Todayโs path rounds are on ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐
๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ are a common tapeworm species affecting dogs and cats. As you might suspect from the name, these tapeworms are associated with flea infestation!
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
We most commonly see this in dogs and cats, however humans can get this tapeworm as well.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
The flea tapeworm is more scientifically known as ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐ฆ. Infected animals shed ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ, or small segments of the tapeworm, into their feces. Each proglottid contains numerous eggs, which contaminate the environment. A flea comes along and eats the egg, which then develops into a juvenile form of tapeworm. The flea carries on its normal flea life by infecting a dog or cat, causing the animal to scratch or lick at its skin. The infected flea is eaten, giving the juvenile tapeworm access to the intestine and completing the life cycle.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
Most of the time tapeworms do not cause issues, however severe infections can cause diarrhea, โpoor doingโ and lethargy. In some cases, a large number of tapeworms can block the intestine completely, causing an emergency.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
Diagnosis is based on a fecal examination to identify either the proglottid segments or eggs.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐? ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐?
Typical anti-parasitic medications remove the adult tapeworms from the intestine, making treatment relatively easy. However, treating and preventing the flea infestation that the animal likely has is much more difficult. Usually some combination of anti-parasitic medications and thorough environmental cleaning is required to completely remove a flea infestation. Routine anti-flea medications prevent subsequent flea infestations, and thus also help prevent flea tapeworm infection.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1-3) Tapeworm infections! One of these photos also has another type of worm, can you spot it? ๐
4) A packet of tapeworm eggs under the microscope!
5) What a pathologist might see when looking at the intestine under the microscope! Each of those weird structures with a dark border is a tapeworm.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Peregrine AS. Tapeworms in dogs and cats. Merck Veterinary Manual 2017.
Photos 1-5 ยฉ Noahโs Arkive contributor Morris, Rech, Metro, Ramos, Prestwood licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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