YES!Fido can indeed catch tapeworms from Mr.Whiskers, albeit indirectly. Most commonly, tapeworm is spread among household pets by an intermediate host such as a flea.
Can a cat transfer worms to a dog?
Yes, dogs can get worms from felines. People may think specific strains of worms cannot be transmitted between species, but a number of worms can, in fact, be transmitted from cats to your dog.
Can tapeworms transfer to dogs?
Unlike other intestinal parasites, dogs cannot become infected by eating fertilized tapeworm eggs. Tapeworms must first pass through an intermediate host (a flea) before they can infect a dog. When the tapeworm eggs are released into the environment, they must be ingested by flea larvae, an immature stage of the flea.
Are cat and dog tapeworms the same?
Tapeworms are flat, segmented intestinal parasites of the cat and dog. They belong to a different family than other intestinal parasites, such as hookworms and roundworms, which are the other common intestinal parasites of cats and dogs.
How do dogs and cats contract tapeworms?
By swallowing a flea infected with a tapeworm larvae. A dog or cat may swallow a flea while self-grooming. Once the flea is digested by the dog or cat, the larval tapeworm is able to develop into an adult tapeworm.
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