Causes of Tapeworm in Dogs & Puppys

Tapeworms are parasites that inhabit the small intestine of vertebrate animals. They hold on to the intestine's walls with hooks and suckers on their head, and absorb nutrients through their skin as the food being digested by the dog flows past them. A tapeworm is formed by segments that are dropped when they are mature and filled with eggs. They are then passed with the animal's feces. The two main types of tapeworm, Dyplidium caninum and taenia, use different hosts to infect dogs.

  1. Diplydium Caninum Tapeworm

    • The ingestion of fleas is the most common cause of a dog becoming infected with tapeworms. Fleas feed on the eggs of the Diplydium caninum tapeworm, which grows into an early stage parasite inside the flea. Infected fleas are then swallowed by the dog when licking or chewing the irritating fleas. The dog's digestive system digests the fleas, releasing the parasite, which then attaches itself on to the dog's intestinal wall where it grows into an adult tapeworm.

    Taenia Tapeworm

    • The other type of tapeworm, taenia, is spread when the animal eats an infected

      rodent or rabbit. These small mammals get infected by eating the tapeworm eggs, which grow into an early stage parasite inside their host. Dogs should never be allowed to eat rodents or rabbits.

    Diagnosis

    • Tapeworms do not cause physical damage like other intestinal parasites do. Instead, they diminish the nutritional value of the food ingested by the dog, causing a rough coat and, in severe infestations, weight loss.

      In puppies, a pot-bellied appearance may be the sign of internal parasites.

      The sighting of small parasite segments on the dog's coat, around the anus, and on the dog's favorite resting areas should be followed by a visit to a veterinarian to confirm an infestation.

      When dry, the taenia segments have the appearance of rice grains and the dipylidium caninum segments look like cucumber seeds. To confirm the diagnosis of a tapeworm in a dog, a veterinarian has to examine the dog's stool under a high-powered microscope.

    Tapeworm Treatment

    • Once it is verified that the dog has a tapeworm, the dog will be given oral medication -- a deworming medication -- to kill the tapeworm. The best way of making sure that a dog doesn't get re-infected is to have the fleas eradicated from the dog's living area and to provide flea treatment directly to the dog, either with medicated drops, special shampoos or with an anti-flea collar. A veterinarian will inform you of the most appropriate treatment for your dog. Flea elimination is an on going process. Deworming can start as soon as the puppy is 2 weeks old.