A hound dog named Twiggy who was found running loose on Johns Island is recovering at Charleston Animal Society after rare, three-foot kidney worms (Dioctophyme renale) were found during a spay-neuter surgery.
"I was performing a routine spay when we saw a red tube-like object through the incision and were shocked when it turned out to be a worm that seemed to go on forever," said Charleston Animal Society Senior Veterinarian Dr. Margie Morris. "This was just one of six giant kidney worms that we pulled out of Twiggy."
The hound is recovering in an indoor-outdoor pen at the shelter.
"The treatment for kidney worms is to remove them and treat any damage they may have caused while in the abdomen or kidneys," said Morris.
Kidney worms most commonly enter a dog (or human's) body through raw fish or frogs. Finding them is extremely rare. Once inside a body, they migrate to the kidneys and can eventually cause kidney failure.
Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Lucy Fuller plans to write a case study about Twiggy that may appear in a future scientific journal.
"This is something that doesn't happen every day," Fuller said.
A veterinarian who specializes in parasites assisted with the case and has asked to study samples of the kidney worms found in Twiggy.
Unrelated to this story, the Charleston Animal Society is currently overcrowded and is offering free adoptions on all adult dogs.
