Now inside their definitive host, the tapeworm larvae migrate to the intestines, attach via their suckers and hooks, and develop to adults, ready to complete their lifecycle. After development, larvae are consumed by the definitive host (our cats and dogs) either from the environment or when the intermediate host itself is eaten. The intermediate host consumes the eggs, which hatch into larvae and develop. All dog and cat tapeworms have indirect lifecycles, meaning a secondary intermediate host must consume the eggs before they can infect your pets (more on these hosts later). Eggs grow in a tapeworm’s final segment (the gravid segment) which breaks off and is passed out in their host’s faeces. They can also reproduce sexually or asexually. Adult tapeworms are hermaphrodites, meaning they contain both male and female reproductive organs. Tapeworm lifecycles are actually more complex than their simple nature might imply. Unlike many roundworms, tapeworms and their eggs are usually large enough to be seen by the naked eye. They have suckers and hooks which they use to attach themselves to an animal’s intestinal wall and feed off nutrients. Adult tapeworms are usually very long (some species can grow over 10m long!), white in colour, and segmented with a head at one end and a segment full of eggs in the other. Tapeworms, as the name suggests, are flat ribbon-shaped worms, which differentiates them from the other common group of worms, roundworms. Now for the unpleasant part, not just how to kill or control tapeworms, but what they actually are. Also how you can treat and prevent tapeworm infection in your pets. We will talk about tapeworm biology and the different species of dog and cat tapeworms. But did you know that “worm” is a very broad category referring to hundreds of different parasites that can live inside your pet’s gastrointestinal tract? Today we will be discussing one specific group – tapeworms. Hopefully, every pet owner knows that they must regularly ‘worm’ their pets.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |