Tapeworm, or Dipylidium caninum to give it its scientific name, is a parasite that is most commonly found in the small intestine of dogs. These flat, white worms are segmented, and usually grow to between 4 and 20 inches in length.

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.

The dog may swallow the flea while biting an itchy spot on his skin. Once the eggs are in the dog’s system they hatch, and the worms attach themselves to the intestines and start feeding. Later, as they mature, the tail segments break off and the next batch of tapeworm eggs is excreted by the dog to start the cycle all over again.

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.

You can normally tell by tapeworm eggs in the dog’s faeces. Contrary to popular belief, a dog that scoots his hind quarters along the ground is not usually doing so because of irritation caused by tapeworms. A more common cause of this behavior may be blocked anal sacs, or a skin irritation in the anal region.

The good news is that tapeworms are quite easy to get rid of. Simply treat your dog with a prescription, or over-the-counter de-wormer. You should be aware though that some commercial products contain mild pesticides, so using them over a prolonged period 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.

For starters, you should give your dog a vet approved de-worming medication every 3 months or so. This will protect your dog from tapeworm, as well as other common internal parasites, like roundworms and hookworms.

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.

If all of the above is not reason enough to treat your dog for tapeworm, bear in mind that, although it is extremely rare, certain tapeworms found in dogs can be passed to humans.

Learn more about tapeworms in dogs, dog walking, dog health and other helpful dog info at http://www.dogsanddogtraining.com.