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  #1  
Old August 17th, 2006, 10:09 PM
Becca Becca is offline
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Dog keeps getting tapeworms

Hello,

My dog does not seem to have a flea problem (I see one every once in a while) but he has had tapeworms 5 times, 3 of which were in the last 3 months. I am forever checking him for fleas and immediately look if he scratches or bites at his skin to keep him from swallowing one that may be there. I am frustrated because I don't know why he is continuing to get tapeworms and I hate to keep exposing him to the medicine for their treatment. I don't know if it will have long-term negative effects if used this many times.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks,

Becca
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Old August 17th, 2006, 10:18 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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Is he an indoor dog?
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Old August 17th, 2006, 11:25 PM
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Has he been to the vet and treated for tapeworms?
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  #4  
Old August 17th, 2006, 11:28 PM
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MyBirdIsEvil MyBirdIsEvil is offline
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If he hasn't ingested anything since being medicated, maybe the medication just isn't effective, what kind did you give him?
Not all dewormers have tapeworm medicine in them, and some of the ones that do aren't all that effective against them.

Btw, you must eliminate ALL fleas from him. If you see ANY fleas on him it means he's infested with them, especially if he's a longhaired dog. If he didn't have any/many fleas on him you'd never see any on him. Is he on any kind of flea preventative? If not he should be, otherwise it will be hard to keep him from getting reinfected with tapeworms, though the probable answer is that he ingested something and got reinfected, or they were never completely eliminated in the first place.

Also, has he been to the vet so that you're completely sure they're tapeworms and not another parasite?

If you're using an over the counter dewormer chances are it's not working. You need to get an effective dewormer that the vet recommends and use the dosage the vet decides would be most effective to actually eliminate them.
A lot of over the counter dewormers are also hard on the dog physically, and the stuff the vet gives is usually better.
It's more expensive but if you've already treated your dog 5 times you're spending more than a one time dose would be anyway.
The pill that the vet gave to my dog (which killed multiple parasites) was 5 dollars.

Last edited by MyBirdIsEvil; August 17th, 2006 at 11:53 PM.
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Old August 18th, 2006, 11:23 AM
vfrohloff vfrohloff is offline
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It's one of two things: either the initial tapeworm infestation isn't being treated effectively and keeps coming back, or your dog is ingesting new tapeworms somehow. Do you keep your yard clean? Does he eat his own poop? Does he go off into the woods and hunt for things? I suspect the treatment you have been using isn't working. I would check with the vet and see what they suggest. It's usually a one dose treatment, but the entire dose has to be taken all at the same time, otherwise the tapeworms will not be killed.
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  #6  
Old August 20th, 2006, 04:07 PM
Becca Becca is offline
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Okay, Sorry for the delay in responding. School has been hectic.

To answer all of the questions...

He is an indoor dog. I just moved here and this place does not have fleas.

He is on frontline plus, once a month.

Every time he has gotten a tapeworm, I took him to the vet, without hesitation. I never de-wormed him myself. This past time (yesterday) the vet gave him a shot for tapeworms only. In the past, he was given oral Cestex (which I believe works on tapeworms and other organisms). All of these are seemingly effective medications and seemed to kill the tapeworm at the time.

I have treated the yard (sprayed for fleas and bleached after finding tapeworms), though my yard only consists of a small cement slab. So, I always pick up his poop (from my house or when we walk) and he never eats his poop. Because I always pick up after him, I have the opportunity to examine his poop immediately and catch anything abnormal about it. That is how I am finding the tapeworms.

We go hiking at times but he is on the leash and does not wander off into the woods where he could kill a rabbit or any other animal that may contain tapeworms.

Okay, hopefully that answers all of the questions.

As far as I know, I am very diligent in trying to keep him flea-free and tapeworm-free and I was wondering if anyone else was having a similar problem, even though they are also doing everything "correctly." I am discouraged by my visits to the vet where he implies that I am not doing my part. I just don't know what else to do and I'm very frustrated at the implication. I am spending a fortune on this, besides.

Thanks for the input.

Last edited by Becca; August 20th, 2006 at 04:13 PM.
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  #7  
Old August 20th, 2006, 04:29 PM
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OntarioGreys OntarioGreys is offline
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Does he have contact with some other dog or maybe a cat. If he is mouthing of licking another pet that has fleas than he can ingest eggs with later become the tapeworm. Fleas eggs are laid in the fur of animals, in grass or in rugs, not in poop. They can only become a tape worm when actual egg is ingested, frontline takes 18 hours to kill an adult flea that has fed on the dog

You said you just moved there, did the previous owner have pets there may be eggs in the rugs, do you have an indoor cat or other small furry? Fleas can continue reproducing as long as they have a host to feed off of that has not be treated.
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  #8  
Old August 20th, 2006, 04:43 PM
Becca Becca is offline
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To answer your questions...no, he doesn't have contact with another animal...other than passing on the street...but he doesn't lick them because I don't let him. He can be temperamental with others so I don't risk it.

My current house does not have any carpet, and my last house didn't either. That's why I didn't have problems keeping the house from getting infested with fleas. I would just vacuum my furniture and sweep and mop my floors and never saw fleas. I do the same here and never see any...and I spend a lot of time on the floor playing with Buddy, doing yoga, and studying.

And noone has lived in this house in over a year and, as far as I know, they didn't have any pets.

His old vet, before I moved, was very sympathetic to the problem and would just suggest different ways to treat outside the house and stuff like that. After doing all of those things and moving, I thought surely I would not see anymore tapeworms. And then, one popped up last week! The new vet was very accusatory and had his mind made up that I do not use frontline on my dog or that I have fleas all in my house...both untrue. I was so frustrated that he wasn't trying to help me solve the problem but was merely demanding that I start doing things that I am already doing.

Anyway, I don't know where to go from here except to keep doing what I'm doing and bringing him to the vet for treatment if he gets another one.

Thanks for the ideas.
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  #9  
Old August 20th, 2006, 05:01 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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That must suck- dealing with this issue as best you can and still having a vet judge you. Good luck with everything.
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  #10  
Old August 20th, 2006, 05:45 PM
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Becca, sorry to hear of the problems you're having. Did you move too far away from your old vet? Perhaps you should go to a different vet than you have now as it doesn't sound like you'd be able to communicate with him very well should any other medical issues come up.

I don't know what to suggest re the tapeworms. I thought at first you were medicating your dog yourself. I hope you can somehow get to the bottom of this. Good luck and keep us posted.
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Old August 20th, 2006, 07:16 PM
Becca Becca is offline
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Thanks for the understanding words and I am definitely not going back to the bad-listener. He was horrible! And I realize I'm probably really picky but he didn't even introduce himself when he first came in, and my dog was a new patient! I like to see some nice, caring qualities when I am entrusting my dog's health to someone.

So, no, I will go to someone else in the future and hopefully have better luck. Of course, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't see anymore tapeworms and I'm hopeful that will be the case. I did take one aspect of his advice and put the frontline in three different spots on Buddy's back. I had always been told to just apply it at the base of the neck but I tried what this guy said and maybe it will have better coverage.

I'll keep you posted!
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Old August 21st, 2006, 01:01 AM
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MyBirdIsEvil MyBirdIsEvil is offline
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Make sure you actually get it down on the skin. Putting it on the fur won't do anything.
My vet also told me not to put it on right after I bathe my dog because it won't be as effective. Also don't bathe them less than a few days after applying it.
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  #13  
Old June 5th, 2013, 09:34 AM
Nicole2395 Nicole2395 is offline
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Help!!! Dog keeps getting tapeworms

I am literally dealing with the exact same thing and am ready to pull my hair out and scream. My innocent, clean, indoor 2 1/2 yr old YorkiePoo keeps getting tapeworms. He's been treated with Drontal at least 4-5 times and we've done everything that Becca has done. I really hope someone (ideally Becca) can reply to this and help me, though, this thread is from 2006. I'm so frustrated with our vet and I want to know WHY this is happening!!
Zeus & Nicole

Quote:
Originally Posted by Becca View Post
Hello,

My dog does not seem to have a flea problem (I see one every once in a while) but he has had tapeworms 5 times, 3 of which were in the last 3 months. I am forever checking him for fleas and immediately look if he scratches or bites at his skin to keep him from swallowing one that may be there. I am frustrated because I don't know why he is continuing to get tapeworms and I hate to keep exposing him to the medicine for their treatment. I don't know if it will have long-term negative effects if used this many times.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks,

Becca
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  #14  
Old June 5th, 2013, 09:38 AM
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Has your vet been involved? normally they can provide you with the correct medicines to completely illiminate the tapeworm. Over the counter products will not kill a tapeworm?
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Old June 5th, 2013, 10:04 AM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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http://www.ehow.com/way_5765961_do-s...og-worms_.html



Did your vet give you instruction on what you need to do to made your dog does not keep getting tapeworms? I posted a link , you need to wash your dog beddings in very hot water and if your dog sleeps in with you your bedding needs to wash in hot water and the bedding have dried at hot setting . It may be best to buy some strong papers plates and feed your dog on a clean plate each meal and put newspapers under the plates and do not uses your bare hands to pick up your dogs plates . The plates should taken out of the house right away and in a trash can that has bleach in it. My dad had tapeworms when he was in the Mexico jungle and he said he needed to made sure the head of the tapeworms came out too or it would grow back.
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Old June 5th, 2013, 10:40 AM
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I dont think tpaeworms are really contagious but if you ingested a flea from the same carrier you may possibly get one. I think the care your referring to Barkingdog is for worms such as whipworms, hookworms etc. A tapeworm lives inside the body until it is fully mature and then the tail section breaks off and exits via the dogs stool.

If you google tapeworms and remedy's you will see some interesting homemade remedys. I would highly reccomend getting the problem dealt with at the vets. Many years ago my two cats got a tapeworm and the vet gave them both a needle to get rid of it and it killed the tapeworm. It did not come back. I am assuming that you have not siccessfully killed the tapeworm.

Good Luck and let us know how you make out.
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"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED"
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
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  #17  
Old June 5th, 2013, 11:03 AM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Winston View Post
I dont think tpaeworms are really contagious but if you ingested a flea from the same carrier you may possibly get one. I think the care your referring to Barkingdog is for worms such as whipworms, hookworms etc. A tapeworm lives inside the body until it is fully mature and then the tail section breaks off and exits via the dogs stool.

If you google tapeworms and remedy's you will see some interesting homemade remedys. I would highly reccomend getting the problem dealt with at the vets. Many years ago my two cats got a tapeworm and the vet gave them both a needle to get rid of it and it killed the tapeworm. It did not come back. I am assuming that you have not siccessfully killed the tapeworm.

Good Luck and let us know how you make out.
then the whole house will have to cleaned very good to get rid of all the fleas , if the OP decides to uses fleas bombs they should be sure to turn off all their gas appliances. I knew a woman that set off 13 fleas bombs in her house and when she got back home she found her house blown up! She did not turn her gas off. I do remember my dad telling me the head can grow into another tapeworm. YUCK!! My dad had to drink a lot of very strong booze as there was no place to buy anything pills in the jungle .
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Old June 5th, 2013, 11:46 AM
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Nicole, are you sure there are no fleas around? Is your dog being treated with a flea preventive like frontline or a similar product? Sometimes fleas may be present in low numbers and not readily apparent.

You might also want to ask your vet about other remedies. I believe Panacur controls at least some types of tapeworms (Taenia tapeworms).
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Old June 6th, 2013, 09:30 AM
Longblades Longblades is offline
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Your dog is an indoor dog? He does not go outside to bathroom or for walks?

If he goes outside at all I wonder if he is eating other creatures' poop? If it was at all possible he was eating cat poop that would be a place he could get the tapeworms. Or dog poop but I'm thinking you would be much more likely to notice him eating dog poop.

Sorry, not to be rude but, are you sure these are tapeworms? Really, we've had people post before with very strange and wrong things told to them by their Vet. I'm not sure if you can get Drontal for dogs that does not have Praziquantel in it but check the ingredient list on the container. Meds that work on most other worms do not work on tapeworms. It must have Praziquantel in it.

I recommend Barking Dog's father's treatment. A slug of strong booze. For YOU, to help you deal. Kidding.
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Old June 6th, 2013, 11:35 AM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Longblades View Post
Your dog is an indoor dog? He does not go outside to bathroom or for walks?

If he goes outside at all I wonder if he is eating other creatures' poop? If it was at all possible he was eating cat poop that would be a place he could get the tapeworms. Or dog poop but I'm thinking you would be much more likely to notice him eating dog poop.

Sorry, not to be rude but, are you sure these are tapeworms? Really, we've had people post before with very strange and wrong things told to them by their Vet. I'm not sure if you can get Drontal for dogs that does not have Praziquantel in it but check the ingredient list on the container. Meds that work on most other worms do not work on tapeworms. It must have Praziquantel in it.

I recommend Barking Dog's father's treatment. A slug of strong booze. For YOU, to help you deal. Kidding.
My dad would had loves you! I do have to tell a funny story . My dad had a few friends that where doctors and some people thought dad was a Dr. too.
A woman told Dr. Dad that she was not able to sleep at night so dad told her to take a shot of booze before going to bed every night. The next time the woman ran into Dr. Dad she told she been sleeping great now.
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  #21  
Old August 30th, 2018, 10:03 AM
ItsyBitsy ItsyBitsy is offline
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That's a shame about the vet, hope you found a better one!

But it is possible that the issue is in fact not tapeworms but another parasite if the dog keeps getting infected without any plausible way to catch get tapeworms. You'll probably need to take some tests to figure out what they are exactly.

Generally speaking, if you spot that your dog has worms, you can use one of the over-the-counter dewormers to get rid of them. But if that doesn't work or if the issue keeps coming back you definitely need to find a good vet.

It is possible btw that the dog doesn't keep getting infected with tapeworms, but their remain in his system all this time - possibly the medicine you used isn't as potent as it needs to be. The vet should be able to tell you all of that definitively after the tests.

Last edited by hazelrunpack; August 30th, 2018 at 11:39 AM. Reason: No self-promotion, pls
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Old September 29th, 2018, 01:15 AM
Mauren Mauren is offline
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When tapeworms (cestodes) in dogs are treated with drugs that remove helminths from the intestine. Prevention of helminthiosis in dogs requires frequent examination of animals, and when it is found, treatment (de-worming). The litter in the dog must be changed, the bowel movements are buried daily in the ground. The litter must be processed. It is necessary to feed from the dishes specially designed for this. Do not feed dogs to the liver or lungs of domestic animals, if they can be larvae of echinococci or hydatid tapeworms. It is impossible to fully insure the dog against infection with tapeworms, but the probability of this will be much less if you do not give the dog raw rabbit and fish and watch that he does not have fleas and lice.
Good results in the treatment of tapeworm in dogs give drugs dronzit
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  #23  
Old January 24th, 2019, 06:19 PM
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Dr Lee Dr Lee is offline
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Hey team,

As I read through the posts, I see a lot of accurate information and hear the frustration. While I can’t diagnose a problem remotely, I can provide some medical background and list of some rule outs that might help.

Tapeworms seen in a dog that is on flea prevention and been dewormed. What are the possibilities?

Persistent tapeworms.


When we think of the most common tapeworm, we are referring to Dipylidium caninum, known as the flea tapeworm. Resistance is rare but documented.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30226153


This is not the only tapeworm that dogs get. Taenia species, Echinococcus, and the more dangerous Mesocestoides species can also infect canines. These parasite genera hold resistance to some common tapeworm medications.

Having definitive identification of the species is helpful. University parasitologists are often willing to help at little cost. Alternatively, your veterinarian can take some of the proglottids (tapeworm eggs), submit them to the lab with a description of the importance to have species identification.

Recurrent tapeworms.

As mentioned by members, dogs and humans can be infected with tapeworms by swallowing a flea which has been infected with the tapeworm. Crazy lifestyle huh? Those rice-like eggs coming out of your dog, cat, or person – not infectious if you ate them. (Still don’t, that’s gross!) However, for mammalian infection, an infected flea needs to be ingested.

But what if my pet is on flea prevention?

The newer isoxazoline drug class available by prescription is revolutionizing the fight against fleas. They have high safety profiles and can start killing quicker than most any other option. There are now five different companies which make these, and I recommend you ask your veterinarian if one if these would be correct for your pet. Typically, with this class, the need for environmental treatment is not necessary but, in this case, washing bedding and deep vacuuming is recommended.

Remember the flea lifecycle.

The flea goes from the egg --> larva --> pupa --> adult. Unfortunately, nothing kills pupae. Well, outside of a house fire, that is. Eggs have some resistant as well. These stages have roughly a 1-2-week window, depending upon environmental factors. The pupae phase can also last longer when there is no animal around. They react to vibrations and carbon dioxide. This cycle is why you can start a medication, it looks like it works, and then “appears to fail” – the pupae hatch. Or why the first medication “appears” not to work and the second one does. The hatching delay can be an issue. For this reason, the new isoxazoline class can help, but not eliminate, this issue. There are a couple of studies looking at dogs on this drug class not getting tapeworm when in challenge situations. With evidence on many OTC flea medication resistance, these new medications may be beneficial.

Remember the other sources of fleas

No matter what prevention you use, if your dog has access to other pets with uncontrolled live fleas, there is a risk of tapeworm transmission. Evaluate routines such as dog parks, groomers, and daycare. Consider neighbors. Does the dog on the other side of the fence have fleas? What about the neighborhood tomcat that comes into the backyard?

Summary

As always, recheck with your veterinarian. Ask their recommendation on best flea control, environmental treatment, and proper species identification of the tapeworm. On occasion, what we think are tapeworms are something else.

Hope that helps.
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