{"id":1502,"date":"2020-01-24T22:26:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-25T05:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rocklinranchvet.com\/blog\/?p=1502"},"modified":"2020-01-24T22:26:00","modified_gmt":"2020-01-25T05:26:00","slug":"tapeworms-and-your-pet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rocklinranchvet.com\/blog\/tapeworms-and-your-pet\/","title":{"rendered":"Tapeworms and Your Pet \ufeff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Tapeworms, even the name sounds gross. But, tapeworms are a common type of internal parasite that affects dogs and cats. Some species of tapeworm are zoonotic, meaning they can be transmitted to humans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about these intestinal foes<\/a> and how you can protect your pet from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is a Tapeworm?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A tapeworm is a long, flat worm that lives in the intestinal tract of animals. It is typically transmitted via fleas when a cat or dog ingests the flea, or the feces of an infected animal. They attach themselves to the wall of the intestine with a hooked type of mouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Tapeworms can grow up to 20 inches and as they mature, they break off into tiny, white pieces resembling rice. This is usually the first sign of tapeworms, as they show up in a pet\u2019s feces or vomit. 
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The  most common species of tapeworm affecting cats and dogs is Dipylidium caninum,<\/em> which is carried by fleas. Other types of tapeworms include Taenia <\/em>and Echinococcus<\/em> that use rodents as their carriers. 
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The signs of tapeworm are minimal, but are:
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