Thank you very much for your advise, I am so disheartened at this point as to almost give up my little pond. But I have to try to keep it going and struggle on to bring it back to the right condition. It was bought for my handicapped son in 1998, who loved it so much, and who passed away some years ago. But I still keep it up, as if he could still see it. I know this sounds silly, but his happiness and joy over this little pond was a great gift to me. It's not as beautiful as some of yours, I looked at some pictures, some of you have some gosh-awesome beautiful ponds w/water falls and little streams. and wonderful plants in it etc. I wouldn't even know the terminology for all those things. -------- Clorax seems a strong chemical, that's why I tried it on the worm, but the WH I dipped in clorax are in a separate container just to see if they grow and stay alive. I have not put clorax in the main pond, except when I cleaned it out, and after that it was really rinsed out good before I put the water back in, and then put the chlor-out in. Dianna, thanks for the idea of the salt. I am actually very stupid and not very knowledgable w/ ponds. It worked so well before for several years, and I had no problems, so there was nothing to worry about. But now I'm at a loss. I will try the salt also. The 'bugs' are very small, but w/good eyesight you can see them. They look like dust clouds falling off the WH when I pick them up out of the water and they stay in the water and multiply like crazy, and finally you can't see the bottom or anything in that water. Also green algae forms on the sides of my preformed pond. These bugs are swimming like mad, dancing like they had Huntington's Chorea, in the water, killing the snails and frogs don't go in anymore. I wonder if the 'bugs' are also in my lotus bucket, which sits in the ground right next to the pond. I see a lot of brown, dying leaves this year and the water surface is not covered w/ leaves as it used to be. A few stalks make it and it produced 2 blooms, but not like before. / --- Glenda, I wouldn't be surprised if some fly laid eggs in there and the worms came from that. Maybe my fish then couldn't see passed the murky water to catch the fly. These bugs were so plentiful that they made the water very murky and dark. Are these worms bad? Or are they just fish food? -------------- Sandy, where can i buy these chemicals Praziquantel, Anchors Away and Dimlin? is that their name and what company makes them? I will try everything. I'm watching the WH I dipped the roots in clorax to kill any of these bugs to see how they grow. they are, of course, in a separate small bucket, and they are still alive, and looking as if they are getting new growth on top. Because if there are still eggs alive after this radical treatment, and if 'bugs' can hatch , then I am in real trouble. Also my water lily, which did not get a clorax cleaning, is doing better in a separate bucket. but I think if I cleaned the pond, and put fresh water in it, I would be afraid to use the old plants. Maybe there are some eggs somewhere. I am so paranoid about this at this point, one thing I have learned these last 2 1/2 years while I was battling this problem, I have to use all new stuff and also new equipment, like my new bio filter, it took me 4 hours to clean it, and I am not convinced it is 'bug' free. that thing cost me $100 alone. I thought if I used this, the 'bugs' would be caught in the filter an die. that was not the case. they infiltrated and contaminated everything. --- Scott, that Thuricide HPC, does that work when put in the water? Where can I buy it and is it in a spray container or is it liquid to pour out? Do I spray the plants, like w/the organic aquatic aphid killer spray? which by the way did nothing to stop the 'bugs'. The large Merrifield Garden Center, who has a program on local TV how to do everything in the Garden, had advised me last year it might be aquatic aphids. They were also stumped by what I explained to them. Well, I have called several Water Garden places and all of them had no idea what i was talking about. After I bought all this aphid spray, they told me that the aphids would not be able to live in water without the plants. my 'bugs' do. -- If i get this pond back up, this time i will make sure my water is clean and there are no bugs and my plants do not die before I put fish in. I wonder if there are eggs that stay in the stones around my pond, i have these flat slate stones on top all around the pond. As far as I know they cannot live in the surrounding plants, they cant survive on land. But I will try to bring a sample to the Merrifield Garden Center plant clinik. Thank you so much for your answers. You have given me new hope, maybe this time I'll be lucky w/ some of the items you all mentioned to treat the water. Ursula

I really appriciate this thread. I have a Maltese and a Newfoundland, and I also care for a welsh corgy and two cocker spaniels from time to time. I also have two cats. When my newfie was diagnosed with mange, my vet prescribed Ivermectin and recommended it for all animals as earmite and worm prevention. Being ridiculously busy, I am shameful to report that I have lapsed on this responsibility and now have found worms in two of the dogs stool, and around the tail fur of my Maltese. I suspect it could be more than one type of worm. After my research I am believing it is tapeworm and roundworm. I gave her a dose of the Ivermectin last night. My questions are: Is ivermectin a cure as well as a preventative? IF so, how much and how often? Will giving her a dose of OTC de wormer after the Ivermectin be harmful? And finally, does anyone have any recommendations for a good OTC De wormer? I have contacted my vet and am waiting on a return call but I am frantic to get this handled A.S.A.P because I have a child. I realize that this thread has been about fish, but many thanks to everybody who has any suggestions.

Hi Karen, this is going to be a bit long but please bear with me 'cause early Sjogren's is sneaky & I'd like to give you a reasonably comprehensive overlook. I'll start with Dry Eyes & Dry Mouth 'cause they are hallmarks of Sjogren's. Dry Mouth - Even as a teenager, I remember always having a drink with me although I don't exactly remember why. Never went to the store, never went on a date, etc. without that drink. It was a part of me. It wasn't as if I felt urgent need to hydrate myself. Just always this desire for frequent small sips. That continued for the next 30 years but didn't get any worse. About 6 years ago, it became uncomfortable enough I started mentioning it first to DH. "Gosh, my mouth feels like cotton balls!" Soon, it was bothering me enough I mentioned it to my primary care doctor. I was taking Flexeril at the time for a spinal injury & my PC doctor just shrugged the dry mouth off as a side affect. Now, it's so dry it bleeds. Mouth sores - yes. Dry lips - yes. Blisters - yes. The dry mouth has progressed to now being nearly impossible to deal with but that has taken decades to reach this point. Dry Eyes - My eyes have sorta "itched" for several decades. I never thought much about it. I've had eye infections over the years also but they were far enough apart I didn't think to mention it to a doctor when a new one turned up. Dry eyes have not been my primary focus with Sjogren's but they are now dry enough my opthomologist pretty much insisted I have the Eye Plugs inserted. They've helped, a lot. I still need drops. Eye lid infections - yes. Sores in the corners of my eyes - yes. Swallowing, Talking, Choking - My Sjogren's has progressed to where I can hardly talk anymore. I also have trouble chewing & swallowing. Many foods are impossible for me to eat. My diet has changed dramatically in the past 3 years. I also choke - especially on pills but also just trying to eat a meal. At night, my throat swells & sticks together blocking off my air. I wake up in a panic reaching for water. Dry Skin - Again, for as long as I can remember I've had dry skin. I'd go through gallons of lotion. Now, I use prescription stuff that really helps. Fatigue - Gosh, just thought I was "weird" & a bit unlike my friends. I never had a curfew as a kid. Mom knew I couldn't stay up late enough to need a curfew. She was right. Sometimes, I would fall asleep practicing with my chin on my accordion. Again though - nothing that seemed like a trip to the doctor was necessary. I will say though that the fatigue was complete. Sometimes, it felt like lifting my arms to brush my hair was impossible. Muscle/Joint Pain - Today "this" hurts, yesterday "that" hurt. Everyday, somewhere else hurt. The pain would last for a day or weeks & then disappear just as mysteriously as it had arrived. I thought it must be "normal" & I was just a wimp. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at some point & from then forward whenever something hurt doctors would just shake their head & use that diagnosis as explanation for my pain. Many times the pain was unbearable. I once overdosed on aspirin trying to get relief. That episode resulted in more blood work. Negative for everything. The pain though continued. In my mid-40s, I had an extensive & unusual spinal surgery to correct a rare injury. The surgery almost did me in. After that surgery, doctors blamed the surgery every time I burped. I should note that I've had 13 major surgeries for "unusual" stuff. Fevers - I have a history of spontaneously running a fever. Fine one minute. Poof, next minute...I've got a fever of 101+ degrees. An hour later, I'm fine. Nightsweats - I've had then for decades. Always associated them with some cancers (I'm also a multiple cancer survivor) so I was afraid to mention them to my doctors. But, my fear didn't make them go away. Still have them. Still haven't told my doctors. Heart Palpitations - Ended up in ER. Diagnosed with "Anxiety Attacks". Nope. Sjogren's. Sensitive to Temperature Changes - I'm either cold or hot. There's only about a 5-8 degree range I'm really comfortable. It's not just chilly or a bit warm either. I'm either shaking from cold or in ER from heat stroke. So, we keep our house even temperature year around. Sometimes, cost isn't everything. Dental - Gosh, where to begin? Let's just say I fought a good fight but just a couple years ago I said, "ENOUGH! I can't tolerate this anymore. Pull them out, every single one - NOW! I'm not leaving this office until they are gone." Even implants would not stay in my jaws. I've pulled two that were erupting from my jaw by hand in the middle of the night to stop the pain. Now, I've got dentures (should have done that years ago!) but my mouth is so dry my tongue sticks like glue to the dentures & bleeds when I try to move it. Ugh. Neuro Pain - This is now a serious problem. I have no feeling at all in my legs/feet. Seriously, I can't feel the floor or anything else. Sharp pins/needles type pain virtually constantly. Stress - I had a garden accident July '09 & re-injured my spine around the surgical area (right between the shoulder blades). My back surgery had been so "unusual" a hotdog surgeon was brought in from Arizona. He published a "White Paper" on me that lives for eternity in medical journals along with the video they took of the the entire surgery. Anyway, the re-injury hurt so bad I had a stroke. Yep, I met the definition of "stressed" there for awhile. As I started to settle down from this little incident I noticed that my mouth was drier, my eyes were drier, my muscles/joint pain was worse, the fevers were more frequent, etc., etc., etc. I could go on with other symptoms but I think that's enough for you to get an idea of Sjogren's. Eventually, I found a doctor that treated me as a whole patient & didn't just look at the reason I'd written down for that particular appointment. It led to my diagnosis for both Lupus & Sjogren's. A word about the bloodwork is in order here, I think. I'd had these tests multiple times before - always negative. Many doctors said, "Tricia, I "think" you've got Lupus but your tests don't bear confirmation of that diagnosis." One even prescribed Placquenil & my fevers virtually disappeared. Unfortunately, that doctor left the practice & his replacement didn't believe my tests justified the risks of Placquenil. The fevers returned within a few short months. Anyway, my current primary care doctor redid the bloodwork yet again. This time, I was positive for both Lupus & Sjogren's. It tooks decades for those tests to turn positive. My last SS-A test results were 2.78. Positive. My SS-B test results were 3.25. Positive. Also, Sjogren's patients often show Vitamin D deficiency. I'm almost always testing deficient & take 50,000 mgs once/week for 4-8 weeks then off for a bit until we test again then back on for another 4-8 weeks. You will also, most likely, have an abnormally high SED rate. It will vary if you're having a Sjogren's "flare". BTW, that's the best time to make the doctor's appointment - when you feel awful, like you can't drag yourself anywhere. I'd recommend finding a doctor that will treat ALL of your symptoms. Treat you as a whole person with this variety of things happening that may seem unrelated, to you. Tell your doctor every little thing. Sjogren's is SYSTEMIC. It affects your whole body. Yes, there are specific markers like the dry eyes/mouth thing but many Sjogren's symptoms mimic other diseases. Diagnosis is often overlooked both due to doctor indifference & lack of persistence in patients. There is no defined Sjogren's protocol for treatment. It's a "treat it as it appears" approach for most doctors. (bummer) But, a protocol is being developed now & the goal is that it will be available to doctors in 5 years (I know, sounds like an eternity but, like breast cancer, you have to start somewhere). I've recently been excepted at John Hopkins. They have a specific Sjogren's department & a doctor heading that clinic who has chosen Sjogren's as his life work. My first appointment is October 18. I've received volumes of "stuff" from John Hopkins regarding my appointment that will be two full days. I'm got appointments for about a dozen specialized tests. I've got advanced Sjogren's & frankly feel just about defeated. After 50+ years, it's taken a toll. But, I accomplished a lot with my life - Sjogren's be damned. I don't know if my disease process will help you identify what you're experiencing, or not. But, don't ignore your symptoms. If they sound like they could be Sjogren's - be persistent. Just know that it will be a journey to diagnosis. Not a short sprint. Since getting me as a patient my PC doctor has been able to make a diagnosis on another women for Sjogren's. She's thanked me saying she would have overlooked the clues had it not been for having me as a patient. We're learned together about Sjogren's. So, doctors are becoming more aware & Venus Williams' diagnosis, hopefully, will also draw more attention to this autoimmune disease. mboston, don't give up. If your gut feeling is correct (and, IMO, our bodies usually tell us the truth) then you'll need to stay in your doctor's face until you get a blood test that pops positive. That can be illusive. If you're having a flare...make an appointment. Tell the receptionist that next week is not OK...you need an appointment tomorrow! /tricia

Hi. I'm new to this forum, and thought I might contribute something on this subject. I am a practicing veterinarian and a dog and cat owner. The issue of feeding a raw vs. commercial pet diet is like any other issue -- you will find people who are for it and people who are against it. Personally, I do not feed my dogs and cats raw meat, nor will I ever do so. I feed them a high-quality commercial diet -- and one of my dogs is a 14-year-old, 80-pound Golden Retriever mix. The last time I did bloodwork on him (about three months ago) the results were absolutely normal. My other (younger) dogs are also completely healthy. However, if DONE CORRECTLY, I do not see a problem in feeding a raw diet to pets. Having said that, I'd like to address the question that was actually asked by the original poster: Do parasites increase when dogs/cats are fed raw diets? And the answer is: There is a greater RISK of parasites when feeding raw diets. No, not all dogs and cats are going to contract parasites when fed a raw diet. But there is certainly the possibility. Someone said that tapeworms are spread by fleas, and that person is correct. SOME tapeworms are spread by fleas. But there are many species of tapeworms, including beef and pork tapeworms. Some species of tapeworms are spread when a predator (such as a dog or cat) ingests the tapeworm cysts that are imbedded in the raw meat. These cysts (called hydatid cysts) are absolutely disgusting, and you can see them by simply Googling "Beef tapeworm hydatid cysts". One of the jobs of meat inspectors in processing plants is to inspect the meat for tapeworm cysts. If any cysts are found in the meat, the entire carcass is condemned. Most of the beef and pork produced in the United States now is tapeworm-free. I heard the radio interview with the raw-meat proponent who said that feeding dogs commercial kibble is the same as a human eating nothing but Cheerios. And I have to say that this is complete crap. It made a good sound bite, but the analogy is nonsense. There are a number of commercial pet foods available that provide pets with a balanced diet, including digestible proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc. They may cost more, but they are available. Feeding a raw meat diet is very complicated because simply feeding raw steak or raw chicken to your pet is not enough. Pets have specific needs, and some of these can only be fulfilled with special types of foods. For example, cats have a requirement for a substance called "taurine" in their diets. Cats with taurine deficiencies develop retinal degeneration, heart problems, problems with their white blood cell function, and abnormal growth and development. High-quality commercial cat foods contain taurine that cats are able to absorb and use. Cats in the wild obtain their taurine from ingesting the abdominal organs of their prey. This means that if you are feeding a raw meat diet, in order to provide your cat with taurine, you would need to feed all of the abdominal organs as well. Pieces of raw chicken, steak, fish etc are going to cut it, so to speak. All I'm saying is that the diets should be well-researched. I would also highly recommend, when feeding raw meat diets, removing the bones. Large "soup" bones from beef are the only bones I would ever give my dogs (I actually don't give them any bones at all). I have seen too many dogs die of peritonitis from punctured intestines, obstructions from swallowing bones, and impactions from pieces of bones that become cemented together in the colon, causing severe consitpation. Someone said "Vets benefit by animals eating food not designed for them, increased sickness in the way of urinary tract problems, obesity, colitis, diabetes, skin disorders, allergies, etc, etc." I find this offensive and mystifying at the same time. If this is how you feel about veterinarians, how do you trust any of them to care for your pets? Surely you have found SOME good, responsible, ethical vets out there. Personally, I do everything I can to ensure that my patients grow up healthy, and stay healthy. I would MUCH rather do preventative medicine, such as vaccinations, dewormings, prescribe heartworm preventative, etc, than to try to save one of my patients who is extremely ill. When a client brings in a seriously sick animal, I agonize over it, just as I would agonize over one of my own dogs or cats being ill. I beg my clients to keep their pets in good body condition, to keep them on heartworm preventative, to vaccinate for parvovirus. I tell them not to feed poor-quality foods. They don't always listen, but when they do, their pets are generally much healthier than those pets of the people who do not listen to me. So, as far as veterinarians go, my suggestion to you is this ... if you do not trust your veterinarian to give you the best advice, to take the best possible care of your animal, to do what is best for both you and your animal, then you need to find another veterinarian. There are good ones out there.