Tapeworms in Dogs

Growing puppies need all the nutrients they can acquire to mature healthy and maintain correct blood sugar. Tapeworms in dogs sabotage the healthy of the growing puppy and also of a mature dog causing serious health issues. Tapeworms in dogs will cause him some discomfort making it sick, so to keep your dog happy and always healthy it is crucial that you know the signs of tapeworms in dogs and give it treatment before the problem worsens.

Description of tapeworms in dogs

Tapeworms are the worms that live in the dog’s small intestines and vary in size from one inch to several inches long. Normally the head of the tapeworm fastens to the intestines walls using the suckers and hooks. Ones attached the tapeworms ingests the dog’s nutrition while causing some discomforts. Tapeworms in dogs are the common cause of stomach discomfort.

The tapeworms in dogs have segmented bodies each containing egg packets that are passed out when defecating. Fresh and moist segments are a quarter inch long and can move and when they dry up, they look like rice kernels. The moving segments can also be seen moving on the dog’s anus causing the dog to itch a lot. One of the most common tapeworms in dogs is the Dipylidium Caninum.

The cause of tapeworms in dogs Lice and fleas are the main intermediate hosts for tapeworm eggs, the tapeworm’s lifecycle starts when the flea larvae ingest the fecal matter containing the tapeworm eggs. The flea ingests the tapeworm eggs and hatches inside the flea into cystocercoids. The dog may ingest the tapeworm when it bites a flea with cysticercoids.

A dog can also acquire taenia species of tape worm when it eats an infected rodent, rabbit or sheep. Another tapeworm species found in dogs is the Diphyllobothrium, which are encysted in fish organs. This species are way common in Canada and Northern United States. The Echinococcus tapeworms are very uncommon in dogs; their intermediate hosts are horses, swine, cattle, goats, sheep, elk and other types of rodents.

Symptoms of tapeworms in dogs

Weight loss- the tapeworms in dogs absorbs all the important nutrients necessary for the dog’s growth and normal body functions. So the dog will be eating more than it normally does, but instead of an increase in weight, the dog loses weight.Loss of appetite- as the tapeworm mature it increases in length and occupy the small intestines making the dog to feel full most of the time. So the dog will not eat as often as it used to.Tapeworms in dogs causes abdominal pain to the hosts while sucking the nutrients. The dog will begin biting and licking its abdomen when in pain. While standing the dog will hunch over or bent with their heads arched as if they are praying. Another common sign of abdominal pain is the general lethargy feeling and the dog not wanting to get out of the bed.

Tapeworms in dogs cause diarrhea or vomiting: the dog will start eating grass in order to induce itself to vomit. Tape worms in dogs can also cause diarrhea which can be noted by checking its fecal matter. Vomiting and diarrhea can dehydrate the dog so if you not this symptoms it is necessary to make your dog drink a lot of water.Tapeworms in dogs can make the jumpy and nervous: the dog will seem skittish when with others and also seem over paranoid. The tapeworms in dogs will cause it to pace, growl or pant more than usual while making noises. Tapeworms in dogs can cause more severe symptoms in other breeds than in others. So it is important that you monitor your canine friend closely.

Treating tapeworms in dogs

The first thing you should do when you notice this signs is get your beloved friend some de-wormers from the vet. Some natural remedies which help get rid of tapeworms in dogs includes consuming of grinded raw pumpkin seeds which are kept at room temperature.

Preventive measures After treating the tapeworms in dogs it is advisable to de-worm your dog after every six months. This will kill any tapeworm which might have been ingested. At time the head of the tapeworm does not die, so it is important that you change the dog’s diet, so as to increase its immunity and get rid of the tapeworms in dogs.