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Location: Texas | We have 2 great danes 5 years old (they are brothers) and they will randomly gag and act like they are going to throw up...go eat grass and gag more. We went to the vet but he got called for an emergency before we got there so the assistant figure he'd worm them both with Drontal.....and 2 weeks later start doing the same thing again. So we go back.....said the assistant should have given us another dose to give 2 weeks later. So we had to start over because it had been a month now....both treated with Drontal again and then again 2 weeks later. So in about 2 weeks it starts up again. Call the vet and tell them and they said to worm both dogs with panacur for 5 days. We do that and yet again almost 2 weeks later it starts up again. Drontal is expensive to keep having to do this with 2 dogs this size....$70 for 1 dose for both dogs. Anyone have any ideas? They stay in a fenced yard and it's about 1/2 acre. Is my yard infested with something?
Dogs are current on all shots and stay on monthly heart worm preventative.
We do have a few chickens that run around.
Any help would be appreciated. |
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
 
| My corgis are the same way. Exactly the same. It never affects their health and they feel fine so I just let them do it... I have no idea why they do it. LOL |
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 Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
 
Location: Sperry, OK | 1) Drontal is a prescription medication, so technically speaking it was illegal for the assistant to prescribe it.
2) Why prescribe a dewormer when no diagnosis has been made.
3) If they're both on heartworm prevention regularly, then I really wouldn't expect a big parasite problem. Especially after having even a single dose of Drontal. Unless it's a rarer parasite not covered by the preventative or dewormer. In which case the doctor really should have tried to make an actual diagnosis so he would know how to properly treat it rather than just throwing meds at you.
4) I'm skeptical of the treatments already implemented since it sounds like no actual diagnostic steps have been taken. I would certainly think parasitism should be on the list of differentials. But since two sibling housemates are both experiencing clinical signs...other environmental factors should be considered (dietary, environmental toxins, etc) and also possible genetic/congenital problems.
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| We give our dogs Illium Pyraquantal. We order it from Australia because even with shipping, it's much cheaper than US. Pyraquantal kills roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and whipworms. Drontal only does the top 3 mentioned.
I don't think worming is necessarily your issue. My dogs eat grass when their tummy's are upset and will yak it back up. Are you feeding your dogs lots and lots of rawhide or other treats? My rat terrier gets really bad if he gets too much junk, doesn't have to be rawhide either. |
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Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | Something else to think/ask about, Danes are predisposed to dilated cardiomyopathy. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 331
Location: Loma Linda, CA | Slidin' N - 2014-05-14 2:14 PM
We have 2 great danes 5 years old (they are brothers) and they will randomly gag and act like they are going to throw up...go eat grass and gag more. We went to the vet but he got called for an emergency before we got there so the assistant figure he'd worm them both with Drontal.....and 2 weeks later start doing the same thing again. So we go back.....said the assistant should have given us another dose to give 2 weeks later. So we had to start over because it had been a month now....both treated with Drontal again and then again 2 weeks later. So in about 2 weeks it starts up again. Call the vet and tell them and they said to worm both dogs with panacur for 5 days. We do that and yet again almost 2 weeks later it starts up again. Drontal is expensive to keep having to do this with 2 dogs this size....$70 for 1 dose for both dogs. Anyone have any ideas? They stay in a fenced yard and it's about 1/2 acre. Is my yard infested with something?
Dogs are current on all shots and stay on monthly heart worm preventative.
We do have a few chickens that run around.
Any help would be appreciated.
Curious as to why worms are diagnosed without a proper fecal testing? Or was there a fecal testing?
Drontal takes care of basic parasites/worms such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms etc.
Panacur is used for giardia. (other parasites can be eliminated with panacea and alb on as well)
Albon (not mentioned) is used for coccidia.
Though there are other de-wormers and variations. These are what I'm familiar with and use on a consistent basis.
Also it is weird that the vet tech just went and de-wormed them without diagnosis or maybe she consulted the vet or he prepped the tech on what to do until he could see the pet. De-worming a dog isn't going to hurt.
Cardiomyopathy is an enlarged heart and though it does affect great danes symptoms are generally shortness of breath, lethargy, anorexia, labored breathing, coughing, distended abdomen... you get the idea.
A lot of dogs eat grass and gag. I have a dog that does it. Allegedly some dogs do it when their tummies are upset... another thing great danes suffer from is gastric dilatation-volvulus or twisted stomach. And an upset stomach is definitely a symptom (which in turn would mean eating grass in some dogs). Symptoms of this are distended abdomen, depression, difficulty breathing, hypersalivation, and retching without vomiting. A lot of vets including mine recommend feeding their dogs from above the ground (maybe getting a lifted dog bowl or putting it higher where they don't need to strain their necks so much to eat). However, you would know when this was actually occurring cause it is a medical emergency.
Anyways, get some poops checked and if you're super concerned run some blood work on one of them (since both are affected pick one and run with it) to see if there are any elevated levels that could be causing their grass eating/gagging episodes, maybe something bacterial? Insecticides? Valley fever?
Also heartworm prevention has pyrantel/ivermectin which both are de-wormers depending on the brand. If you are using heart guard, iverhart, triheart etc. then thats what is in it. Revolution and Sentinel which covers fleas is different. I think sentinel covers a tick species as well. I can never fully remember the millions of brands. Pyrantel covers what drontal covers and ivermectin is also a broad spectrum anti parasitic.
I feel like I'm rambling now >.<
Edited by Phxbarrel 2014-05-14 11:44 PM
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Member
Posts: 6
| I agree with those who said the vet's treating blind without doing a fecal and/or blood work. The vet at our clinic does a fecal on any dog with suspected parasite problems. And for an ongoing problem like this we'd probably do blood work, too. I'd ask your vet to do those things or see if there's another vet you can get in to.
What dog food do you have them on? Is it possible they have food (or other) allergies? Being brothers it's something they could both have a problem with. Just another thought, although the two-week cycle is a bit strange.
Good luck! |
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Sideways Riding Expert
Posts: 11371
Location: ND--it snows, it floods, it snows, it floods | I have a black lab that grazes on grass like she's a cow. I've asked the vet numerous times and she's been checked numerous time and apparently she just likes grass. She will gag and retch every once in awhile but that's it. The vet finally decided that she is just one of those dogs. Nothing wrong with her she's just weird. I would probably look for a 2nd opinion if you are getting serviced by the assistant or tech and not the vet. |
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