Eggs are shed directly into the feces. I f shed into water small crustaceans swallow the egg which are then consumed by fresh water fish and ultimately the final host. With each intermediated host DL matures to infect the final host when eaten. The worm is asymptomatic in the dog but, in man can produce severe anemia. Treatment is no different than other tapeworms in the dog.
Diagnosis is primarily by microscopic fecal exam.
Both worms are large, around 3 inches. Both are diagnosed by standard microscopic fecal exams. False negatives occur when no eggs have been shed into the sample presented. Infection occurs in both TC and TL by ingestion of eggs when contaminated feces are shed into the environment. However, the vast majority of TC infection occurs by transplacental migration from the bitch to the pup.