Question about tapeworms in dogs. Found rice like moving particles on my dogs tail last night.?

Question

I know it is tapeworms. She is 5 months old and I called my vet and she is going in for a treatment at 5:15 today. My question is what must I do to my home. I already vacummed the house and sofas, washed all the sheets and covers (she is a cuddle bug) and mopped the floor. Is there any other steps I should take when I get home to protect my family and my dog from reinfestation? I do realize I may be overdoing this, but those little moving particles of rice grossed me out. Also, please tell me what the vet will give my puppy.

I adopted her from a Humane Society on Feb. 4th. I have NEVER given her raw food. She has only ever eaten high quality dry puppy food in my home, in addition to dog biscuits for training purposes.

Answer 1

Make sure she has no fleas. Fleas are the vector for tapeworm. Those moving segments dry up and "pop" leaving eggs all over that area of the dog. Fleas and flea larva ingest the tapeworm eggs where the eggs hatch into larva. The dog then scratches at the fleas and ingests them where the larva enter the digestive tract of the dog and become the adult tapeworm. Without the fleas, the tapeworm can not reinfest your dog.

I know it's pretty gross huh? I have an adult dog I had gotten from someone else. She actually had fleas when we got her but it was several months later we saw the tapeworms for the first time. I gave her an OTC drug that made her really sick (vomitting) and didn't kill the whole tapeworm because many months later we saw it again. Finally she got the "good" stuff from the vet, droncit (which is what your puppy will get).

More than likely your puppy or her mom had fleas at one point at the breeders. And that's how she ended up with them now. The droncit is good stuff, kills the tapeworm without making the dog sick. Other than what you have already done, there is nothing more to do than treat her for the worms and fleas (if she has any) and maybe a bath for her.

There are a few other vector possiblities for tapeworms like rabbits, but I doubt that's where your puppy got them. Remember tapeworms need a vector (an intermediate host) before they can infect anything else. BTW only that one dog ever had tapeworms because I keep my guys from getting fleas.

Answer 2

Okay, responding to other answers first, a dog with worms and a dog having tapeworms are 2 different things. While keeping your dog on monthly heartworm pills prevents most intestinal parasites, it does not protect against tapeworms. Dogs can get tapeworms from eating fleas as well as eating rodents which have tapeworms. The rodents get the worms from eating grass that has grown with the little egglike larvae attached to it(which you found in your dogs poop). Once your dog is no longer infected it won't matter whether you pick up the poop, since the rodents won't get it from eating around where your dog pooped, however if the neighbors dog gets it and it poops, then the rodents get it, and the fleas from the rodents can be in your yard. The best thing to do is prevent your dog from eating animals as well as treat it for fleas regularly. Also check her stool frequently to make sure there isn't a reinfestation. Dogs can have tapeworms for up to 8 months before the little ricelike worms show up in their poop. Also the larvae don't come out everytime they poop, so even if you take a stool sample into the vet, it doesn't mean they would catch it. Most vets will simply verify that you saw ricelike particles in the poop and they were wiggling and will then give you the treatment for the dog. Another symptom of tapeworm is the dogs can become lethargic. Two of my friends just had to treat their dogs for this. We take them out into the woods frequently, and they probably ate something. Other than taking the precautions I mentioned, staying vigilent is about all you can do.

Answer 3

Tapeworms come from fleas.. and dogs get it by eating the flea eggs by licking their fur....

Clean animal bedding and the general surrounds thoroughly.
Vacuum the carpets and throw away the bag, since it will contain fleas and eggs, use a surface spray into the vacuum cleaner bag.
Use an appropriate spray or ‘flea bomb’ in each room of the house.
Treat outdoor areas commonly used by your pet, such as kennels, with appropriate insecticides.
Wear protective rubber gloves when using insecticides and make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly.
Repeat the procedure once or twice, since flea eggs can survive for some weeks.
Maintain hygiene practices (regular vacuuming, keeping pets free of fleas etc) to prevent another infestation.
A persistent infestation may need to be treated by a qualified pest controller.
And wash your hands after you touch your dog. Actually ringworms are more dangerous than the tapeworms.. but also tapeworms might be problem for women. if you have a daughter you should not let her to touch the dog until it clears out from the worms. cıoz if she swallows the dog's hair which has got tapeworm eggs on it, it could be a real danger in the future for her to have kids. it could make infertility....

Answer 4

Well there are two main anti worm drugs on hte market, and their generics. Both are oral, both kill tapeworms. The main difference is that one only kills tapeworms while the other takes care of all sorts of intestinal buggers. You have cleaned well nothing else to do the dog probably got infected outside and that is where she will probably get them again if she does. Be prepared for diarrhea and vomitting from your dog for a few hours after the treatment (foaming at the mouth is also normal).

The oral (pill) treatments are the best out there on market. Oh jsut get the broad spectrum wormer and skip the stool sample mess. The cost of the stool sample test for worms can be used to inflate your bill whereas the cost difference between the pill that only kills tapeworms and the broad spectrum one is very little.

Answer 5

It's heartbreaking to think of our pets as sick ... even worse when you worry about it affecting your family!

Treatment is simple and, fortunately, very effective. A drug which kills tapeworms is given, either orally or by injection. It causes the tapeworm to dissolve within the intestines. Since the worm is usually digested before it passes, it is not visible in your dog's stool. These drugs should not cause vomiting, diarrhea, or any other adverse side-effects.

Here's more information on tapeworms in man's best friend:
http://www.petcaretips.net/tapeworms_in_dogs.html

I hope she's feeling better *real* soon!

Answer 6

Pick up all the dog poo in the yard - the egg sacks (the rice-like segments you are seeing) lay dormant in the poo and get "reingested" by other animals eating grass...and the tapes are passed to them who also poo in the yard and your puppy or kids run through the mess, get some on there hands..feet and the lifecycle continues. Also - dogs get tapeworms from ingesting fleas - you need to treat your home/yard for fleas as well. Unless you have a rabid infestation of fleas in your home you should be pretty safe - it sounds like you have done a good job cleaning up. Make sure you are using bleach and hot water to clean. And make sure your kids are washing their hands after every time they play with the puppy. Also don't let the puppy lick them on the mouth.

Your vet will give your puppy a little pill called Drontal or Droncit and send you home with another tablet to give him in 3 weeks - that should clear it up.

Answer 7

Just make sure that your dog is flea free. That is normally where dogs get tapeworm.
Your vet will most likely give Droncit. If you check the Droncit website, you will see that it's chemical is Pranziquantel. Pranziquantel, not Droncit, is now an over the counter drug . You can get it at most larger pet stores.

Answer 8

This is not tapeworms....Tapeworms are very long. This sounds like a normal worm infestation that is easily remedied. Your pup will be given 3 or more syringe medication given by mouth...to be given over a period of time. It will tire your pup out a bit.

You have done everything correct in the washing up...maybe it is better to be overly clean then nothing...but most infestations are not contagious to humans....Put your pup in the crate for a bit of the day...make certain that you clean up ALL her poo in the backyard...she can re-infest herself.

You will get thru this, a majority of pups come down with worms. Some are diagnosed immediately, some appear in the months after birth.

Good Luck

Answer 9

Thats discusting. You poor thing, Its not your fault. She could have eaten something outside. The vet will give her a de-wormer that she may take by mouth or in the...... you know, "rear". =/


But you are not over reacting. I would have done everything you said, but 6 more times, and then BLEACHED EVERYTHING! lol, i hate maggot-like worms. But what you should do is buy a flea, and bug killer powder, and knowing me, i would personally USE THE WHOLE bottle, lol put it all over the carpet and let it sit for 10 minutes, then vacume. And clean counters, and under everything. If thats all covered, take fabreez or a fabric freshener that kills germs and SPRAY IT ALL OVER THE PLACE! lol. And when everything smells good, and you are comfortable enough to eat on the carpet, Dont stop cleaning under nooks and crannies, thats where worms/worm causing animals and rodents like to hide.
I wish you luck, and i hope you get your probelm fixed , and your vet bill dosnet cost you a zillion trillion dollars =]

Answer 10

Just pick up all the poo in the garden. Make sure you worm her regulary for a while.The worms are easy to treat so don't worry. Tapeworms are usually found in animals that eat prey or raw meat. She probaly got them from her mother & has never had a strong enough wormer to kill them.The chances of her getting them again are very unlikely as long as her food is not raw meat.