OP go to a place like Whole foods and get

some good dewormer herbs. Unless the pets were diagnosed with worms, I

would avoid giving them medicine. Why overkill? I always believe in taking

the gentlest, safest path.

 

Parasites are epidemic, according to all medical reports I've read -- it

has been estimated that 90% of humans suffer from some sort of parasite.

Here in the tropics, it truly is epidemic. A physician I know says that

100% of a local ethnic group she sees have tapeworms and other parasites (I

won't ID the ethnic group for obvious reasons.) It's due to their diet, for

the most part. OTOH, the Jamaicans I know 'purge' themselves almost weekly

-- they have a cultural and social framework that almost dictates it.

 

Thanks for the info on all the worms, Jen, and gross as it might be --

people need to know all the facts. Ick factor notwithstanding :-O

 

http://member.newsguy.com/~herblady