Tapeworms, also known as
Dipylidium caninum, are one of the five types of worms that your best friend
may fall victim to. The name itself comes from the shape of the parasite which
looks like a long (50cm-70cm) flat tape-like body.
The tapeworm attaches itself to the intestines of a dog where it feeds,
however, contrary to popular belief a human cannot directly contract tapeworms
from a dog. A dog generally picks this parasite up from consuming infected
fleas, therefore it is best to ensure you treat your dog for fleas to prevent
tapeworms altogether.
Diagnosis & Symptoms
Tapeworms are one of the
easiest parasites to detect and among the most common out of the various other
worms a dog may get. Your dog will exhibit signs of weight loss, nervousness,
loss in appetite, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Tapeworms in dogs are
visible; you will commonly find pieces of the worm (still alive) around the
anus and in the fecal matter which looks similar to white rice.
Treatment
The first step in treating is preventing further parasites - this is done by
ensuring that your dog is properly treated for fleas so that another parasite
will not find it's way into your dog. Treating tapeworms in dogs can be summed
up into two stages of severity. In the early stage your dog will still be
energetic and playful where a common over-the-counter deworming treatment will
disable the parasite in most cases.
Praziquantel(Droncit) is the name of the medication that is used for treating
tapeworms which can be purchased from most pet and livestock stores. In the
later and more severe stage of tapeworms, your pet may show signs of acute
distress, be very inactive and have notable weight loss. In this case you will
need to take your pet to a professional veterinarian who will administer the
appropriate treatments, generally by injection or a liquid-based chemical that
can be ingested. In either of these stages you should still pay close attention
to your pets fecal matter to ensure there are no tapeworms in it and that your
dog does not continue to show symptoms of tapeworms.
The best way to get rid of
pet tapeworms is to prevent them from reaching your pet's belly? How do you do
this? The answer is simply not "boarding" your pet. Leaving your pets
under the care of pet boarding establishments may be convenient for you, but in
reality, it's impossible for these people to check the animals for fleas (or
other infestations) before your pet mingles with another dog or cat.
