Tapeworms: Pamnock, where are you?

[Maureen Las]

Thanks Pam

that's good article

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Four pound Karla thanks you, RO friends and members, and Moderators, for your kind words.

Our gratitude to pamnock for the add'l education link, and angieluv ~

Education helps everyone.

Kisses from Karla,

 

[crazymandolinist]

it looked like Fettucini to me

 

[irishbunny]

Omg, that is sick! I thought tape worms were smaller like little tiny things and they can have loads of them, like what cats and dogs can get. Or is that a different kind of worm?

 

[Flashy]

That's a different kind of worm.

Mine have had pinworms and you get a lot of those, and they are less than a cm long, and much thinner.

All worms are gross!

 

[irishbunny]

I'd prefer the pin worm things to that huge yoke!

 

[tonyshuman]

Sorry I haven't had the stomach to look at the picture yet. It's too bad though that she may have picked it up in the grass! I remember that being a really fun thing for her, to get outside and feel the sun. Poor girlie.

 

[Maureen Las]

I'm afraid to have my rabbits go outside

that is part of the reason

but in a way it's not fair for them never to get out

 

[StarfishSaving]

irishbunny wrote:

Omg, that is sick! I thought tape worms were smaller like little tiny things and they can have loads of them, like what cats and dogs can get. Or is that a different kind of worm?

If you mean what I think you mean, you're right- sort of. Those little "grain of rice" sized things are tapeworm 'segments' that are pieces of the worm that are filled with eggs and expelled.

Can you imagine having that inside of you?? Especially if you're bunny-sized.

 

[irishbunny]

I think I mean pinworms I have never heard of an animal having a tape worm around here and hope I never do, seriously if one of my bunnies had that I would have to give them to someone until they got rid of it :nerves1I could probably handle the pinworms though.

 

[paul2641]

irishbunny wrote:

I think I mean pinworms I have never heard of an animal having a tape worm around here and hope I never do, seriously if one of my bunnies had that I would have to give them to someone until they got rid of it :nerves1I could probably handle the pinworms though.

Yeah since I have read this thread I haven't let my buns out into the garden where the dog is in fear that they catch something. Next time I'm at the vets, I'm going to ask for that ?Pancar? That Flashy recommended.

 

[irishbunny]

Ya it's gross, I don't think any of my animals have anything like that, I looked it up and I found that humans can get that tape worm too!! :nerves1It can grow to be like 30 meters, I would rather die first.

 

[StarfishSaving]

Any animal we allow outside (the dogs, one or two of the cats on leash, the guinea pigs and buns) are de-wormed routinely as a prophylactic measure and we've never had any problem. I think you'd be safe to let your bunny outside if you just take measures to treat with Panacur. We also use Revolution to help prevent fleas and mites, which helps since tapeworms are spread via flea ingestion primarily.

irishbunny wrote:

I think I mean pinworms I have never heard of an animal having a tape worm around here and hope I never do, seriously if one of my bunnies had that I would have to give them to someone until they got rid of it :nerves1I could probably handle the pinworms though.

Tapeworms are really common, but you never usually see a whole tapeworm, just the segments. Dogs and cats don't pinworms as far as I know- but their tapeworm segments are often confused with and so have been nicknamed "pinworms" though. You will find lots of misinformation because of this.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

tonyshuman wrote:

Sorry I haven't had the stomach to look at the picture yet. It's too bad though that she may have picked it up in the grass! I remember that being a really fun thing for her, to get outside and feel the sun. Poor girlie.

tonyshuman, Karla *lavished* in her brief physical therapy sessions outside on the front lawn. Wheelcart, pillowcase, or hand held support by my arms. And she had a grand time nibbling the lawn!

Seeing that horrible thing up close stuck to her legs, hips, butt after expulsion ... I won't take a chance again. I may never look at fettucine again either (crazymandolinist). :cry2

On the grains of rice warning symptom, the "grain" that was stuck to her ceco' had a rounded curve, dip, and curve feature in two places on one side of the rice grain. Think Milk-Bone dog biscuit - or the way dog biscuits are curved at the ends. More graphic details. Sorry. Not just a typical rice grain. I feel anything mentioned in this thread will protect our companions to a greater degree. Ditto with the RO Library.

Other warning symptoms; blood drops expelled during bladder expression. Which I ran past the vet ... "would the blood indicate bladder stone crystals?" Karla was tested for organ function on long-term metacam usage, that test report came in fine end of February. The other disturbing thing, the way her abdomen felt. She also trickled more with mini-pees on the washable flooring rugs vs. three bladder expressions a day in collaso-voided urine amounts. Would the t-worm have occupied so much space? :cry2

So sad I didn't catch it earlier if transported from flea or infected grass last November.

Please keep your loved-ones parasite-safe, TF-J

:bunnyhug:

 

[naturestee]

Honestly, if she enjoys being outside so much I'd still probably take her out. Maybe keep her on a blanket and grow some grass in a pot placed where the wild critters can't get to it easily. The benefits of fresh air and gentle physical therapy might outweigh the danger of parasites. If she didn't have any issues with the medication, maybe see if your vet would ok a periodic treatment for her and Tammy, if she goes outside too.

Edit: I haven't heard of tapeworms causing bladder issues before. Was Karla's urine tested for infection?

 

[irishbunny]

StarfishSaving wrote:

irishbunny wrote:

I think I mean pinworms I have never heard of an animal having a tape worm around here and hope I never do, seriously if one of my bunnies had that I would have to give them to someone until they got rid of it :nerves1I could probably handle the pinworms though.

Tapeworms are really common, but you never usually see a whole tapeworm, just the segments. Dogs and cats don't pinworms as far as I know- but their tapeworm segments are often confused with and so have been nicknamed "pinworms" though. You will find lots of misinformation because of this.

I think the our vet they could and they can also be passed to humans? Can the segmants like, wiggle and stuff? What the vet said anyway was that they could get loads of them and they only grow to be about a CM, and I thought that was pinworms.