Tapeworms in Dog's Stool

"I have observed worms in my dogs stool"- this is the common observance of a number of pet owners, that can indicate a worm infestation. Worm infestation is a common problem in pets, especially in dogs. There can be several types of worms like roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms and heartworms, etc. Out of these, tapeworm infestation can be easily identified, as the segments of the worms can be seen in dog's stool. There are several types of tapeworms, out of which, the more commonly found tapeworms in canines is dipylidium caninum. On the other hand, if you have observed long worms, then it can be roundworms or toxocara canis. Tapeworms look like small grains of rice. Hookworms on the other hand, are not visible to the naked eyes.

Tapeworms in Your Dog

Causes
Dogs usually get tapeworms by ingesting fleas or lice that contain the eggs of these worms. The eggs are generally passed in the stool of the infected dog and cats, which are then eaten by the fleas or lice. Then the eggs develop into an intermediate stage of their life cycle, known as cysticercoid. When a healthy dog eats such fleas or lice, cysticercoids enter its body and remain attached to the intestinal wall. Eventually, the tapeworm grows into a long tail and become mature.

The tail of the tapeworms consists of several segments, each segment having independent digestive, as well as reproductive system. As the segments grow old, they are replaced by the new segments. Such older segments with sacs of eggs can come out of the body through the rectum or anus along with stool. The eggs released from these sacs are then consumed by the fleas or lice. Dogs generally swallow such fleas while licking the site of flea bites.

Symptoms
Generally, if their population is kept under control by a healthy immune system, tapeworms do not cause any major health problem in dogs. However, if their population grows rapidly, then it can produce symptoms like vomiting, loss of weight, pain in the abdomen. Itching and restlessness can also be some other tapeworm symptoms in dogs. Stool or poop of the dogs, if observed carefully, can be found to contain some small white objects, just like the grain of rice. These are nothing but the dried out segments of tapeworms in dog's poop.

Diagnosis and Treatment
The diagnosis is not very difficult, as the detached segments of the tail of the tapeworms can be easily observed in the feces of the animal. Treatment involves the administration of specific drugs, as suggested by the veterinarians. Such medications have the ability to dissolve the worms inside the intestine. These drugs are very effective in treating tapeworm infestation in dogs and they are available as oral medications and injections. On the other hand, the regular over the counter deworming medications can be termed as almost ineffective in treating tapeworm infestation in dogs.

However, without adequate precautionary measures, the dogs can be reinfected by tapeworms. Therefore, be sure to keep your dogs away from flea-infested environment. Controlling fleas is the best precautionary measure for protecting your dogs from this problem. Therefore, always keep your house and its surrounding clean and free of fleas and lice. Also, properly dispose of the stool of the animal, as dogs, especially the puppies like to eat or lick feces. So, keep them away from their own or other animals feces. Equally important is to observe the feces of your pet from time to time, to know the presence of tapeworm. Such preventive measures would go a long way in maintaining dog health and well-being, by protecting them from worms and other disease-causing agents.