What are the rice like worms in my pet’s poop?
A Pet Owner’s Guide to Tapeworms
Discover how pets get tapeworms and why flea control is the secret to prevention.
What Are Tapeworms?
Tapeworms are flat, segmented worms that live in the intestines of dogs and cats. The worm is made of many small segments, called proglottids, each about the size of a grain of rice.
As the tapeworm grows, these segments break off and are passed in your pet’s poop. These are the “white specks” owners often find on their pet’s rear end or in their bedding. Unlike other worms, tapeworms always require an “intermediate host” to infect your pet.
The Tapeworm Lifecycle: A Two-Host Job
The tapeworm lifecycle is different because it can’t go directly from one pet to another. It needs a middleman—an intermediate host—like a flea or a rodent.
An infected pet passes tapeworm segments in its poop.
The segments dry up and release eggs, which are eaten by a flea larva or a rodent.
The tapeworm egg hatches and develops into a larva inside the flea or rodent.
Your pet gets infected by swallowing the infected flea or eating the infected rodent.
How Dogs and Cats Get Infected
Dogs: It’s Usually Fleas
By far, the most common way for a dog to get tapeworms is by swallowing an infected flea. This happens when dogs groom themselves or chew at an itchy flea bite. Hunting rodents can also lead to infection, but fleas are the primary culprit.
Cats: Fleas & Hunting
Cats also get tapeworms from swallowing fleas during grooming. However, cats that go outdoors and hunt have a high risk of getting a different type of tapeworm from eating infected mice, rats, or rabbits.
What to Watch For: Signs of Sickness
Tapeworms are often more “icky” than dangerous, but they can still cause discomfort. The signs are usually obvious if you know what to look for.
“Rice Grains”
Finding small, white segments that look like rice or sesame seeds on your pet’s rear end or bedding is the #1 sign.
Scooting
Your pet may drag their rear end on the ground due to the irritation and itchiness of the segments.
Excessive Licking
Constant licking or biting at their rear end is another sign of the irritation caused by the tapeworm segments.
Vomiting
Occasionally, a pet may vomit up an adult tapeworm, which can be several inches long.
See It In Action: Tapeworm Segments
This is what motile tapeworm segments (proglottids) look like after they are passed. These segments contain tapeworm eggs.
The Flea-Tapeworm Connection
Seeing tapeworms is often the first sign that your pet has fleas! Because a pet must swallow an infected flea to get the most common type of tapeworm, a tapeworm diagnosis means a flea was present, even if you haven’t seen any. Effective flea control is the key to preventing future tapeworm infections.
Your Pet’s Protection Plan: Break the Cycle!
Unlike other worms, preventing tapeworms isn’t about an early deworming schedule. It’s about stopping your pet from eating the intermediate hosts. The focus is on continuous, year-round prevention.
1. Year-Round Flea Control
This is the most important step. Using an effective, vet-recommended flea preventive is the #1 way to stop the most common tapeworm infection.
2. Prevent Hunting and Scavenging
Keep cats indoors and supervise dogs to prevent them from eating rodents, rabbits, or other wildlife that could be carrying tapeworm larvae.
3. Regular Deworming
Many monthly heartworm preventives also treat and control tapeworms. Your vet can recommend a product that covers all the bases.
4. Environmental Cleanup
Promptly cleaning up your pet’s feces helps reduce the number of tapeworm eggs in the environment that could infect fleas or wildlife.
Can People Get Tapeworms?
It is possible, but rare. Humans, especially children, can get the common flea tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum) if they accidentally swallow an infected flea. This is uncommon and the infection is not serious.
However, a much more dangerous type of tapeworm, Echinococcus, can be carried by dogs that eat infected wildlife. Human infection with this parasite can cause large, dangerous cysts in the organs and is a serious public health concern, though it’s less common in pet dogs.
How to Keep Your Family Safe:
- Use effective flea control on all pets, all year round.
- Prevent your pets from hunting or scavenging wildlife.
- Practice good hygiene—wash hands after playing with pets.