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Tapeworms
Tapeworms are commonly found in adult dogs and cats and can be
difficult to get rid of completely.
They are long, flat, ribbon-like and can be less than an inch to
several feet long. They are
made up of several segments, with each segment containing hundreds of
eggs. Signs of tapeworm
infection in dogs and cats are sometimes very obvious. They show signs of weight loss and
unthriftiness despite a good appetite. Most often the owner sees the tapeworm segments in their
pet’s feces or at the bass of their tail around the anus where they look
like flat grains of rice.
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There
are several types of tapeworm, but the most common one of dogs and cats is
transmitted by fleas. The pet
must bite or swallow a flea that harbors the immature tapeworms in its
intestine.
The
tapeworms mature and breed in the intestines of the dog or cat and release
segments of eggs along with the feces. Tapeworm eggs are difficult to detect on rountine fecal
examinations and are often only diagnosed by the owners who detect the
segments in their pets feces or around the anus.
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