Tapeworms

Every pet owner knows a series of different possible hazards to their pet— fleas, ticks, rabies, etc. One of the most well-known and frightening is the tapeworm. Tapeworms are tiny parasites that develop into long, tape-like problems inside your dog’s intestinal system. While they are easily treatable, the average dog owner should educate themselves.

Tapeworms: What They Are and Where They Come From

Tapeworms are flat, white worms that are made up of segments. Each segment is roughly the size of a grain of rice and they are shedded regularly through your dog’s feces as they grow. As they get bigger and longer, tapeworms can begin to resemble their namesake form—tape. Tapeworms attach themselves to the lining walls of your dog’s intestines using their hooked suction mouths. From there they feed and grow inside your dog.

There are different types of tapeworms, but the most common is caused by ingesting an infected flea. Fleas can carry the tapeworm’s larvae and if your dog swallows the flea—either through biting and licking themselves because of a flea infestation or simply due to regular grooming—an adult tapeworm will grow inside your dog’s intestines.

Symptoms
Tapeworms can grown between 4 to 6 inches in length. You will not see the actual adult tapeworm, but its segments that fall off and pass through your dog’s feces. You may also see them crawling around your dog’s hind end or on their bedding, or even in their feces.

The reason why the segments come off is because they die and dry out, becoming hard specks that can stick to the hair on your dog’s backside. Some dogs will scoot (or dragging their behinds across the floor) or lick their hind quarters frequently.

Though it is rare, if tapeworm segments get ingested into your dog’s stomach, they can make it vomit. Weight loss is a common symptom of a heavy tapeworm infection.

Diagnosis

Your veterinarian can confirm a diagnosis after either seeing segments on your dog or seeing segments or eggs in your dog’s feces under a microscope. Several fecal samples are sometimes needed, since tapeworms eggs and segments are not passed every time.

Treatment

There are many safe prescription treatments that treat tapeworms inside your dog. Your veterinarian will choose the right one for your dog. They can be given by tablet or as a shot. The medicine dissolves the worms, so they will not pass through your dog when it defecates.

How To Prevent Tapeworms
Because fleas are the main cause of tapeworms, control them in your home, yard and in your pet. Talk to your vet about flea preventatives. Working with your veterinarian on keeping a de-worming plan for your dog is a wise decision. Don’t let your dog wander unsupervised in places where other animals have been, such as dog parks or wooded areas. It is important to clean up after your dog in your yard or in parks.

Though rare, people can develop tapeworms from their pets. You have to swallow an infected flea, of course, and this happens most in children. Be safe and wash your hands after playing with animals or outside.

Fleas on Your Pet: What To Look For

It is no doubt that fleas are not only a nuisance, but a danger to both your pet and you. With nearly 2,000 different species and subspecies of fleas, there are plenty to go around. Fleas thrive in warm, humid environments and like to feed on their host’s blood. But fleas don’t need to be a fact of life for pet owners. There are plenty of things that can be done to prevent fleas from infesting your pet or, if your pet is already infested, get rid of them.

Why Pets Are Susceptible to Fleas

Fleas are insect parasites that live solely on the consumption of blood from a mammal, known as a ‘host’. Unlike other insects that have wings to help in searching for a host, fleas rely on jumping from point to point for their meals. They can jump up to 10,000 times in a row, thanks to three pairs of legs that create superior leaping capabilities of up to 2 feet. Their lateral, flattened body allows them to make quick and stealthy movements in pet fur.

Their complete life cycle ranges from 16 days to 21 months, depending on conditions like environment and are most commonly found on a pet’s abdomen, tail base and head; heavy infestations can prompt fleas to thrive anywhere on the body. Fleas like to feed once every day or two, generally remaining on their host during the intermittent period.

What Can Fleas Do To A Pet?

There is a wide variety of issues that fleas can cause your pet. Anemia and significant blood loss over time are two of the most prominent since fleas can consume 15 times their body weight in blood. Things can become especially complicated for young or small pets (such as puppies and kittens), where a low number of blood cells can be life threatening. Pale gums and cold body temperature are both signs of what is called ‘parasitic anemia’

Pets with a heightened sensitivity to flea saliva can have an allergic reaction with just one bite, known as flea allergy dermatitis, which can cause intense and uncomfortable itching in your pet, along with hair loss, reddened skin, and scabs and hotspots which can lead to skin infections.

Signs of flea presence include:

• ‘Flea Dirt’, or flea droppings, in a pet’s coat, 
• Flea eggs on the pet or in its environment, 
• Excessive scratching, licking or biting at skin 
• Hair loss 
• Hot spots and scabs 

More severe symptoms of flea presence include:

• Pale gums (from anemia and excessive blood loss) 
• Tapeworms (transmitted from the flea to the pet if the pet actually ingests the flea through biting or licking their skin.) 

Pets That Are Prone to Fleas
Pets living in warm and humid climates (climates that fleas thrive in, with ideal living temperatures of 65 to 80F), as well as those who live outdoors or are outdoors often are the most susceptible to fleas.

Seasons also influence how much of a presence fleas have in your pet’s environment. Areas experiencing freezing temperatures are at less of a risk for infestation because the cold either kills fleas or forces them to become dormant until warmer times. But if your pet (or you) bring fleas into your house, outside temperature won’t matter and they can spend the winter doing what they would usually be able to do in the warmer months outside.

What To Do If Your Pet Has Fleas

If you think your pet has fleas, talk to your veterinarian as soon as possible. Your veterinarian will confirm whether your pet has fleas and will discuss the appropriate treatment options for your pet. Tailoring the flea preventative treatment of your pet, as well as their environment, is important due to certain products used in combination becoming toxic. Your veterinarian can also decide the best approach for preventing future infestations, as well.

Treating and Preventing Fleas

All of your pets, indoor and outdoor, as well as their environment, should be treated for fleas. Talk to your veterinarian about choosing the right treatment product for each pet. Popular options include topical liquids applied to the back of the neck, shampoos and tablets. Some products even kill both adult fleas and their eggs, but can vary in efficacy. It is very important not to use products for one animal that are intended for another and vice versa. When it comes to choosing treatment products, prescribed is more effective and safe than over-the-counter.

If you think your house has been infested by fleas, thoroughly clean everything from rugs to bedding and upholstery (don’t forget to throw away any vacuum bags). Some, more severe, cases might require the use of a spray, requiring temporary evacuation of the home.

In terms of preventing fleas, using a flea comb on your pet and washing their bedding at least once a week will be very effective in controlling any possible flea infestations. While treating your home is important, treating your yard is as well. Focus your attention on shady areas where fleas like to live and use an insecticide.

Hazards of the Dog Park

The dog park is a great place for your dog to play with others and meet new friends. But there are also certain hazards to keep in mind before letting your dog play at the dog park. Whether you are taking your dog to the park for the first time, or you’ve done it for a while, knowing what negative things can possibly happen can save both you and your dog from a variety of costly and hazardous problems.

Infectious Diseases

Since so many dogs are at the dog park at a given time, as well as before your dog is there, illnesses like kennel cough and canine influenza can be easily spread.

Canine Influenza (‘Dog flu’) is another hazard that can be transmitted from the communal water bowls at the dog park. It is wise to bring a collapsible water bowl with you, as well as your dog’s own toys. It is unrealistic to think that, even though you have brought your own water bowl and toys, that your dog will not come into contact with public items. Vaccinating your dog for the flu virus is another important precaution to take in the case that your dog does use another dog’s toys or drinks from a communal bowl.

Another important precaution to take is cleaning up after your dog. Intestinal parasites from people not picking up after their dogs is a widespread problem at dog parks. Your dog can step in another dog’s feces and when they lick their paw to clean it off, they pick up parasites like giardia, roundworm and hookworm soon after.

Heat Stroke
If your dog is playing on a hot, humid day, watch to make sure they don’t contract heat stroke. Dogs don’t have many sweat glands, so they cool themselves through evaporation off their tongue and mouth (panting), as well as evaporation off their foot pads. If it is hot and humid, they won’t be able to cool themselves as effectively, which can be a problem if they are having fun and don’t have the sense to stop. The best solution is to always have cool water and try to find a shady spot for your dog to rest when needed.

Fleas and Ticks

Fleas and ticks are easily spread by dogs playing together. But many effective flea and tick medications are available to protect your pet from these parasites. When you are leaving the dog park, do a tick check to make sure your dog doesn’t have any of the pesky parasites on them.

*Folsom Veterinary Hospital recommends occasional fecal tests to check for parasites in your pet. Frontline and Nexgard products for flea and tick prevention are also recommended.*