Fleas Transmit Tapeworms ???
Mark Robert Thorson
mentions they can transmit tapeworms. Is that really true? I thought
tapeworms were transmitted by contact with fecal material. I think
they're confusing tapeworms with some other kind of worm (heartworms?).
Laura Toms
Yes, it's true. From the _Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook_:
"Dogs can acquire several different kinds of tapeworm. One is due
to eating uncooked meat or discarded animal parts. Another is
acquired by eating raw fresh fist. Commonly, the disease is
transmitted by the flea. The dog must bite or swallow the flea
which harbors the immature tapeworms in its intestine. Fleas
acquire the parasite by eating tapeworm eggs."
Heatworm is transmitted by mosquitos; other types of worms can be
transmitted through contact with fecal matter.
--
===========================================================================
= Laura Toms, la...@manta.MorningStar.com (614) 766-6287 =
= 5151 Brand Road, Dublin, Ohio 43017 Moraine Labradors =
===========================================================================
Diana Quintal
This is interesting because my dog just got tapeworms. It was really
disgusting I saw them squirming around in her stool. Anyway I immediately
took her to the vet and he told me that dogs get them from ingesting a flea
that is carrying the larvae. But, I have never seen a flea on my dog and
believe me I check her regularly. But even if she did have some fleas she
can't have that many because I've never seen them.
I think she got them from eating cat stool. We have a lot of cats in the
neighborhood and when I take her on walks she sometimes comes across a piece and
chomps on it.
diana
Sharon Baker
>, an article about fleas
> mentions they can transmit tapeworms. Is that really true? I thought
> tapeworms were transmitted by contact with fecal material. I think
> they're confusing tapeworms with some other kind of worm (heartworms?).
--
Sharon Baker UUCP: sun!sundc!potomac!sbaker
Advanced Decision Systems Internet: sba...@potomac.ads.com
Mike Mahler
> Yes, it's true. From the _Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook_:
>
> "Dogs can acquire several different kinds of tapeworm. One is due
> to eating uncooked meat or discarded animal parts. Another is
^^^^
Down Boy, DOWN! Leave him his other hand! Down BOY!
Meloney D Cregor
No. They are correct. The intermediate host for tapeworms is fleas and
the intermediate host for heartworms is mosquitos. Tapeworms can also be
picked up by eating rodents infested with the varmits. Heartworms have
nothing to do with feces. Round worms, hook worms, coccidia, ect. are
passed in the feces.
--
m...@iies.ecn.purdue.edu
Did you ever get the feeling that you've lived before...
but last time you had instructions? - (haven't a clue)
joyce.l.king
The article is true. Dogs and cats get tapeworm from eating animals
(fleas, rabbits, squirrels, etc.) that have tapeworm. The don't
get tapeworm from being bitten, or from having fleas on them...only by
ingesting them, which they do when they scratch themselves with their
mouths.
Heartworm is spread by a mosquito that has previously bitten a heartworm-
infested animal.
Most other worm parasites are transmitted by contact with fecal material.
Remember, most worm parasites are species specific, so you cannot complete
the life cycle of your dog's worms, and he can't complete the life cycle
of your horse's worms. In some cases, you can give each other parasites
in some other form...like hook worm from your dog can get into YOUR foot,
but instead of completing its life cycle it will wonder around aimlessly
in your legs, not a pleasant experience.
This is a gross oversimplification of parasitology, but is probably all
that is necessary in this follow-up. If the rest of you netters want to
pick up the banner and go from here, best wishes....
--
Joyce Andrews King
Laura Toms
>From the _Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook_:
>
> "Dogs can acquire several different kinds of tapeworm. One is due
> to eating uncooked meat or discarded animal parts. Another is
> acquired by eating raw fresh fist. Commonly, the disease is
> transmitted by the flea. The dog must bite or swallow the flea
> which harbors the immature tapeworms in its intestine. Fleas
> acquire the parasite by eating tapeworm eggs."
I got email about my humorous typo. Sorry! Even the spelling checker
won't catch that one...
motif user
>
> Xref: unify sci.bio:1137 rec.pets:7285
> Path: unify!csusac!ucdavis!ucbvax!ucsd!usc!apple!portal!cup.portal.com!mmm
> From: m...@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson)
> Newsgroups: sci.bio,rec.pets
> Date: 18 Jul 90 19:49:34 GMT
> Organization: The Portal System (TM)
> Lines: 4
Yes, fleas can transmit tapeworms.
--
-Greg Pasquariello g...@unify.com
Meg Roberts
i believe EATING a flea transmits tapeworms to a dog, not being bitten
by the flea. but yes, tapeworms are indeed transmitted by fleas.
Annick Ansselin
>Most other worm parasites are transmitted by contact with fecal material.
>Remember, most worm parasites are species specific, so you cannot complete
>the life cycle of your dog's worms, and he can't complete the life cycle
>of your horse's worms.
In an environment where dogs can be infected with tapeworm the eggs leave he
animal through the digestive tract (faeces) and eventually end up in the soil
where the animals roam and lie down. This means such animals may have eggs
on their furr.
Humans can be the unwilling intermediary host by ingesting eggs (patting
the dog and not washing hands, eggs can get under the fingernails etc.)
and the tapeworm hatches from the egg moves to a cosy spot and encysts.
The cyst most commonly moves to the liver or the lungs but can
be found anywhere in the body where it sits and grows and grows....
It can become very large containing huge amounts of fluid. It can also be
fatal if the cyst has moved to some vital organ.
Although some parasytes are extremely species specific, many are not so
narrow in their choices and will accept a variety of animals as hosts,
for example the most common tapeworm will use cattle, pig, sheep, dogs and
humans as hosts.