Pets with tapeworms can appear healthy and may not always show any immediate symptoms, but pet owners should learn how to spot the subtle changes that indicate a possible tapeworm infestation. Although both humans and pets can be infested with tapeworms, they cannot be contracted through direct contact with an exposed animal. However, this problem does not get better with time, so accurate diagnosis and a treatment plan are needed to deal with tapeworms.
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Tapeworms
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Tapeworms are aptly named, for they are flat and resemble strips of tape. They are a parasitic organism, attaching itself to the intestines of its host by biting the intestinal walls and holding on. Once the head is secure, it begins to grow additional segments that form the tail. According to Doctors Foster and Smith Pet Education, each segment is its own fully contained body and reproductive tract.
The tapeworm feeds by absorbing the nutrients from the food being digested by the host. As it feeds, the tapeworm grows more segments. The older segments get pushed toward the tip of the tail until they reach the end. A segment that is ready to break away from the tail is a sac full of eggs that will travel out of the host's body in its feces. These egg sacs are the only visible sign that tapeworms are present. They look like small grains of rice in the feces and around the pet's rectum. If you spot these, take your pet to a veterinarian for a more accurate diagnosis.
Symptoms
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The early signs of tapeworm infection are the small white egg sacs in the pet's stool or around the rectum. Some pets have few or no symptoms indicating the beginning of an infection. If it is left untreated, more serious signs will appear, such as vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration. Fatigue, lethargy and rapid weight loss are also severe signs of a tapeworm infection.
Importance of Diagnosis
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If the presence of a tapeworm is caught early, treatment is relatively simple and stress-free for everyone. Vet Info states that in rare cases, where the tapeworm infection has not been noticed, the tapeworm larvae has traveled to the pet's eyes and caused permanent eye damage. In other cases, the tapeworms can grow so large and numerous that they create a blockage in the intestinal tract. This can cause a potentially life-threatening situation.
Tapeworm Diagnosis
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Diagnosing tapeworms is usually as easy as a rectal exam and fecal analyses performed by a veterinarian. The vet will check for signs of egg sacs in and around the rectum, says Vet Info, then a fecal sample will be taken and immediately analyzed. If the results are inconclusive, the veterinarian may send the sample to a lab to perform a more in-depth study.
Causes and Treatments
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Flea larvae, when hatched, will feed on anything they come across, which can often be tapeworm egg sacs. When this happens, the flea will become a tapeworm carrier. If the pet licks itself and ingests the flea, the tapeworm will infect the pet.
Treatments usually include a pill or a course of liquid dewormers that are simple to administer. According to Vet Info, most vets prescribe dewormers annually, even though the pet shows no symptoms of worms, as a preventative measure. Deworming medications have been shown to have no side effects.
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