Tapeworms are parasitic worms that affect an animal’s digestive tract and cause considerable damage to the pet’s health. They can grow to a length of about 6 inches and cannot be normally seen by the human eye, which is why they are not noticed when they infect the pet’s body. |
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It is a segmented worm and as it grows, more and more segments are added to its tail. These segments are the cause of eggs being carried from one body to another as they break off and come out of the body during excretion.
The eggs are then ingested by intermediate hosts like pigs and cattle or small crustaceans which are in turn ingested by larger fish. The eggs hatch into larvae in the body of the intermediate host. The larvae fill the intestinal walls of the host and then develop into adult worms which start another life cycle by laying eggs. Even fleas are known to ingest tapeworm eggs and many house pets like dogs and cats get infected by tapeworms when they accidentally ingest fleas.
The food chain plays a vital role in the propagation of tapeworms. It is necessary to break the link in the food chain to control the problem, when the worm has infested your pet. If your pet has come in contact with an element that can cause tapeworm infection, then that element should be avoided. For instance, the flea ingests a tapeworm egg and then sucks blood from a dog. If you eliminate the flea, then the food chain is broken and your dog will not be infected by tapeworm.
The usual treatment given to a pet infected by tapeworm is Praziquantel (Droncit), which is a drug that is found in local pet stores. In case of a serious condition, the pet will have to be taken to the local vet for treatment.
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