How Do Dogs Get Tapeworms?

Worms aren't a very pleasant topic but they are something that you should know about if you have a dog

. You may hear about different kinds of worms and wonder how your dog can get them. How does your dog get tapeworms, for instance?

Dogs get tapeworms from eating fleas. Fleas ingest tapeworm eggs and when your dog eats the fleas he eats the tapeworm eggs, too. They then happily hatch out inside your dog. A single tapeworm can grow to be four to six inches long in your dog's intestine. The tapeworm's head attaches to the intestine. As it grows it is followed by many little linked segments. These little segments look like rice. They break off and your dog passes them when he uses the bathroom. You can sometimes see them in his stool or they can catch on the fur around his rectum. A single tapeworm may have 90 of these segments. Each of these segments contains more eggs for the tapeworm.

When you take your dog to the vet (and this is one reason why you should take your dog for an annual check-up), your vet can identify these little white links as tapeworm segments. Sometimes these links will show up in a fecal exam, but there is no guarantee that a tapeworm will conveniently break off when your dog is at the vet so your vet may not find the segments when he does the fecal exam.

Over-the-counter wormers for dogs do not work on tapeworms. You will need a prescription wormer from your vet to kill the tapeworms.

A tapeworm can infect your dog for a year or more. They rob your dog of the nutrients that pass through his digestive system. Your dog may have abdominal discomfort, he may be nervous, and he may vomit. If you notice these signs in your dog, even if you don't see the rice-like segments of the tapeworm around your dog's tail or in his stool, take your dog to the vet and tell him that you suspect your dog may have tapeworms.

Tapeworms can be passed to humans so it's very important to kills these parasites as quickly as possible. Beefing up your flea control will help prevent tapeworm infestations from getting started. If your dog has had tapeworms you will also need to treat your yard and home.

If you have a puppy, most vets will offer worming when your puppy has his series of puppy shots. Make sure that you get this worming for your puppy since it will take care of any tapeworms that your puppy may have when you first get him.

There are other worms and parasites that can bother your dog but most of them can be killed by over-the-counter wormers for dogs, with the exception of heartworms. Make sure that you get your dog tested annually for worms with a fecal exam to find out if he has any worms or parasites. Your vet can answer any questions you have about parasites and your dog.

by: Tristan Andrews

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