My rescue dog has white rice-like worms. What are they and are they contagious?

It could be that Saddie is suffering from tapeworms, and what you are seeing is tapeworm segments. I would have her seen by a vet for this. The vet can confirm if she is suffering from tapeworms, and can prescribe praziquantel in the form of Drontal to treat them. Praziquantel is available by prescription only from the vet, so you would have to see the vet anyway to get this medication.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Little white pieces that look like rice are tapeworms. The tapeworms might be coming out because they are dying from the dewormer. Tapeworms are transmissible between species so your cat and yourself can get tapeworms. I would wash all the blankets in hot water, and avoid letting her sit in places where your face would go. The transmission to other animals is by eating the eggs/pieces of rice looking things that are coming out. Also, I would talk to your vet about getting another deworming dose, and make sure the product covers for tapeworms. Best of luck with Haylee.

If they look like grains of rice it could be tapeworms which can be contracted from fleas. It could also be he is gotten reinfected if the eggs of the previous worms are in his environment such as in the backyard. There are over-the-counter flea medications that will take care of various intestinal parasites including tapeworms. However he should also be on a routine flea preventative to prevent re-infections.

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.

Hi there! These certainly look like tapeworms! You could take a stool sample in to show your local veterinarian, but that is certainly what it looks like to me. These can easily be treated with Drontal. Hope this helps!

Great question! You are correct that Sassy could have tapeworms based on your description. Tapeworms require praziquantel to treat, which is available by prescription only from your vet. The OTC deworming treatments won't have that medication in it, so that's why it isn't working. I would have Sassy seen by a vet tomorrow to get Drontal (it contains praziquantel). It is an excellent deworming treatment, and also kills roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms in addition to tapeworms. Sassy will need another Drontal two weeks after the first treatment to kill all the tapeworms, and then she should receive it every three months. I hope this helps!

Things that look like rice grains are usually tapeworm segments, so make sure you're not seeing these near or on his anus--that's the typical location. It doesn't hurt to get some dewormer from your vet just in case, especially if he hasn't been dewormed recently. If the scabs don't seem to heal on their own, he needs a dermatological visit at your vet as well.