[OwnedByJezebel]

Don't worry, this isn't an emergency. Just collect a stool sample in a baggie, or, better yet, one of the worm segments and bring it into the vet on Monday. They will either give Lola a pill or an injection, and it will all be history. In the grand scheme of things, this is on the minor side and very easily treated.

There are two types of tapeworms.

One kind they get from eating an infected animal, perhaps a rodent. This kind of tapeworm can be treated with the over-the-counter meds at PetsMart.

The second (and much more common type) is caught when they ingest an infected flea. You need to go to the vet to get the pills or injection to cure this type. You can't catch it directly from Lola, nor can you other dogs, because the segments you see cannot directly infect ... after they are passed they must go through a flea again as part of their life cycle. You would also have to ingest an infected flea (yuck!) in order to get tapeworms.