What is a tapeworm? They get their name from the fact that they look like tape! The tapeworm body is segmented up to its neck. Its is filled with six sets of “teeth” used to attach itself to the intestinal lining. Once it’s attached, it moves in & starts stealing meals from your

Tapeworms are usually transmitted when a digests a flea during grooming. can also get tapeworms by ingesting the eggs shed by other animals or by hunting flea-infested rodents . Each tapeworm segments has its own digestive & reproductive system. These segments eventually break off & are passed through your cat’s digestive system, exiting via the anus.

These nasty segments, which look like pieces of rice, are spread around the & can be found in the cat’s litter box, & in your furniture & carpeting. When a segment is ingested by a host, the cycle can start all over again inside the unknowing victim’s digestive tract.

The most common symptom is the appearance of the tapeworm segments on the fur, near the anus, or in the. Because tapeworms feed on the nutrients passed in the small intestine, your cat may seem more hungry than usual as they unwittingly share meals with a nasty intestinal parasite. If the infestation lasts long enough, your might even lose weight.

The easiest & most common way to diagnose tapeworms is through visual inspection. Your veterinarian will recommend other intestinal parasite tests, depending on your kitty’s symptoms; to rule out other intestinal parasites.

Treating tapeworms includes deworming meds that kill off the existing tapeworms. Additionally, ensuring your & house are flea-free, since your can become reinfested by consuming fleas.

Prevention includes keeping your cat’s litter pan & bedding clean & your cat & house free of fleas. Use proper flea control, as recommended by your veterinarian, for the environment you live in. If your cat is a hunter, check them often as rodents are often hosts to fleas, which in turn are hosts to tapeworms !