My dog passed a long, segmented worm. What kind is it and what to do?

Yes, they look like tapeworm segments. Dogs get tapeworms by eating infected fleas so you have to get the fleas under control as well as treating the tapeworms. Since he is not eating a losing weight you should have him examined by your vet.

Based on the photo, these look like tapeworm segments. Tapeworms are harder to kill than most other intestinal parasites, so in most states you will need to get a prescription dewormer from a vet to get rid of them. As far as disinfection goes - tapeworms have an indirect life cycle, so they cannot be contracted directly from coming into contact with an infected dogs feces. Dogs normally get them either from swallowing a flea, or from eating roadkill or some type of rodent. So you don't need to worry about your yard - the best way to prevent tapeworms is to keep your dog on a good quality flea medication, and keep them from eating dead things outside. They cannot get tapeworms directly from the ground, so this should not be a concern :)

If they are small like a rice grain then they are likely tapeworm segments, however without a fecal examination or seeing the worms it is just a educated guess. I would still recommend saving some worms in a jar or isopropyl alcohol for your veterinarian to see next week. If you use heartworm prevention monthly that deworms for Many parasites, but you can request a prescription for heartworm prevents that includes tapeworm medication as well. That way monthly he gets dewormed. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

It looks like this could be a piece of a roundworm or tapeworm segment. I would recommend taking a stool sample in to be seen by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. A dewormer is likely needed.

What you are describing does sound like a tapeworm segment - these are usually short, flat, and wiggly. You're correct that Droncit would be an effective dewormer for this problem - this is a prescription-only medication in most states, so you will need to get this from your vet.

It would be worthwhile taking a sample to your vets office to confirm exactly what species they are but if long and thin they are likely to be a roundworm species and not tapeworm (flat segments and often moving). There are many types of roundworm and your vets should be able to help you identify what you have so you can both treat and try and reduce re-occurrence

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. These are tapeworms and they come from your pet ingesting a flea or eating another pets poop that has live tapeworms in it. It is contagious to other pets and people via ingestion of a live worm. You will need tapeworm specific dewormer such as Drontal or Praziquantel to rid this worm and a good flea preventative (Bravecto, Nexgard, Firstshield) is recommended. Usually tapeworms are gone after the first treatment as long as puppy doesn't get reinfected. I hope this is helpful! Take care now.