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Tapeworm Segments in Cats
If you have located your way to my piece of reading, it is quite a possibility that you could be concerned about tapeworms in your pet. One of the immediate things to identify, if you think your cat could have tapeworms, is in the poop. I have to laugh, but I heard someone once say, “The proof is in the poop”. It really is. I’m going to share a piece about tapeworm segments, what they look like, what their purpose is, and how you can locate them. Hopefully, my sharing this info will help you more accurately identify these nasty little worms and help you assist your cat.
Tapeworm segments are white in color and appear like a minute short flat worm when they are elongated. They also scrunch up into a ball and are less flat. From time to time people mistake tapeworm segments for maggots. The main difference between the two is that maggots have segment lines, while tapeworm segments do not because they are the single segments of the tapeworm itself. Tapeworm segments have also been compared in looks to grains of rice at a short look.
The body of a tapeworm is made up of segments; one after the other. When the segments are attached together, they look like a piece of tape, which is where the name ‘tapeworm’ comes from.
All tapeworm segments have both male and female reproductive systems and can create tapeworm eggs independently, which is a reason why it can be so common to get tapeworms in cats. When the tapeworm continues to take the food from its host, it sends the nutrients down to each segment and generates new segments at its neck. Older tapeworm segments are pushed down to the end until they get to the bottom, in which they fall off. When they separate, the only part left is the sex organs. Each tapeworm segment looks like a piece of rice and has eggs. If the tapeworm eggs are ingested, the cycle begins again in the new pet, which will end in a tapeworm in cats or other animals, including a human. One of the initial tapeworm symptoms in cats to look for would be to observe the anal area of your pet to see if you identify any tapeworm segments.
Now remember that the best way to identify tapeworm segments, or to see if your cat may potentially have tapeworms, is to visit your cat's vet. They are trained to find these nasties and have the experience necessary to easily identify these tapeworm segments.
Learn more at http://www.tapewormincats.com/tapeworm-segments.html
Article submitted Sunday, October 02, 2011 & read 40 times.
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