What is Worm Found in Puppy’s Poop?

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A reader recently reached out to us from Ireland. She was concerned about something she found in her puppy’s feces. She sent us a photo and asked if we have any idea what the creature might be. The photograph shows a brown organism sticking out of a pile of excrement:

She explained that she cleaned out her puppy’s crate thoroughly in the morning and about an hour later discovered this. The creature was about an inch long and wiggling around, so it was still alive! She was quite worried so she brought the worm to the vet to be examined. However the vet said that he had never seen anything like it before. Our reader also mentioned that the area around the crate is spotless, which makes her think the worm must have come from inside her puppy. Here is another look at the creature:

This worm doesn’t resemble a tapeworm, which is a common parasite found in dogs. Tapeworms are tiny and white, so clearly not a match to this specimen. This also doesn’t look like a whipworm or a hookworm, which are also common intestinal dog parasites. Since the vet didn’t recognize this creature, we think it probably is not an intestinal parasite. However, we also know that our reader keeps the crate and the area surrounding it very clean, and believes the worm must have come from the puppy. Perhaps her dog accidentally ate a worm-like organism.

After examining the photo more closely, we think this might be some type of caterpillar based on its size and shape. We aren’t sure if it is actually brown colored, or if that coloring is just the result of going through the dog’s intestinal system. However, we think the small features on its anterior and posterior ends might be hooks, horns, or a tail. We aren’t able to determine what kind of caterpillar this is, or if it is even a caterpillar. If the vet wasn’t worried about the discovery of this specimen, then we think our reader should dispose of it and move on. If she continues to find creatures in her puppy’s feces, or is still worried about the health of her puppy, we encourage her to bring her back to the vet.

To wrap up, one of our readers discovered a worm-like organism in her dog’s feces. We think it might be a caterpillar. We don’t believe it is anything parasitic, but if she finds more, or has any concern’s about her puppy’s health, we advise her to take her puppy back to the vet.

 

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Summary
What is Worm Found in Puppy's Poop?
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What is Worm Found in Puppy's Poop?
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One of our readers discovered a worm-like organism in her dog's feces. We think it might be a caterpillar. We don't believe it is anything parasitic, but if she finds more, or has any concern's about her puppy's health, we advise her to take her puppy back to the vet.
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Author: Worm Researcher Dori

8 thoughts on “What is Worm Found in Puppy’s Poop?

  1. I just found the same type of worm in my dog yard gravel while cleaning the kennel this morning. It snowed overnight and the temperatures were freezing. The worm was alive and is still alive crawling around in a baggie. There is no way this worm hatched or dropped from a bird, etc. It’s the wrong season. It’s January here in Pennsylvania. Did my dog pass this worm?

  2. Same thing found in my dogs diarrhoea today which he did all through last night. I wondered if he ate this grub while and it caused the diarrhoea? Or is it an infestation in his body?
    I think the grub could not have hatched so quickly (through the night) . My other theory is the grub was already living in the gravel where he pooped. Ahh I wish I knew the answer !

  3. Same thing with my dog. Sister said it’s a grub. How did my little10 lbs. Dog eat it whole. It was still alive when it came out. My dog had diarrhea and wouldn’t eat until it came out.

  4. Hello my name is Alix. I come from a little town called Espanola from New Mexico. I have a Chihuahua mix puppy and something like this came out of our pup too. It scared me to see it and just reaching out to see if you found out more on this.

  5. That looks like crane fly larvae to me. It could have somehow gotten on the poop as it was sitting around. They feed on decaying vegetation, which, when composted enough, could resemble poop enough for the mix up. Don’t eat it.

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