WORMS!!!!

Ok, after some thought, and some research (minimal), we've figure out that its Roundworm. I'm starting to really worry about the fact that he's doing "business" outside with all these other dogs. He just finished his puppy shots, but I've never seen such a sick puppy-- and I'm not finding fault with the breeder AT ALL, because all of this is happening post him getting here. But, we weren't overly careless with him. We only let him outside to "do business." We visited the campus a few times, but kept to places where dogs don't normally go. We just started to let him play and run outside today at our apartment complex, but he finished his puppy shots on Weds, and we let him have a little run at campus on Thursday. We wouldn't let him walk around Petsmart, we either held him, or kept him in the carriage.

So, I'm wondering if I should change where he's going. It seems to be the only connection.

I am, of course, going to ask the Vet this very question.... but I wanted to ask all of you, as well. There's a dog that keeps going in the same place as Napa, but its owner isn't picking up its business. So I think I'm going to write a letter to our Property Manager about it. Because it really isn't fair to us, who pick up every pile.

So, should I try to find a way to get Napa to "do business" on the porch with puppy pads, or is going outside really not related.

We can't tell if this is why he was sick when he went to the Vets, or if its something he picked up at the Vets. He joined the "empty bowl" club after he came home from the Vets, which we just thought was because of his lack of food for the days prior.

I'm the type of person who hates having things wrong and being told to wait, so please don't mind me.

Kristen, don't be overly concerned. I know it is very gross and it is troublesome....and many vet offices are open for you to take a fecal sample in during weekends.
I agree that you want to address it, but I understand why they said it wasn't an emergency too.
1) all dogs have worms. period. They are born with them.
The mother dog has worm eggs (always) and the stress of whelping pups usually causes them to become active. Breeders routinely de-worm puppies at 3 weeks of age and often will deworm them just prior to their going to their new home.
2) If your breeder is nearby perhaps they have some dewormer you can use.
3) You always have the option of taking her into the emergency care facility. They will charge you more, of course, but you will get the meds you need to get her started.
4) Even after deworming, sometimes (later on) your pup will get worms...especially when under stress. That's one reason we are always talking about poop! LOL
You can get over the counter dewormer, but it isn't as good, so I would wait until you get RX type.
When you give her dewormer, it will kill the worms and she will expel more of them and she will get runny poopies...but keep the deworming up until the vet says to stop...usually it is one dose a day, for 3 to 7 days, depending on what they are finding in the sample.
So, my advice to you would be to wait until you can collect a fresh sample, one that has not been on the ground long. Then put it in a baggie (I put them in triple bags, just for cleanliness...and I usualy wrap one of them with a paper towell so you don't see the poop!) and keep it...yes, in the fridge...until you can take it in. The fresher, the better for the exam.
Still, not every sample will show signs of worms or eggs and they may say it is negative...so tell them what you saw, and tell them you want deworming. They should have no problem with that.
They ARE easy to pass from dog to dog and people to people...children playing in the area are usually infected too. It is a very gross, but very natural part of the dog world.

It was a long white thing that looked like spagetti. And I'm not concerned that its an emergency. I

'm just finding it hard to believe that after spending a day at the Vets, when they were searching for a reason why he was vomiting, they didn't notice the roundworms, or at the very least do a fecal test, since they did every other test. I would just like Napa to be healthy for a few weeks.

He's been nothing but sick since a few weeks after we got him. But we also want to make sure that he doesn't get it again. So if its in our grass, we need to tell the apartment complex so that they can try to take care of it. It's not fair to those of us who care about our pets enough to treat them to have to deal with the illnesses of other pets because their owners don't. Also, there are children in the apartment complex. One is upstairs from us.... They should know, as well. It is a health problem, and given this is a fairly large apartment complex, it should be taken care of. That's all that's concerning me now- well now that my other fears have been put to rest.

Oh, and Napa had 3 series of deworming before he came to me. And he had a fecal test the day I took him for his "inspection" upon arrival. So it has to be something he picked up here. Napa is also 21 lbs at 4 months. But each time he's been to the Vet, he's gained weight. He gained 5 lbs the first month he was here, and he's gained 3 since he turned 4 months. He's only supposed to get to be about 40 lbs. His dad was 38 lbs- an approximate (from my calculations) ALF3.

But thanks for the advice! I'm not concerned about his current condition, just about making sure he doesn't get it again!