“I found this worm, see attached image, when cleaning up a mess my dog made, poop,” writes Brandon in his submission regarding the teeny tiny worm-like critter pictured below. “It was mostly liquid and I’m not sure if it was in my dog’s faeces or if it was just nearby. I do not know what kind of worm or larva this is. Description: translucent, dark spots on both ends. About three sets of legs located near its head.” Based on Brandon’s description of the creature, as well as what we saw when we zoomed in on it, we think he has found himself a beetle larva.

Given how small the larva is, we think it must be newly-hatched, and therefore it will be difficult for us to pinpoint an exact identification. Its pinkish color makes us want to say it is a scarlet malachite beetle larva, but as larvae mature, they can change color so many times that it is impossible to say at this point that this larva will have this same color within two days’ time. In any case, we believe it is a beetle larva; the three sets of prolegs that Brandon mentions, as well as the pincer-like appendages on its rear, point to this conclusion. Most beetle larvae are completely harmless, and they all would be this early on their maturation. We recommend that Brandon just move the larva outside and call it a day.

That said, it might not be this simple given Brandon’s concerns about his dog. He mentions that the creature could have come from his dog. If he has reasonable cause to believe that this is the case–maybe the dog starts developing symptoms–or he wants to find out just in case, he should disregard what we said above and take his dog to the vet instead. Since we are not medical professionals, we are not qualified or legally able to identify organisms that come from animals or negatively affect their health. A vet would be able to do this, so they are Brandon’s best bet for getting the answers he seeks, and the help his dog may need.

In conclusion, we think that the worm-like creature Brandon found in his dog’s poop is a beetle larva, but that is only if the creature did not come from his dog. If it did, or if it is negatively affecting his dog’s health in any way, then we retract that statement and instead urge Brandon to seek the help of a vet. We hope this helps, and we wish Brandon, and his dog, the very best.

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