In my article last week on anal sacs I detailed one of the main reasons your dog or cat may scoot on the ground. In this article I will discuss the second most common reason that can cause your pet to scoot, tapeworms.
Tapeworms cause your dog or cat to scoot, because their proglottids creep out of the anus and may attach themselves to the hair in the perianal area. Proglottids are segments of an adult tapeworm’s body which contain egg packets; adult shed these proglottids as part of their reproductive cycle. Proglottids cause the anus to itch, which will the cause your pet to scoot on the ground. If fresh, proglottids look similar to maggots and are able to move. If dry, they look like grains of rice.
There are three species of tapeworms that may infest your dog or cat, Dipylidium caninum1 and Taenia taeniaeformis2, and Taenia pisiformis2. All three of these tapeworms have a complicated life cycle that includes some type of an intermediate host. Once the proglottids get into the environment they degenerate and the egg sacs are eaten, by flea larvae in the case of Dipylidium caninum, by mice in the case of Taenia taeniaeformis, and by rabbits in the case of Taenia pisiformis. Once the intermediate host eats the eggs they hatch in the intestine and borrow into its body where it encysts. When a dog or cat (who are the definitive host) eats a flea, mouse, or rabbit these cysts grow into an adult tapeworm in the intestine of the new host. These tapeworms develop their own proglottids which are shed in the feces and the life cycle repeats itself. Humans can also become infested with Dipylidium caninum if they accidently eat a flea.
Most parasitologists agree that tapeworms in animals don’t cause health problems, but we still recommend treating them because of the irritation they cause for our pets, not to mention the “ick factor” of seeing the proglottids on your pet or lying around your house.
Tape worms are very effectively treated by asking for a prescription of a drug called praziquantel from your veterinarian. We suggest treating whenever you see the proglottids.
Tapeworm prevention is aimed at flea control and preventing your pet from eating mice or rabbits. Flea prevention is much more straight forward than it used to be with the advent of new very effective flea preventatives. However, if you have an outside dog or cat that hunts, it may be much more difficult preventing Taenia taeniaeformis and Taenia pisiformis.
Ask your veterinarian if you have any questions about these parasites. If you are unsure if you are seeing tapeworms bring in a sample in alcohol and they will get you the appropriate medication. If your pet is scooting and you don’t see any tapeworm segments, schedule an exam with your veterinarian so they can determine if anal sacs are the problem.
1. http://dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/html/Dipylidium.htm
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taenia_(genus)