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How To Deal With Dog Behavior Problems and Obedience Training
Tapeworms
Dogs Infected With Tapeworms May Not Initially Display Any Obvious Symptoms
Tapeworms,
also called cestodes (cestoda class), are parasitic flatworms.
The main species that affect dogs are Dipylidium caninum, Taenia
pisiformis, Enchinococcus granulosus, and Echinococcus multilocularis.
Of these Dipylidium caninum is commonly found in dogs.
Although tape worms do not pose a serious health threat to dogs
except in extreme cases one type, Echinococus multilocularis,
is especially deadly if passed on to humans.
According to the Centers
for Disease Control > (CDC):
"Echinococcus multilocularis is the causative
agent of alveolar echinococcosis in humans. ... In accidental
cases, humans as aberrant intermediate hosts may also acquire
E. multilocularis infection by egg ingestion. Although a
rare disease in humans, alveolar echinococcosis is of considerable
public health importance because it can be lethal in up
to 100% of untreated patients. Treatment is still difficult,
and therapy may cost $300,000 per patient.
The parasite has an extensive geographic distribution in
the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of North America
(Alaska, Canada, and some of the lower contiguous states
of the United States), Asia (some of the newly independent
states of the former Soviet Union, China, and Japan), and
some European countries."
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Centers for Disease Control |
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Head
(scolex) of tapeworm
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Transmission results when tapeworm eggs are ingested and make
their way into the small intestines. The tapeworm matures and
attaches its head (scolex) to the wall of the intestines. The
neck of the tapeworm begins growing sections (proglottids) each
of which contain digestive and reproductive systems.
These sections contain both male and female structures and can
reproduce indepenently. As more sections are created the tapeworm
becomes longer and longer. Adult Dipylidium caninum tapeworms
can reach 18 inches in length.
Eventually sections at the tail end are filled with microscopic
eggs and the section breaks off and is expelled from the host.
These sections which are about the size of a grain of rice can
be seen to move or wiggle. In this way they are able to make their
way out and can sometimes be seen on the fur at the rear end.
Eggs are also expelled in the feces.
D. caninum tapeworms infect animals that are exposed to fleas.
This is due to its particular life cycle. Once D. caninum eggs
are expelled from the host they are ingested by larval fleas.
These infected fleas are then ingested by another animal such
as a dog when it licks its coat or chews at the fleas.
Dogs infected with tapeworms may not display any symptoms at
all. The first sign may be seeing rice sized egg packets at the
rear of the dog on or near the anus or in the feces.
Your veterinarian can advise you about availble treatments that
have proven effective such as Epsiprantel and Praziquantel.
Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM
Nelson Animal Hospital,
BC, Canada |
Dr. Andrew Jones
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