• Most dogs show little or no sign of tapeworm infection.Happy dog image by Mikhail Roop from Fotolia.com
  
  One of the most disturbing discoveries a dog owner can make is that his pet has parasitic worms. However, most dog owners will have to deal with their pets getting tapeworms at some time. There are four types of common canine tapeworms, and the most common (Dipylidium caninum) is typically contracted through swallowing fleas that have infested your dog's coat. While symptoms are generally mild (tapeworms are more disturbing than harmful), there are a few rather obvious signs that your dog may have tapeworms.
  
  

Visual Identification

• The easiest way to identify a tapeworm infection in your dog is to actually see the tapeworm bits in your dog's feces or the fur around the anus. In many cases this is the only symptom of canine tapeworm infection. The full-grown tapeworm latches onto your dog's intestinal wall, and, as it feeds and grows, it releases some of its tail segments (each packed with eggs) to continue the life cycle. These segments are free moving and look like a long grain of rice when they leave the anus. It is common to discover them only once they have dried; at this point they look like little sesame seeds. It is helpful to bring a sample to the vet for professional identification.
  
  

Digestion Problems

• Some dogs with tapeworms experience digestive problems, especially if they have a particularly severe/widespread infection. Diarrhea with mucous is one of the more common digestive symptoms. You may also hear your dog's stomach grumbling and growling, often accompanied by excessive flatulence. If there are a large number of tapeworms infecting your dog's intestines, you may notice some weight loss, as the worms gobble up all the nutrients in your dog's food. Occasionally an adult tapeworm will make its way to the stomach and be vomited.
  
  

Skin Irritation

• The presence of tapeworms may also cause some minor skin irritation around your dog's anus, as the worm bits/egg casings are released. The anus may even become visibly irritated with some mild redness. You may also see your dog chewing/gnawing at its bottom (more than usual). However, the most obvious symptom of skin irritation caused by tapeworms is your dog scraping, dragging or scooting its rear end along the floor, particularly carpet.