This has kinda been bothering me for a week or two now and I'm sure that someone here can help me with it.

I took Strider in for his first vet exam and vacs, it didn't really start all that well. The first person to come in to 'see him' was some assistant or another who just asked questions about age etc. Then started laying out the cocktail program of a vac schedule. Finally I had a enough and said whoa whoa it's not going to happen that way. She looked at me very puzzled like, then proceeded to start talking about deworming. Now I'm nothing if not polite, so I hear her out. When she was finished and started writing stuff in 'the folder'. I said a kindly as I could, 'no thanks'. I think her mouth was hanging open when she looked up at me. Very flustrated now she says, but we worm all puppies. I shrugged and said that I had noted no reason to think any deworming was necessary and furthermore we had done a comprehesive fecal exam two weeks prior and going to do another one this visit and going to do another when the booster for parvo is done. "But but all puppies are dewormed!", she says. Calmly as I could I again said, no thanks. But added, you're not deworming anything if there are no worms to get rid of, are you.
She marches smartly out, but does close the door softly.

Now the vet comes in. One I might add I've never met at this practice...........A more cursory physical exam I've never witnessed. No temp taken, barely looked at his ears, never looked at his eyes, didn't listen long enough for a pulse rate count (she said about 90!, excuse me!!!?? 90?), and just looked in his mouth long enough to say yes he has teeth.
The fact the entire 'exam' was the vet just throwing food around for the dog and one long sales pitch on me for all the wonderful products and shots I should consider or rather reconsider for my dog.
FINALLY, Strider gets his parvo shot. Phew.
Then again with the worming business. The vet said fleas are carriers of worms, tape in particular and we should start now with the deworming. I said if he needed to get rid of worms I'd probably use that earthy stuff they dig up. Then it was to the scare tactics of the fleas passing worms on to me and mine, blah blah blah. By now I just want to get the hell out of there, so I was barely listening.

So after that rather long winded rant my question is; how concerned should I be about worms? Do fleas always equal worms?

Randy

 Quote: randy allen

how concerned should I be about worms? Do fleas always equal worms?

Randy

No.

Fleas carry tapeworm. But for a dog to become affected they have to swallow a flea that is affected.

Tapeworms are very easy to spot (white fragments in the poo) and to cure the dog one dose of Drontal is given. It's expensive but like any other worm, there is no preventative - only cure.

So if you don't SEE tapeworms in the dog's poo, there's no point, IMHO.

Edit: I don't use flea preventative and my dogs get fleas occasionally. That said, I've only ever had to treat one dog, once, for tapeworms and my cat twice over his 16-year life. My vet even told me at the time that I treated that one dog not to bother treating the others unless I saw tapeworm evidence, as they were unlikely to be affected.

Another edit LOL. I should mention that IME, "regular" dewormer does not even cover tapeworm - you have to use "special" stuff - Drontal. One dose is $25 so it is really expensive. This would not even be done during a regular course of puppy deworming. Sounds like the vet might be trying to score some business.

Besides Angela's good post, I would add "new vet."

The one you describe exemplifies everything that many people think is wrong with some vet practices. A perfect example, if you will.

Have you seen Cindy's vet-list?

Randy,

My current vet and I have an understanding. They'll never see money from me for an injection besides rabies, and they'll never see a dime from me for worming. On the flip side if I need them I'll generally not be wasting their time with minor nonsense and I pay in cash. So far it's been a pretty good relationship.

As far as worms pretty much what Angela covered was pretty much nail on the head. Here's a pretty good short section on how flea transmission tapeworms work http://home.austarnet.com.au/wormman/wltape.htm

cheers,

MT

 Quote: Melissa Thom

http://home.austarnet.com.au/wormman/wltape.htm

Eeeeewww!!! lol

Thanks all, it's pretty much as I suspected (but didn't know for a fact).
I have been inspecting the dumps of both dogs closely. So add that to the definition of dirty old man, a shitty inspector.lol

I don't know why I didn't ask for one of the two vets I normally see, I guess I just assumed I would be scheduled on the calendar of one of them. I like them alot, they always answer my questions directly and concede or mention points of questionable up in the air issues. And I would never have expected just a sales pitch and the non-exam for my dog from either one.
In fact I'm tempted to write the clinic about the non-exam, that bothers me rather more then the sales pitch and glossed over 'facts' about fleas and worms.
I still don't even know what my dogs heart rate or temperature is! I have an idea what they should be.......But I don't know what they are.

I'd speak up!

And about the worms ... even if I thought there was a suspicion, and I was missing the evidence, it's very simple to drop off a fecal to be checked.

QUOTE: Collect fresh fecal sample within 12 hours of an examination. It is also very important to keep the samples cool or refrigerated. A microscopic examination of the fecal sample will be performed to identify the worm's eggs. .... An annual fecal check is also good preventive medicine. END from http://www.weather.com/outlook/homeandgarden/pets/articles/d25
(and many many other sources).

I probably will say something to somebody Connie. One of the vets I normally see is the older gent in the practice. He only is available a couple of days a week. A founding father perhaps?

And I didn't get out the door without the requisite talk about neutering. That's when I almost lost it with, "I don't even want to hear about neutering that's how I lost my last vet". And she didn't hear a word I said, but instead carried on about how it's good for the dog's health, helps with behavior blah blah blah.

I didn't close the door softly behind me.

My regular vets are the only ones that will see Cassie in the practice because they're the only ones that will face a big bad bite trained dog. Ooooooh. LOL
Ya think I could pass off a 12 to 16 week old pup as bite trained? He could get it put in his super secret 'life time folder' we peons never get to see and into the pile of only to see Dr. so and so.
Or is that to close to larceny?

 Quote: randy allen

... Ya think I could pass off a 12 to 16 week old pup as bite trained? He could get it put in his super secret 'life time folder' we peons never get to see and into the pile of only to see Dr. so and so.

OMG! His permanent file?

Randy,

Thanks for this post. I consider you one of the "ones in the know" on this forum, and knowing that you too, can have questions about some of what happens in a vet's office, makes me feel less (a tad) about not having more info before having Falcon neutered.

I learn so much on this site...