My sheep has worm-like things on its back. What should I do now?

Oh great question! I bet that worm was surprising. Likely this was a bot fly larvae called a cuterebra. Part of their life cycle is completed in the skin of a mammal, just as you found with Diego. Usually once it has fallen out (or removed), the body heals the wound and no other treatment is needed. Occasionally I find 2 or 3 lesions on an animal, but typically it is just 1. Watch the area for swelling, redness, or discharge. I hope this helps- and thanks for using Pet Coach!

They may look alive because it will take a little time for the dewormer to work and kill the worms. When there is a very high worm burden, you will see live and dead worms coming out for many days, or even weeks. I would recommend that Cotton see a vet for evaluation and fecal parasite testing and count. She may need a different dewormer. Occasionally, when there are a lot of worms that die all at once, the body can have an allergic reaction or the worms can even create an intestinal blockage which would cause your lamb to not want to eat, she may need veterinary treatment.

With all the information you have provided, this situation sounds very suspicious of a Barber Pole Worm infection, also known as haemonchus contortus. It is a parasite that infects the digestive tract and feeds off the the sheep's blood. Sheep can become anemic and die very quickly. My recommendation is to have your veterinarian perform fecal sampling on your herd. If eggs are present in the feces for this parasite your veterinarian will need to reassess your parasite control program.

If they are small like a rice grain then they are likely tapeworm segments, however without a fecal examination or seeing the worms it is just a educated guess. I would still recommend saving some worms in a jar or isopropyl alcohol for your veterinarian to see next week. If you use heartworm prevention monthly that deworms for Many parasites, but you can request a prescription for heartworm prevents that includes tapeworm medication as well. That way monthly he gets dewormed. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

A wolf worm is the larva from a fly. The fly will lay an egg in a wound on another animal (like a rabbit or cat) and once the egg hatches you have the wolf worm. It is very important to make sure the environment your bunny is in is clean, free from excess feces and urine and leftover food and anything else that may attract flies. It is also important to check your rabbit daily for any wounds and have them treated right away if you notice them to prevent any further infestation.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be happening secondary to a severe infection. This requires therapy as soon as possible for the maggots and the likely underlying infection. This is not something you can get over the counter and this requires a visit to a veterinarian for further assessment and local and systemic therapy. Have a great day!

I am sorry to hear about Teddy. We do not commonly see intestinal worms in guinea pigs. We do, however, sometimes see maggots, or fly larvae if a guinea pig's bottom/rectal area is soiled, so if the worms you are seeing seem to be stuck to the skin around the anal area I would be concerned about this possibility. I would recommend an examination by a veterinarian to determine what parasite you are seeing. A photo of the area may help us determine what you may be seeing in your guinea pig.