How to Get Rid of Tapeworms in Dogs Naturally

Raising a dog is an overall fun and rewarding experience. However, it is normal that your dog may face some health issues while growing up. These may include infections, worms, and other types of viruses or diseases.

One of the most common issues you may find in your dog is tapeworms. Here, we will show you the causes of tapeworms and their natural and home remedies.

Understanding Tapeworms in Dogs

Tapeworms are common and usually not harmful, but it is not at all a good sign for dogs and puppies. Leaving it untreated can be dangerous as it may reproduce and spread inside your dog.

In case you ever see signs and symptoms of tapeworms in your dog, you should take immediate measures for deworming. Now let’s learn about the concept of tapeworms and how your dog comes in contact with them.

What are Tapeworms?

Tapeworms are long, flat, and segmented intestinal parasites that can affect your dog. They mostly appear in your dog’s poop or around the anus and look like small, white grains of rice.

Figure: Tapeworms

There are usually no obvious symptoms or signs of tapeworms in dogs. However, they may develop an itchy bottom, which may cause them to lick around their tail, rub or scratch themselves on the ground. Other signs may include decreased appetite, slow growth, vomiting, bloated belly, and diarrhea.

 There are different varieties of tapeworms. The most common variety you can find in dogs is Dipylidium Caninum.

How Do Dogs Get Tapeworms?

There may be different reasons for your dog to come in contact with tapeworms. The most common causes are:

●     When your dog ingests fleas that carry tapeworm eggs.

●     Eating undercooked or raw meat of infected animals.

●     Coming in contact with tapeworm-infected dogs.

How it Spreads: Mostly, tapeworm infection occurs when a dog ingests fleas carrying tapeworm eggs. Once ingested, the tapeworm larvae hatch and attach themselves to the intestinal lining. In some cases, they can lead to debilitation and weight loss. So, flea control is crucial for preventing reinfections.

Exploring Natural Approaches & Home Remedies

Getting rid of tapeworms is necessary for your dog. Though it’s not usually harmful, it still may lead to infections and various types of diseases.

Some natural and effective ways in which you can get rid of tapeworms in your dog are described below:

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are an effective dewormer for dogs. It contains amino acids and curcubitin that paralyze and expel worms from your dog’s digestive tracts. Raw, organic, and unsalted pumpkin seeds can be fed to your dog by crushing, grinding, and blending them, and then mixing them with your dog’s food.

Figure: Pumpkin seeds

Add a quarter teaspoon per 10 pounds of your dog’s weight twice a day. Do this for one month to ensure worm elimination. This natural diet can also benefit your dog’s health, besides just deworming.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

Due to being acidic, raw organic apple cider vinegar creates a more alkaline digestive system, which is less attracted to the parasites. Enzymes in apple cider vinegar have a beneficial effect against worms. The coating of the worm becomes weak, and they then lose their grip on the intestinal wall.

Figure: Apple Cider Vinegar for dogs

To feed it to your dog, spray the ACV directly on the food. If your dog does not like the smell or taste, mix it in a bowl of wet food. Add 1/4-1 teaspoon to your dog's food/water every day. You may also notice an improvement in coat condition, along with several other health benefits.

Garlic

Garlic can sometimes be effective, but it can also be toxic to your dog. Garlic can cause a reduction in worm egg production. However, there is currently no evidence that garlic kills adult worms or reduces their numbers.

To feed it to your dog, just peel a clove of garlic and give it to your dog. Your dog does the rest by swallowing it.

Turmeric

Turmeric is considered a superfood because of its antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains compounds that can help not only get rid of the worms, but also repair any intestinal damage and irritation caused by feeding or movement. Together, these benefits result in better gut health for your dog.

Figure: Turmeric

Add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon per 10 pounds of weight every day. Make sure that your dog drinks plenty of water, so that it doesn't get constipated. Feed once a day, after meals, and maintain this for 1 week.

Papaya

Papaya has the enzyme papain that aids in digestion. It also helps get rid of tapeworms. Papaya seeds have antiamoebic and anthelmintic properties. This means papaya seeds are effective for killing parasites living in your dog’s digestive system.

Figure: Dog eating Papaya

Add crushed papaya seeds to your dog’s food for seven days. If needed, add the crushed seeds to wet food or inside treats to make them less noticeable to your dog. You can also give your dog bite-sized pieces of fresh papaya.

Cloves

Cloves carry antiparasitic and antibacterial properties, which can kill parasites such as tapeworms and other intestinal worms as well. Cloves are also known to boost immunity, helping with illness or reactions to worms. 

Figure: Cloves

Crush 1/4 to 1 whole clove into your dog’s food, depending on your dog’s size. Give your dog crushed cloves once daily for a week, take a break for a week, and then repeat the crushed cloves in your dog’s food for another week to make sure that the tapeworms are not coming back.

Other Herbal Dewormers

There are also other herbal remedies that can help your dog get rid of tapeworms. Some of them are described below:

Carrots: Carrots are rich in fiber and are an excellent source of beta-carotene, which can destroy the eggs of intestinal worms. So, it can help remove mucus and parasites from the stomach and gut.

Figure: Dog eating carrots.

Coconut: Dried coconut can help eliminate worms. Coconut oil has natural antifungal properties. Your dog’s body will convert the lauric acid present in coconut oil into monolaurin, which is effective against worms.

Figure: Dog with coconut

Black Cumin Seed: It’s very safe and can work for most dog worms. It contains thymoquinone, which is effective in stopping a tapeworm infection.

Figure: Black cumin seed

Olive Leaf: Olive leaf extract contains oleuropein, which can help expel parasites from your dog’s intestines.

Figure: Olive Leaf

Besides these, there are more options you can use as natural dewormers like Oregon grape, chamomile, diatomaceous earth, parsley, thyme, etc. All of these are effective natural approaches and home remedies for tapeworms in your dog.

Figure: Oregon grape, chamomile, diatomaceous earth, parsley, and thyme for dogs.

FAQ

In case you have more queries about tapeworms in dogs, here are some quick frequently asked questions and their answers to help you:

Can tapeworms be passed from a dog to a human?

You cannot catch tapeworms directly from your dog. However, you can become infected by accidentally ingesting tapeworm eggs that are shed in the feces of an infected dog. This might happen if you touch contaminated surfaces and then touch your mouth or food.

It can also happen due to close physical contact, like allowing your dog to lick you or letting it sleep on your bed, which causes accidental ingestion of the tapeworm eggs. There’s also a risk of tapeworms being transferred to you if you stroke the fur of your infested dog, picking up microscopic eggs as you do so.

Do I need to clean my house if my dog has tapeworms?

Yes, you must clean your house regularly if your dog has tapeworms. It is necessary to prevent reinfections and the spread of tapeworm eggs.

First, get your dog diagnosed by a vet to confirm if your dog has tapeworms. If positive, start with cleaning your dog’s bedding. In case your dog sleeps with you, wash your bedding too.  Remember that your dog may have shed segments of the tapeworms any place that it goes, so you have to vacuum every room thoroughly.

Steam cleaning is an effective way to get rid of tapeworms and probably most parasites. Clean the floors and surfaces regularly. Importantly, you have to bathe your dog regularly to prevent the spread of tapeworms. Repeat the process until you make sure that the tapeworms are gone.

Can apple cider vinegar get rid of tapeworms in dogs?

Yes. You can use Apple Cider Vinegar to get rid of tapeworms in your dog.

Apple cider vinegar has gained popularity as a natural remedy for various health concerns. It creates a more alkaline digestive system, which is less attractive to the parasites. Enzymes in apple cider vinegar have a beneficial effect against worms, as the coating of the worm becomes weak and they then lose their grip on the intestinal wall.

Its antibacterial properties can help prevent toxic bacteria from spreading in your dog's body, contributing to overall heart health and well-being. Regular, controlled use of apple cider vinegar as part of your dog's care routine can offer these potential health benefits and more.

Spray the ACV directly on your dog’s food. If your dog does not like the smell or taste, mix it in a bowl of wet food. Add 1/4-1 teaspoon to your dog's food/water every day; you may also notice an improvement in coat condition, along with several other health benefits.

Conclusion

So, from the above discussion, we can learn the concept of tapeworms and how you can effectively control them through natural approaches and home remedies. If you own a dog, knowing these are important in the long run, as we said that tapeworms are a common issue in dogs.

Besides, you shall always keep natural elements with you, other than just dog food, like apple cider vinegar, pumpkin seeds, turmeric, etc. as feeding them to your dog along with its regular diet can boost your dog’s immunity. Proper cleanliness is a must, as tapeworms not only affect your dog, but also you. By following these rules, you will be able to keep your dog healthy during the upbringing process.

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