There are lots of tapeworms that can affect our dogs. It is a parasite of the cestodes group (flat or true worms), very important in the he alth of both canines and humans, since some species can cause zoonoses, such as the famous hydatid cyst. However, this article on our site will focus on learning about the tapeworm that we most commonly find in reviews of our faithful companion, Dipylidium caninum. Keep reading and discover the symptoms of tapeworm in dogs and their treatment
Biological cycle of the tapeworm
This ribbon-shaped tapeworm inhabits the small intestine of dogs and cats, but like all parasites of this group, they need an intermediate host to complete their cycle.
An intermediate host is another individual different from the definitive host, which in this case will be the dog, where the parasite carries out some transformation or further development. For the definitive host to become infested with the tapeworm, it must ingest the intermediate host, which will carry the infective form of the tapeworm within it.
Who is the intermediate host of the tapeworm Dipylidium caninum?
Well, in general, the flea It is curious that an external parasite, in turn, carries an internal parasite inside it, which it will end its cycle when the flea is ingested by the dog while it licks itself, or when it nibbles the base of its tail, making what some of us commonly know as "the donut".
Not all fleas harbor a cysticercus, which is the infective form of the tapeworm, but many become intermediate hosts by ingesting embryos of this parasite in the environment. Within the flea, a series of transformations take place, until the "cysticercus" stage is reached, which, after the dog ingests the flea, will be released into the digestive tract and will begin its evolution towards an adult tapeworm individual.
The time that passes from the ingestion of an infected flea until we have an adult tapeworm in the dog's small intestine is about 15-21 days.
Symptoms of tapeworm infestation in dogs
Suffering parasitization by tapeworms is usually asymptomatic, that is, we don't usually find out that our dog suffers from it, as in other cases by alterations such as loss of appetite, or diarrhea. In the case of severe parasites, our dog may appear with rough fur, poor body condition (thin), diarrhoea, a swollen abdomen…, but this usually occurs in dogs that suffer from the action of numerous parasites at the same time.
In the case of being a domestic dog and cared for, the only clue that can help us know if the dog has a tapeworm, or several, in its small intestine, is usually the presence ofGravid proglottids in stool.
What is a gravid proglottis?
It's a mobile egg sac that the tapeworm excretes to the outside with its faeces. They move but they are not worms, it is not even a living being, it is only a "package" that contains the spawn of the adult tapeworm. It has the look like a grain of rice that stretches and shrinks.
Over time out of the feces, or attached to the hair around the dog's anus, they dehydrate and take on the appearance of sesame seeds, similar to the grains found in hamburger buns.
We can find them in the dog's bedding, in the hair of the tail, or around the anus, if we don't detect them directly in feces because we cannot see where the animal defecates. If they are dry, and we add a drop of water as an anecdote, we can see them acquire their white rice grain appearance again. Although it is advisable to get rid of everything as soon as possible through a meticulous cleaning and vacuuming.
Traditionally it was said that this type of tapeworm infestation is usually seen after 6 months of age. The reason is that the dog does not acquire the habit of nibbling until then, in theory. However, it is increasingly common to find 3-month-old dogs with tapeworms, due to having ingested an infected flea from their mother while nursing, or licking as part of social behavior with other dogs.
Diagnosis
Seeing the proglottids of tapeworms directly in faeces, finding them fresh or dry around the anus or in the hair and bed, is usually enough to diagnose parasitization by the tapeworm Dipylidium caninum in our dog. If this happens, do not hesitate and go to the vet as soon as possible so that he can determine the treatment to follow.
Treatment of tapeworm in dogs
It is simple and effective, although like all parasites, it is not ruled out that they may develop a certain resistance to conventional antiparasitic agents over time. praziquantel is the drug of choice due to its low price, its great efficacy against cestodes and its safety. A single dose may not be enough, sometimes it is advisable to repeat the tapeworm treatment in dogs after 3 weeks.
However, we find it in many products associated with milbemycin oxime, and other antiparasitics (pyrantel, fenbendazole), which cover almost all the rest of our dog's parasites (Toxocara, Trichuris…), with what may be interesting is to administer praziquantel together with one of them on a regular basis in a single tablet. Every three months if the dog has a life with access to green areas, parks, meetings with more dogs, beach sand or play centers…
But there is something fundamental to control this tapeworm…
If we don't treat the dog against fleas regularly with quality products, we will achieve nothing more than a temporary respite. If the dog ingests another infected flea, after three weeks we will have the tapeworm inside again, since praziquantel does not have a very high residual activity, that is, it does not remain indefinitely in the animal's body, killing any had to be able to develop again.
So the key point in dog tapeworm treatment is to remove fleas by using one of the following products:
- Flea pills (afoxolaner, fluranaler, spinosad).
- Pipettes based on selamectin or imidacloprid+permethrin.
- Collars based on imidacloprid and flumethrin, or deltamethrin, and also control the environment where the dog lives.
If fleas nest in the environment, for example in a shed where we store firewood, we will have a new generation every so often, waiting for the moment when the collar stops being effective for our dog, the pipette or pills and we have not remembered. For this reason, it may be necessary to fumigate the environment, based on flea bombs, or spraying from time to time with permethrins.
If you don't know how often you should deworm your dog to prevent the appearance of tapeworms, don't miss our article and be regular with visits to the vet.
Does it affect humans?
We could be its accidental host if we ingest the cysticercus-infected flea by mistake. However, in an adult it is difficult for this to happen, but if we have a baby at home and he lives with a dog, it is vitally important to control fleas.
It takes a bizarre situation for a child to swallow a flea, but prevention is always better, especially at a very young age where everything reaches the mouth, and licking your dog seems like a funniest idea.
