Worms seen - need advice

[MamaMeChicken]

I was just reading about worming the other day and decided that since we had never wormed our chickens (we got them last April as newly hatched chicks), I should probably do it. They are free range chickens and look very healthy, but I figured we probably have worms.

I have some Wazine coming in today ... I've been reading threads on here about how it's wise to treat with that first and then treat with something stronger after a couple of weeks.

I saw, for the first time today, evidence of worms in some of the droppings. My guess is tapeworms - looked like thin rice speckled through the droppings.

I live in a fairly remote area and there are no exotic vets around for me to bring chicken issues to. I guess our dogs' vet could probably test the stool, but I'm pretty sure its tapeworms as one of our dogs had them when we got her as a puppy years ago - it looks similar.

Our feed store carries a few supplies I have needed, but I've had to order some online, so I'll probably have to do the same with additional medication. I know they carry Ivermectin but that's not what I need for tapeworms.

I was going to start the Wazine and then treat with something stronger in a couple of weeks. Does Wazine paralyze tapeworms at all? And I've read Safeguard only treats one tapeworm and Ivermectin doesn't treat them at all - is there something else I should use?

We have a very small flock - only four hens - so I'm concerned about dosage as well. Some of the dosing I've read for putting medication with feed and water is for amounts much larger than what our hens consume over the course of a day.

Our dogs and hens are pals and live in the same yard. I'm guessing I need to discuss treating the dogs for tapeworm now, as their heartworm meds cover several worms but not tapeworms.

Thank you for any help you can give me!

 

[Michael Apple]

Wazine won't do anything for tapes, plus it's very hard on the digestive system. Order some Wormazole or Breco Enzum Wormer. It kills all worms and isn't hard on the birds system. I suggest the liquid. It's easy to administer at one drop per pound and if they get too much it won't harm them. Worm once and do it again ten days later. Wood Enterprises will have it. They ship fast and a 1oz bottle will be plenty for you at only $17.

 

[MamaMeChicken]

Thank you! Isn't that the same ingredient as Safeguard (fenbendazole)? If so, I was under the impression that it won't kill all types of tapeworm, but maybe that doesn't apply to the tapeworms chickens can get.

The vet in the next town will do a chicken fecal test but no vet around here works on chickens so accuracy on things seen only in chickens is no guarantee, but I'm driving over there in the morning to see what we can find out. The nearest vet that will deal with chickens is three hours away, so I can't do that.

 

[Michael Apple]

Thank you! Isn't that the same ingredient as Safeguard (fenbendazole)? If so, I was under the impression that it won't kill all types of tapeworm, but maybe that doesn't apply to the tapeworms chickens can get.

The vet in the next town will do a chicken fecal test but no vet around here works on chickens so accuracy on things seen only in chickens is no guarantee, but I'm driving over there in the morning to see what we can find out. The nearest vet that will deal with chickens is three hours away, so I can't do that.

Wormazole is different than Safeguard. It kills all the worms including gapeworms and tapeworms. I had a vet tell me he charges $150 for a bird's fecal exam. No way would I pay that. My birds are out ranging much of the time so I worm 3 times a year and never have any problems.

 

[MamaMeChicken]

This will cost $23. I mostly want to rule out whether this is a worm that I may need to treat my dogs for, since their monthly medication only covers heartworm, roundworm and hookworms. I'll have more peace of mind if I know the chicken worms aren't affecting the dogs

 

[MamaMeChicken]

Okay, so the vet said he looked through the droppings for 20 minutes, put samples on slides for the microscope, etc. and could not find a single parasite. This is really strange to me because I have seen more droppings since yesterday with these little things that look like tapeworm segments interspersed all over the droppings. I included one that had a few of these in the samples I gave the vet. I didn't think to ask the vet until now if this might be fresh fly eggs or something like that, if no parasites are evident. He said if I saw more then I was welcome to bring them back and he would look at it and try to figure out what it is. I'll do so if I need to, but since it's a bit of a drive I'm not sure I'll be able to again soon.

Have any of you experienced fresh fly eggs that looked similar to tape worm segments?

Thanks!

 

[MamaMeChicken]

By the way, the photo on this copied/pasted thread looks very similar to what I am seeing: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/421028/worms-in-feces-graphic-and-horrible-picture

Is it possible they could be eggs since the vet found no parasites?

 

[dawg53]

By the way, the photo on this copied/pasted thread looks very similar to what I am seeing: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/421028/worms-in-feces-graphic-and-horrible-picture

Is it possible they could be eggs since the vet found no parasites?

Yep, those are tapeworm segments. You dont need a vet to tell you those are tapeworm segments. Either get what Michael Apple suggested or get Valbazen or Zimectrin Gold and dose your birds.

 

[MamaMeChicken]

Thank you. I'm just really puzzled as to why the vet found no trace of any parasites when I gave him several samples. I'm going to get something to treat them, but I sure wish there had been some answers, mostly for my dogs' sake. I'd like to know if this type can be passed on to them.

 

[Eggcessive]

Dogs don't get tapeworms from your chicken droppings by the way-- they get them from eating mice, moles, and fleas, so you don't have to treat the dogs too.