Today we wanted to write something about tapeworms, to help you understand the life cycle.
The tapeworm’s egg sacks are shed from the pet's back end, sometimes they can be seen in the perineal region, but often fall into the environment.
The sack containing eggs bursts and the eggs get eaten by the larvae stage of the flea that live in the bedding or carpets where your dog or cat sleeps.
The larvae then develop into adult fleas with the infective stage of the tapeworm, in the gut of the flea.
The flea jumps onto the pet, the pet grooms their coat and ingests the flea, the flea's ectoskeleton is then broken down in the pets stomach, and the infective stage of the worm is free to develop into an adult worm and produce more eggs to start the cycle again.
Who's scratching themselves at the thought?!
If you're concerned about tapeworms, read more on our page about worm control, or give us a call on 01684 292244
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