Spot and treat pet Tapeworm with a few tips

There are many internal parasites and worms that your pet dog or cat can contract including tapeworms.  There are two basic ways for a tapeworm to enter your pet, either by eating fleas, or eating a small animal that is infected with a tape worm.

Once your dog eats the eggs, that are either attached to a flea or an infected animal the tapeworm attaches to the small intestine and begins to grow.  These worms are very hard to diagnose, most of the time we notice a small segment in the feces or on our furniture.

These worms look like tape - long and flat

If you notice a change in your pets stool or a segment of the tape worm in your home, you need to get to your vet for treatment.  Tape worm treatments used to involve some medicine that caused the intestine to violently spasm, hoping to flush out the parasite.  However, now there are medications for tape worms that are much more affective, and less painful for your dog or cat.  These worm medicines cause the critter to loose the protective coating, thereby allowing them to be digested.  No evidence is discharged from the pet, they are simply dissolved.  The most commonly used medication is called Droncit.

The easiest way to prevent tapeworm infestations is to control the flea problem on your pet.  Unless you have a farm animal, most city pets will not be eating wild animals.  A product like Frontline or any of the systemic flea medications do a great job keeping the fleas off your pet.