as many of you know from my previous posts i have pot bellied pigs. today when i went to feed them i noticed one of the bowel movements had included a worm i would guess about 12inches long and a diameter of about 1/4 inch and white in color. does anyone know for sure what type of worm this might be. also what kind of wormer would i use for pot bellied pigs. i had never seen anything in any of the other manure before and i have just started using vinegar in the drinking water as they drink it better and with the higher temps we are having now i wanted to encourage them to drink more. could vinegar cause worms to come out? thanks gail

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef123@hotmail.com), August 28, 2000

Answers

Gail, it sounds like you might want to get a sample for your vet. Yeah, I know, YUCK. But someone with training and a microscope can help you target just exactly the kind of parasite you have in your herd, and you can target your medication--no over medicating, or giving your critters meds that won't kill what they have. Worms often have shedding thru the digestive tract as part of their life cycle. Maybe it was the vinegar, and maybe it was the worms looking for a new host. Check with your vet as to HOW to get a sample (it varies). Keep us posted!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), August 29, 2000.

Sounds like a tape worm, but I thought they were only transmisable through rats and mice. If you want to know for sure you would need to take a sample to the vet. If you don't care and just want to be rid of the worms, go to your garden center and pick up some Diatomaceous Earth. Sprinkle this in their food (its rather like baby powder) and this will get rid of your worm problem with no chemicals. Give them about 1T per pig per day, you cant hurt them with too much.I don't know about vinegar as a wormer but it might have made the digestive tract too acidic for the worm, I'd keep doing it, couldn't hurt.

-- Julie (julieamc@excite.com), August 29, 2000.

Make sure you use FOOD/AGRICULTURAL GRADE diatomaceous earth, available in feed stores and nurseries. The FILTER grade for swimming pools will kill your critters. Some folks free feed DE to their pets/livestock. Whether by measure or free fed, it'll do the job.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), August 31, 2000.

Tapeworms are usually shed in segments rather like grains of rice. Roundworms are long and thin, but are more 1/8" in diameter rather than 1/4". This is the reason why you should have a fecal examination done. Know what you are treating before you start.

-- Dianne (yankeeterrier@hotmail.com), September 01, 2000.