The Spirometra Zipper Tapeworm in Cats

Zipper tapeworms belong to the genus Spirometra. The adult tapeworms infect the small intestines of domestic and wild cats. They use hooks to attach their long, flat bodies to the intestinal wall, where they produce eggs and absorb nutrients from the host. Known species of zipper tapeworms include Spirometra erinacei, Spirometra mansonoides, Spirometra ranarum and Spirometra mansoni.

  1. Lifecycle

    • Zipper tapeworms begin life as tiny oval eggs. These eggs become mobile when exposed to water. Freshwater crustaceans swallow the mobilized embryos, which then develop into larvae inside the crustacean's body. When a snake, fish, amphibian, reptile, bird or mammal eats an infected crustacean, the larvae migrate from the digestive system and into the muscles of the secondary host. The larvae continue to develop inside the muscle tissue of the second host, sometimes causing muscle pain and skin rash. If a cat eats an infected secondary host, the larvae travel through the cat's digestive system, mature into adult worms and attach themselves to the lining of the cat's small intestine. Inside the small intestine, the zipper tapeworm grows up to about six inches in length and produces hundreds and thousands of eggs, which pass with the cat's feces.

    Symptoms

    • Most cats infected with zipper tapeworm exhibit few symptoms. Pet owners may notice evidence of a loss of appetite, weight loss, loose stool, vomiting or moodiness in their pet. However, some cats do not exhibit symptoms at all. Veterinarians usually diagnose zipper tapeworm when they discover the oval shaped eggs in a fecal exam. This is unique to zipper tapeworms, as most tapeworms expel their eggs encapsulated in segments.

    Treatment

    • A cat's health will not suffer due to a zipper tapeworm infection, unless the infection is heavy and causes the cat to lose a lot of weight. Treatment prevents the spread of tapeworms to intermediate host animals, which can include humans. Veterinarians prescribe high doses of an oral deworming medicine such as Praziquantel or Epsiprantel to treat zipper tapeworm infections in cats.

    Preventing Tapeworm Infections

    • Cats acquire zipper tapeworms when they catch and consume wild animals. Pet owners can prevent infection by feeding cats pet food rather than letting them hunt. Provide playful cats with toys, instead of allowing them to catch small animals such as mice, snakes, birds and frogs.