Can your dog or cat give you tapeworms? - The Dickinson Press

ROCHESTER — If your dog or cat gets to romp around outside a lot, especially in natural areas, he or she may come across an irresistible, yet flea-infested animal or animal carcass on which to chomp. And if those fleas are infected with Dipilydium, or tapeworm, your pet might get them too. Does this mean your family is also at risk?

"I know it's gross, but it's unlikely that people will get tapeworms from their pets," says Mary Jette, a veterinary technician at Quarry Hill Park Animal Hospital in Rochester. "It's possible, but in order to develop tapeworms, you have to eat an infected host, such as a flea. Even if you were to eat the egg sacks that you find in you pet's feces, you won't get tapeworms because the parasite has to go through a host."

If your pet swallows a flea that's infected with tapeworm larvae, the worm can then grow into an adult. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website notes that tapeworms mature in the intestine and can grow in up to 28 inches long. They're made up of segments called proglottids. The egg-containing segments shed and can be found in your pet's stool. They look like little grains of white or yellowish rice.

Signs and symptoms include weight loss (in heavy infestations) and you might see worm segments under your pet's tail. Your pet may scoot his or her butt across the floor.

If you suspect your pet may have a tapeworm, go to a veterinarian. Medication is very effective at ridding animals of the parasite.

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