Tapeworms live in the small intestines of
mammals. They have also been reported in some fish.
Tapeworms attach themselves with their mouthparts to the intestinal
walls where they feed on the host's food robbing the host of
important nutrients. Tapeworms can grow to several feet in
length.
The most common
type of tapeworm is the "flea tapeworm" so named because it
hitchhikes inside a flea that has ingested a tapeworm section when
the flea was in its larval stage. When an animal accidentally
ingests the flea, the tapeworm can then live off the host
animal. It is possible for numerous tapeworms to inhabit a
single host at the same time.
This link
shows what tapeworms look like: Tapeworm Note the segments. These
segments drop off as the worm grows and they emerge from the
pet's rectum usually when the pet is at rest or having a bowel
movement.
Check your pet's
bedding frequently for small brown segments that resemble gains of
rice. They can also be seen in your pet's stool
immediately after elimination. They look like short white
worms that wriggle. If you see these, ask your vet for
a pill that will remove them from your pet and wash your pet's
bedding. However, if you do not also remove the source of
tapeworm infestation -- fleas, your pet can be
re-infected by simply ingesting a single tapeworm
infected flea.
Here is a
chart of the life cycle of tapeworms: Tapeworm
Chart | 
