Dipylidium caninum, the most common tapeworm in dogs, is spread through an intermediate host: fleas. Infected dogs pass tapeworm segments in their feces, where they dry and eventually break open.
Can a dog pass a whole tapeworm?
Occasionally, the head of the adult tapeworm detaches from the intestinal wall; the entire adult tapeworm will then be passed in the feces, or vomited up if it migrated to the stomach.
Can dogs pass tapeworms to other dogs?
People may think because dogs do pick up tapeworms after too much contact with an infected dog, that they can directly get tapeworm from other dogs. However, tapeworms need an intermediary host, like a flea! A flea ingests tapeworm eggs from an infected dog.
What does it look like when a dog passes a tapeworm?
Often, you will see the white, rice-like pieces throughout your dog's feces or in the hair around her bottom. If the worm dies and dries out before or after being passed, the segments turn yellow and hard.
Do tapeworms come out in dogs poop?
As the tapeworm grows, some of its segments containing heaps of eggs will be released into your dog's feces. They may also be seen around your dog's bottom or in their bedding. These segments may look like moving pieces of rice or dried-out, hard yellow specks that can stick to your dog's coat.
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