“What kind of worms/centipede are these?” asks Cyndi in her submission regarding the small, pinkish worm-like creatures pictured below. They seem to possess claw-like appendages jutting out from their rears. “I found them on the bathroom floor under my towel,” she continues. “I had given dogs a bath the previous day with flea and tick medicine in the shampoo. Not sure if they came off the dogs when they were alive. They were very flat, centipede-looking, and very fast. I am staying at a motel currently so I’m not sure if it’s some kind of disease-infested bed bug-type thing or what. Please help me identify these.”

First off, these do not look like centipedes whatsoever, so we can scratch that off the list of potential identifications. Secondly, if Cyndi has reasonable cause to believe these came from her dog, or that they are negatively affecting her dog in any way, she should take her dog to the vet. We are not able to identify such organisms because doing so would be the same as providing a diagnosis, which we are neither qualified nor legally able to do since we are not medical professionals.

What we will also say is that it might be a good idea for Cyndi to report her discovery to the motel staff, just in case it does happen to be a serious infestation of some kind. There could be some holes in the walling or flooring that they are unaware of, or perhaps there is a leak in the pipes underground through which the worms are coming. Or maybe it is as simple as holes in the window screens. There are plenty of ways worms can enter a building, so if the motel staff know to look out for them, they could potentially prevent future invasions.

Additionally, since we do not know what this organism is, we recommend that Cyndi avoid making physical contact with the organism. If possible, she should scoop it up onto something to move it outside. We do not recommend flushing it down the toilet. Often, when people do this, the worm just comes straight back up, especially when it is a worm that can survive in low-oxygen conditions, such as water.

To conclude, we are not quite sure what Cyndi found, and in any case, we would not be able to identify the organism given Cyndi’s concerns for her dog’s health. We hope nonetheless that something in this article helps, and we wish Cyndi the very best!

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