The flea larvae do not pay close attention to what they eat and innocently consume tapeworm eggs.Īs the larval flea progresses in its development, the tapeworm inside it is also progressing in development. The flea eggs hatch, releasing hungry flea larvae that eagerly begin to graze on dust, dandruff, and flea dirt. This will also be where tapeworm segments accumulate as well. The eggs drop off the pet and onto the ground wherever the pet goes with the largest number of flea eggs accumulating in areas where the pet tends to frequent. Meanwhile, fleas living on the pet have been happily drinking the pet's blood, mating, and laying eggs. The tapeworm must reach a specific stage of development before it can infect a mammal and this stage comes much later. These eggs are not infectious to mammals. The sac breaks and tapeworm eggs are released. Eventually, the segment will dry and look more like a sesame seed. The segment is the size of a grain of rice and is able to move. The sac, called a proglottid, is passed from the host’s rectum and out into the world, either on the host’s stool or on the host’s rear end. When the segment drops off, it is basically just a sac of tapeworm eggs. By the time a segment has reached the end of the tail, only the reproductive tract is left. Older segments are pushed toward the tip of the tail as new segments are produced by the neckpiece. The tapeworm absorbs nutrients through its skin as the host's digested food flows by. Each segment making up the tail is like a separate independent body, with an independent digestive system and reproductive tract. Once docked like a boat to the host intestinal wall, the tapeworm begins to grow a long tail, as the tapeworm’s body is basically a head segment to hold on with, a neck, and many tail segments. Tapeworms are not spread from pet to pet directly to get infected, the pet must swallow the infected flea. The tiny tapeworm looks for a place to latch on to the host's intestine so it can grow a full body. The body of the flea is digested away releasing the tiny tapeworm, which is at this point mostly a head with hooks and suction cups. The dog or cat becomes infected after swallowing a flea that is carrying a larval tapeworm. As a dog sleeps, tapeworm segments are passed.
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