Tapeworm (Dipylidium, Echinococcus)

Overview

Usually a trivial infection with one profoundly important exception. The common tapeworm (Dipylidium) is acquired by swallowing an infected flea during grooming, so a tapeworm diagnosis is really a flea diagnosis — treating the worm without treating the fleas guarantees its return. The exception is Echinococcus, the hydatid tapeworm, which is endemic in livestock-keeping regions, particularly where dogs have access to raw offal from sheep and goats. In Echinococcus the dog is only mildly affected, but humans who ingest the eggs can develop hydatid cysts in the liver or lungs — a serious, sometimes fatal human disease. This is the clearest reason in this encyclopedia not to feed dogs raw offal or allow them to scavenge slaughter waste, and to worm dogs in livestock-keeping areas on a schedule the vet sets. Handwashing after handling dogs matters.

What you would notice

• Rice-grain-like white segments around the anus or in bedding or stool
• Scooting or excessive licking under the tail
• Usually a well dog otherwise — most infections are mild
• Occasionally poor coat or mild digestive upset

Sources

• Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com)
• WSAVA global guidelines (wsava.org)
• Indian Council of Medical Research (icmr.gov.in)

← All conditions