The common tapeworm grows in the intestine, segments break off and pass through the gut and lodge in the fur around the dogs anus. At this stage the segments are full of eggs. They dry resembling a grain of rice and then burst. The eggs are released where they are eaten by flea larvae where they remain. If a dog swallows an infected flea, the tapeworm egg hatches and grows in the intestine.
Tapeworm infestation can have a serious affect on young, sick or old animals.
A dogs stools can be tested for tapeworm. The segments of a tapeworm may be found around the dogs anus or on its' bedding. Roundworm larvae can remain dormant in body tissue. When a bitch becomes pregnant, hormonal changes awaken the larvae and migrate to her intestine. Here they mature, while others travel through the placenta to the embryos, the pups are then born affected.