TAPEWORM
Worms are common everywhere in the world. They live in and around the best of families. Worms are
frequent parasites of dogs and cats. Different worms inhabit different organs such as skin, lungs, heart,
liver, and so on. Many species of worms inhabit the digestive tract of pets. IRoundworms and
tapeworms (flatworms) are far-and-away the most common intestinal parasites of our pets. These
worms can cause a variety of problems including diarrhea, coat changes, and failure to thrive. The
tapeworm is more common in adult pets than in puppies and kittens; the most common variety is
transmitted by fleas.
Microscopic examination of the stool rarely uncovers tapeworm eggs. We must depend on the pet owner
for a diagnosis of tapeworms. The tapeworm in the intestine breaks off its rear segments every once in
awhile, and they appear in the feces of an infested pet. The segments are white, flat, and approximately
¼" - ½" long and resemble "moving cucumber seeds"; when they dry up, they look like uncooked, beige
rice grains. If one sees these moving objects in a fresh stool or finds little rice grain-like things stuck to
the hair of a pet's rear end, then the pet probably has a tapeworm. When the moving segments crawl
away, dry up, and crack, they release hundreds of microscopic tapeworms eggs. Neither the segments
nor the eggs are infective to a pet or a person. But if a flea larva happens to be nearby, it will eat one of
these eggs; and when this larva matures into an adult flea (with the tapeworm egg still inside) and is
eaten by a pet, he/she will get the tapeworm. A pet can get the common tapeworm only by swallowing a
particular flea which happens to have a tapeworm egg inside. Therefore, the key to preventing tapeworm
infestation is flea control. But if a pet already has a tapeworm, then something must be done about it.
Unfortunately, none of the store-bought tapeworm medicines are both safe and effective. One must see
a veterinarian for tapeworm treatment. And, then, prevention of reinfestation depends upon strict flea
control.
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