Dogs can get tapeworms from fleas, mice, or other rodents. Flea control is an important step in protecting your dog from tapeworms. People rarely are affected by dog tapeworms. Other kinds of worms that dogs can get include heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms.
Can a dog get tapeworms without having fleas?
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.
How did my dog get tapeworms?
Where Do They Come From? There are different kinds of tapeworms, but the most common one is caused by swallowing a tiny infected flea. Fleas can carry the tapeworm's larvae or babies. If your dog swallows it -- maybe while grooming himself -- an adult tapeworm can grow inside your dog's intestines.
Can you get tapeworms without fleas?
Regardless of whether the owner has seen fleas on the cat, or in the home, the cat must have ingested a flea in order to have tapeworms. "Fleas are the intermediate host for the tapeworm, Dipylidium caninum."
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