If you’ve been searching for ways to keep your dog’s intestinal tract healthy, you’ve probably heard about tapeworms. These parasitic creatures live inside the intestines of dogs and shed small segments containing tapeworm egg capsules. When your dog chews on these, an immature flea ingests the capsule, and the tapeworm develops into an adult flea. During this period, the flea feeds on the dog’s partially digested food, sucking the nutrients out of your pet.
Symptoms
If your dog is experiencing diarrhea, abdominal pain, or weight loss, it may be suffering from a tapeworm infection. The adult tapeworms will break off and migrate through the anal opening, where they will irritate your dog’s bottom. Your pet may also vomit the tapeworms in pieces. Luckily, there are several treatments available for tapeworm infestation. Your vet can also recommend one if you’re unsure.
You can check your dog’s feces for signs of tapeworms. If you notice a white rice-like mass near the anal opening, you’re likely looking at a tapeworm. A closely examined sample of feces will reveal the presence of the segments. These proglottids contain tapeworm eggs. If you don’t see these packets, your dog may not have a tapeworm infection. Symptoms of tapeworm in dogs include soft, stringy poop, diarrhea, and constipation.
Treatment
There are various types of tapeworms in dogs, including adult cyclophyllidean cestodes, which commonly cause no significant disease in the dog. Intermediate hosts, however, can develop a life-threatening disease. Other types of tapeworms, such as diphyllobothriidean cestodes, cause severe illness, weight loss, and diarrhea in the dog. Treatment of tapeworms in dogs is relatively easy and can be achieved with a single medication or a combination of drugs.
The symptoms of dog tapeworm infection may not be immediately apparent. However, you can identify an infestation if your dog begins scooting its anus across rough surfaces. Your dog may also lick or bite the affected area. Sometimes, tapeworm segments will be released in the dog’s vomit. Luckily, tapeworms are harmless. A veterinarian should prescribe tapeworm medication to your dog to ensure that your dog is safe from them.
Transmission
The main means of transmission of tapeworms between dogs and humans is through the ingestion of raw meat, offal, and fleas. Fleas may be ingested by dogs, especially if they spend a lot of time with cats. Fleas can cause excessive itching, redness, wounds, blood, and other symptoms. When a dog bites a flea, the tapeworm can be found in the dog’s intestines.
To treat a dog with tapeworms, a veterinarian can administer a deworming medication. These drugs are either given in the form of granules on the food or injected. When administered properly, these medications will eliminate the cestode from the dog’s intestines, and they should not cause any side effects. To prevent the transmission of tapeworms to humans, owners must be vigilant about flea control. While deworming preparations are effective in removing cestode from dogs, it is important to prevent their reoccurrence.
Praziquantel
If you’ve had an issue with your dog’s stool recently, you may want to consider a broad-spectrum tapeworm medication, such as Praziquantel. This drug kills the flea-transmitted tapeworm Dipylidium caninum, and can be used to treat and prevent the recurrence of tapeworm infections. Praziquantel is only available by prescription.
If your pet’s flea problem has gone untreated, you may have to consider a praziquantel monthly treatment for a few months. This medication works by interrupting the life cycle of the parasite, and two doses will usually cure the infection. However, tapeworm infections tend to recur, so you’ll have to continue focusing on flea control.
In addition to heartworm preventative medication, you should check your pet for tapeworms. Taking the preventative medication on a monthly basis is an effective way to ensure your pet is protected from this condition. You should give your pet the medication monthly, starting on the first day your pet was exposed to a mosquito. During the month of treatment, the medication will kill any worms that your pet has already acquired.
