Tapeworms, scientific name Dipylidium caninum, are parasites that infest the small intestines of many animals, including dogs and humans. They can grow of to 20 inches in length, with a body that is flat, white and segmented.

They survive by attaching themselves to the intestinal lining and then feeding off the nutrients in the food the dog eats. As they mature the tail segments, containing tapeworm eggs, break off. If the dog has tapeworm you will clearly see these, which resemble grains of rice, in the faeces.Dogs become infected by swallowing a flea that contains tapeworm eggs. The infestation cycle goes something like this. A flea larva eats tapeworm eggs. The larva then grows into a mature flea, living on the dog.

When the dog bites at an itchy spot on his coat, he swallows the flea. The tapeworm eggs then hatch and head straight for the intestines where they attach themselves and start to feed. After a time, they mature and the tail segments begin to break off. These are then passed by the dog and the cycle begin anew.

Tapeworms are not particularly harmful. They absorb only a small percentage of the nutrients that your dog eats and cause only mild irritation. However, a severe infestation may cause your dog to lose weight, so it is always advisable to treat your dog if he has worms.

The clearest indication is tapeworm eggs in the faeces. A common belief is that a dog that scoots along the ground has tapeworm, but this is not usually the case. The behavior is more commonly due to skin irritation around the anal are, or to blocked anal sacs.

If your dog has tapeworm, the good news is that it is very easy to treat with either a vet prescribed or over-the-counter de-worming medication. Be aware though, that many of the commercial de-wormers contain a mild pesticide, and prolonged use may cause other health problems.

If you take your dog to the vet, the treatment will normally be a pill or injection that dissolves the protective outer lining of the tapeworm. This allows the worm to be digested and passed from the body.

While most dogs will suffer a tapeworm infestation at some time, you can reduce the chances of it happening to your dog.

Start by giving your dog a veterinary de-wormer every 3 months. This protects your dog from a number of parasitic worms, including hookworms, roundworms, and of course, tapeworms.

In addition, you should protect your dog against fleas, the vector for tapeworm. This is as simple as a monthly flea treatment and keeping the dog’s bedding and environment clean, and free of these pests.

Although is is very rare, there are some species of tapeworms that can actually pass from dogs to humans. So, if for no other reason, this should motivate you to have your dog treated.

If you want to learn more about tapeworms in dogs, dog care, dog health and other helpful dog advice drop by at www.dogsanddogtraining.com