The question “can fleas carry tapeworms?” It may not have ventured into the minds of pet owners yet, but facing this idea is extremely alarming. As a pet owner, your goal is always to provide the best for your pets despite some bad deeds here and there. But will your mind change once you know that they can also carry infections?
Well, it shouldn’t be – enough knowledge and early detection can make a big difference. Flea and tick infestation is a common dilemma shared by millions of pet owners around the world, and the threat it poses to human health cannot be overemphasized. In fact, dogs or cats infected with fleas can carry tapeworms.
The existence of fleas on your dog’s skin can not only cause an allergic skin condition known as flea allergy dermatitis (FAD), but they also serve as carriers for many other infectious agents such as tapeworm. If you take the time to realize it, tapeworms appear as grains of rice in your dog’s stool. This can cause irritation in your dog’s anal region.
With humans, tapeworms and other types of bacterial worms can cause serious health problems when acquired by humans, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and even permanent eye damage. However, the problem with tapeworms is that they are quite difficult to eliminate once they have managed to infest your dog’s body.
The tapeworm invades the intestinal walls of the host and this is when the segments break until they are released along with the waste. And since fleas serve as carriers of the tapeworm, the next organism they infest will most likely contract this infection as well. Once infected with tapeworm, you will have to undergo several deworming procedures to be able to dislodge the worm’s head because that is the key to regenerating and continuing to reproduce.
At the moment, there are only a few medications that work effectively against tapeworms. Drontal is a type of dewormer that is widely available in today’s market. The deworming application process can be done two, or even three, to ensure effectiveness. The application interval can be done in two weeks to follow the life cycle of the parasite. So the first wave of the app aims to kill the adult worms, and the tracking app aims to kill the survivors even more.
Although many procedures and products have been created to help treat flea infestation, as well as subsequent tapeworm infections, still nothing beats prevention. You should always be vigilant in observing the conditions of your pets and use a specialized flea comb to remove fleas from your dog’s hair. Then you can take the necessary precautionary measures to help stop the spread or further infestation of tapeworms. So take note of your dog’s itching, hair loss, and blood loss.
And because these parasites are transmissible to humans, you, as a pet owner, are also in serious danger. People with a weaker immune system are more likely to be infected, especially their children, who are in constant physical contact with their pets. You have to do something about it now before you find the answer to the question “can fleas carry tapeworm?” the hard way.