Are there any breeders familiar with Strongyloides? I recently acquired a pup who appeared very healthy but I noticed on the drive home he did cough a couple of times. Within the first week I took him to the vet because he was still coughing.

The vet treated him with antibiotics. A stool sample was done at the time but there was no coccidia (sp) Now a few months later I noticed a lot of blood in his stool. I took the pup in and the vet used a q tip and got a fecal sample, and looked under the scope. I was told it was Strongyloides and I needed to be very careful. Wash throughly before I handle any other dogs, quarantine the pup, and treat him with Panacur for five days.

The vet said I should use a salt water solution to clean out the pups pen. I was told it is usually found in large or crowded kennels and that my pup likely brought the infection when I purchased him. I went to the breeders home and saw her kennel. It was immaculate. Her dogs appeared well taken care of, and there were only two dogs in each pen. It was hot and humid however and the vet said that the hot and humid atmosphere could create a breeding ground for the Strongyloides.

Has anyone had experience with Strongyloides? Should I be concerned about my other dogs even though they show no symptoms? What about my mama's to be? I am worried. We only have a few dogs and they live in our home. We are fanatic about keeping our home spotless. The vet said that this was a disease that is contageous and cautioned us to be very careful.

One the common name is pin worms.
This is not a disease it is a parasite.
That's why the vet is treating it with panacur [fenbendazole] which is a wormer that is very good at getting these.
Pin worms and hook worms can 'hide' and not show up on a fecal exam. They are usually picked up through the feet.
I repeat treatment on any dog who tests positive every two weeks to a month for at least 6 months.
These worms can all of a sudden show up in huge numbers and 'eat' all the blood in a dog - called a hemolytic crises. They can kill.
Keep after the infestation in this dog - and if other dogs have been exposed to the manure even remotely [run-off, and area that was cleaned but not sanitized etc], then treat everybody.
It's nothing to be ashamed of, but it is something you have to stay on top of.

Mimi -~-~ http://am-pugs.com -~-~ "When we stop learning we die."