Tapeworms in Cats and Dogs
Another reason to keep your pets and
environment flea free
MetPet.com Staff Writer
Tapeworms, also known as Cestodes, are worm-like parasites that
live inside the small intestine. They absorb nutrients,
grow, exit through the digestive system and go on to infect other animals.
In large quantities, they can undermine the health of the host.
The dog tapeworm, Dipylidium canium, infects
dogs and cats through the ingestion of fleas which serve as the
parasite's intermediate host. The species, Taenia
taeniaeformis, infects cats and dogs through the ingestion of
infected rodents. Other species are passed on through hosts
such as sheep and the eating of carrion but are less often seen in
domestic cats and dogs. Although tapeworms can be passed
onto humans, it is uncommon and, while uncomfortable to consider,
is generally not a serious medical condition.
Once ingested, tapeworms "heads" attach
themselves to the internal wall of the small intestine.
There they grow by developing dozens of attached segments filled
with eggs. When a segment matures, it drops off to be passed
through with the stool. The segments are approximately 1/4"
long are whitish in color and look like grains of rice. They
can sometimes be seen moving around the anus or in the stool which
is often the first visible sign of infection.
In healthy adults, there may be no other outward signs of
infection. In more serious cases, poor coat, diarrhea, poor
appetite, irritable mood, colic, emaciation and seizures (rare)
may occur.
Diagnosis is made through inspection of the stool. Treatment
consists of drugs that can paralyze the head so that the entire
tapeworm passes out with the stool. Cleaning up passed
tapeworm is a particularly unpleasant task so it's best to keep
your pets tapeworm free.
The best way to prevent tapeworm is to keep your pets free of
fleas, away from carrion (for example roadkill) and rodents.
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