Tapeworms break off into small pieces which pass out of the dog. They are white, soft and wiggly. They move around and get into furniture, or anyplace they can reach until they dry up. That's when they look like pieces of rice. They squeeze out eggs during this process and that is what the fleas love to eat. If a flea that has eaten some eggs lands on a dog and the dog swallows the flea - voila - dog now has a tapeworm growing in him. So, it can happen over and over. Luckily, they are easy to treat and don't cause discomfort unles they become super infected with lots of tapeworms. Your vet can give you meds to kill the worms. Keep treating the dog with flea preventatives and make sure your bedding, and anywhere else you find the rice is cleaned. I don't think people can get the worms unless they eat the fleas. |