LOL yeah, back to the thread. I dropped her poo off - price is up to $14!! $4 increase - wow - almost half again in cost. Oh well - still cheaper than worming meds (provided she doesn't have worms!) Will find out on Wednesday how she made out. Could call today and get the results but I gotta go back on Wednesday morning to have the vet check her bump spot one more time to make sure it's good to go. It's all gone from what I can see. Makes me happy!!

I'm 100% sure you'd come into contact with human faeces far more often than your dog would come into contact with dog faeces. Scary but true!

Why are they irresponsible? There are a lot of nasty bugs around, but I don't believe treating just for treatings sake is the best thing for the dog. Like I said humans are more likely to pick nasty things up from faecally contaminated surfaces than dogs are yet we don't worm ourselves every quarter! I've only ever wormed any of my dogs past and present once a year (and not even that often in the past) and haven't had any problems without "outbreaks" in 20+ years. But I suppose if worming every 3 months works for you then you'll continue.

I totally agree with you Rips. I don't worm unless there is a reason for it, I'm fed up of pumping my dogs full of toxins and chemicals unnecessarily, so I'd rather take a sample into the vet, have it analysed for worms and if there aren't any then why worm?

I did this a month ago, the vet rang me back to say she was all clear, including the giardia which she picked up last summer, so she said I don't need to worm, so I haven't, and it cost £30 for the priveledge.

When we take samples in over here though, they give us a nice little plastic bottle with a small spoon inside (about 2 cms in size), rather than take a poo bag full of it in, they only need to smear a dab onto a microscope slide lol at you Dojers with your whole bagful there, but glad it all worked out fine!

We do not have heartworm infestation in England which is a real concern in USA and Canada and it maybe that this is what vets in over there are particularly screening for when they ask owners to have annual checks. (perhaps this is done with a blood test though - I'm not sure).
I have always regularly wormed my dogs for roundworm, tapeworm etc. (2 or 3 times a year). I use the broad spectrum wormer (not just the one for roundworms). I also Frontline my dogs for fleas as necessary. I do this because I have three young grandchildren around and I would not like to take any risk with them (however small). I have seen puppies heavily infested with roundworm - so heavily infested that they were vomiting worms up as well as passing them with their faeces and it is not pleasant. Worms do pull a dog or puppy down and if it is not overdone I am happy to be advised by my vet and worm regularly.