Tapeworms in Cats, or “Why is There Rice in My Pet’s Bed?”

Introduction

Perhaps you’ve noticed small rice-like bits every now and then in your pet’s bedding. Maybe you’ve seen them on the barn cat’s blanket, or in the fur around your cat’s bottom. Sorry to say, those are tapeworm segments, infective to an intermediate host, on standby for a chance to infect the next animal. (If they’ve been shed very recently, they may still be moist and may actually be moving!)

Tapeworms are a parasitic segmented flatworm that live in the small intestine of cats and other animals. Pets become infected by eating intermediate hosts, the most common being fleas and mice, which contain the infective larvae.

Are Tapeworms Harmful?

Most tapeworms do not cause apparent harm to our pets, except occasionally perianal pruritus. Exceptions include:

• Spirometra may cause diarrhea, weight loss, and vomiting.
• Mesocestoides larva may cause Peritoneal larval cestodiasis (PLC) –a potentially fatal peritoneal infection in dogs (which are accidental intermediate hosts).

What are the Signs of Tapeworms?

Signs of tapeworm infection include:

• White to off-white dried or moist individual tapeworm segments called proglottids may be seen in the feces, on bedding, on the ground, or on the pet. Taenia, common in dogs (and cats), makes rectangular proglottids, and Dipylidium, also common, has barrel-shaped proglottids. Mesocestoides are club shaped and Echinococcus proglottids are too small to see.
• Scooting, or rubbing the anus on the ground, due to pruritus. . Read more with our PHH articles on Itchinus and Anal Sacs in cats.
• Diarrhea, weight loss, and vomiting from Spirometra.
• PLC—abdominal distension from ascites, lethargy, and decreased to no appetite.

How do Cats Get Infected with Tapeworms?

Cats usually become infected with tapeworms by ingesting fleas and mice (also rarely lice). Although it seems strange at first that cats would eat fleas; however, cats tend to be fastidious groomers which conveys fleas into their mouths. Since flea bites cause pruritus, and cats scratch themselves largely by biting, licking, and chewing, it is difficult for a pet with any fleas at all to avoid becoming infected with tapeworms. It is an elegant and very successful life cycle for the tapeworm. (See the PHH article on Fleas and Ticks)

In addition to fleas and mice, cats can also become infected with tapeworms by eating a number of different intermediate hosts. These include birds, reptiles, rabbits, rodents, other mammals, sheep viscera, amphibians, copepods, and uncooked fish.

What Can I Do to Prevent Tapeworms in My Cat?

It can be difficult to prevent tapeworm infection because fleas are everywhere and because cats are prone to catch and eat mice, but there are some guidelines:

• The best thing to do is to keep your cat on a good veterinary recommended brand of monthly flea preventative. A high quality, effective product should kill fleas within hours of them jumping onto your pet, so your pet shouldn’t have much chance to ingest them, thus preventing tapeworm infection. A high quality veterinary recommended flea collar will also suffice.

BE SURE YOU ARE USING A PRODUCT LABELED FOR CATS!

If your cat is going outdoors, a topical product is probably safer than a collar.

This is a good choice for monthly control of fleas and ticks.

This is a cat flea and tick collar that lasts 8 months.

This is a once a month topical flea prevention and treatment for cats:

For cat owners the most important consideration is to BE SURE TO PURCHASE A PRODUCT THAT IS MADE FOR CATS! This cannot be stressed strongly enough! Although many of the chemicals used for cat and dog flea and tick control are the same, the concentrations often differ. This dosing makes a big difference in the safety for cats. Many cats have become sick, and some have died from being dosed with dog products.

The second consideration is whether to use a topical treatment or a collar. If you choose a collar, make sure it has breakaway safety features, and that it kills ticks if you live in a tick-infested area. Depending on where you live, your veterinarian might recommend heartworm prevention combined with flea and tick control for your cat.

• Make sure your pets and neighboring pets, barn cats, or feral cats don’t have lice. (If you have feral cats, look for a local Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) program to help you). All good quality flea control products also kill lice.
• Keep your cat inside if you can. As an outdoor alternative a catio provides some outdoor fun and entertainment, without letting them have access to mice and other intermediate tapeworm hosts. (Make sure you keep food indoors to avoid attracting rodents). Another option is to use a long line to allow them supervised outdoor access.

• Prevent hunting and scavenging, and don’t let your pet eat any intermediate hosts, especially their viscera: birds, reptiles, rabbits, rodents, sheep, amphibians, copepods, and uncooked fish.

Are Tapeworms Hazardous to Humans?

Most tapeworms are not hazardous to humans, but some are. The following cautions should be noted:

• Children are at some risk for Dipylidium infection because of the possibility of ingesting fleas, and tapeworm segments are occasionally mistaken for pinworms.
• Echinococcus tapeworms can cause hydatid disease in humans which can be fatal.
• Taenia and Echinococcus eggs look alike, so strict sanitation must be practiced in the lab.
• Humans can become infected with Mesocestoides, Diphyllobothrium, and Spirometra by ingesting intermediate hosts, particularly in uncooked food.

How Are Tapeworms Diagnosed?

• You can bring a sample from your cat’s bedding, fur, or feces, to show your veterinarian. Use gloves to obtain the sample, and wash your hands.

• It is usually recommended to run a fecal flotation to try to detect tapeworm eggs, although it is more common not to find them even if tapeworm segments are seen on the stool. This is because the segments contain egg packets that will only occasionally rupture and spill out their eggs, which can be seen microscopically. The purpose of the flotation is to find them if they are present, but also to screen for other intestinal parasites.
• Occasionally a cellophane tape test is done, where tape is pressed to the perianal skin, then applied to a microscope slide, to try to find microscopic tapeworm egg packets. This test can be used to differentiate the different types of tapeworms.

How Are Tapeworms Treated?

• If you are confident that your pet has tapeworms, it generally won’t cause harm to treat your pet with over the counter praziquantel according to label directions, but it may not be effective against all types of tapeworms. Also, because there is some emerging resistance to praziquantel in Dipylidium tapeworms, you may not accomplish a complete eradication, and one could argue that you may be contributing to resistance in the parasite. (Praziquantel was available only by prescription until the past few years, when it became available over the counter.)

Your veterinarian may prescribe one of the following treatment options:

• Fenbendazole for 3 days
• Praziquantel with pyrantel pamoate
• Epsiprantel in varying doses
• Emodepside with praziquantel topically
• Do not use praziquantel or epsiprantel in animals under 4 weeks old.
• Repeat treatment may be needed if eradication is not achieved.

What Should I Do for Follow-up After Tapeworm Treatment?

• Monitor your cat’s stool, fur, and bedding for signs of tapeworm recurrence.
• Continue good flea prevention and control protocol.
• It is important to do a microscopic examination for tapeworm eggs after treatment to be sure Mesocestoides is completely eradicated, as they can replicate by asexual multiplication, resulting in recurrence without reinfection.

What is the Prognosis for My Cat After Tapeworm Treatment?

Usually, the prognosis after treatment for tapeworms is excellent. Tapeworm medications are very effective and generally kill adult tapeworms in one treatment cycle. As mentioned, there is some new resistance to praziquantel which will make treatment with this common medication more challenging. Ask your veterinarian for help with the diagnosis and treatment for the most successful elimination of your cat’s tapeworm infection.

However, if Mesocestoides is not completely eradicated, it can recur due to its asexual multiplication.

What is the Take-Home Message about Tapeworms?

Tapeworms look gross, but they generally aren’t going to harm your cat. Some types can cause zoonotic disease, however, so you should see your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.

Tapeworm treatments kill adult tapeworms. Intermediate hosts and infective eggs remain in the environment and can potentially reinfect your cat.

When your pet has tapeworms, they usually have fleas. Check them all over for fleas with a flea comb. Preventing your pet from getting fleas, the intermediate host for Dipylidium tapeworms, is the best way to prevent their infection. Use a high-quality, veterinary-approved flea control product to prevent fleas and tapeworms. Clean your home and your cat’s bedding of any flea dirt, eggs, and tapeworm segments.

Prevent reinfection of the other types of tapeworms by preventing your pets from ingesting the other intermediate hosts as best you can: birds, reptiles, rabbits, rodents, the viscera of sheep, amphibians, other mammals, copepods, and uncooked fish.

If your cat is leash trained, use a long leash or a flexi-leash to prevent your cat’s access to eating intermediate hosts. Rather than let your cat roam free out of doors, keep your cat indoors if possible.

Monitor your cat’s stool, fur, and living quarters for signs of tapeworm segments so you detect an infection or reinfection right away if it occurs. Finally, be happy when you don’t see any rice-like bits in your pet’s bed.