Tapeworms? Update - Yeughhh!!

As you may have seen from my other threads Mulberry is in Week 4 of myxi and is struggling to gain/maintain weight. I put her on lapizole as a precaution (suspected pin worms) and on Day 7 have just found droppings passed with what looks like some tapeworm segments! :shock: Vet is ringing me back but does the fact I found them suggest the lapizole is killing them or should we be looking at any other treatment as well? Instead? Helppp! :wave:

I think Praziquantel (Drontal) is the most effective treatment for tapeworms if that is what they are

Jack's-Jane said:

I think Praziquantel (Drontal) is the most effective treatment for tapeworms if that is what they are

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Thank you - hopefully vet will ring soon and I'll be able to pick some up today... :wave:

I get sooooo confused regarding tapeworms. Can anyone enlighten me? I thought that rabbits were only a carrier of tapeworms and developed only the cysts (which then become a proper 'worm' once the rabbit is ingested by a predator such as a fox). If this is the case, how can tapeworm segments be seen in bunny poo? Or have I got this all wrong? All information gratefully received

ETA - sorry, how rude of me! I really hope Mulberry continues to recover and that the worming issues don't cause any more problems.

:wave:

I had this with my two:
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?300879-grr-tapeworms

No more worms now though. Phew!

Thanks to all! :wave:

I'm sure they're tapeworms, but am confused - if they're not the true host, would they still cause the rabbit to lose weight? Really hope so as I've been so worried about Mulberry's failure to gain weight but this could be the solution - would also explain her huge appetite! :?

Wish vet would hurry up and ring!

Tinsel said:

Thanks to all! :wave:

I'm sure they're tapeworms, but am confused - if they're not the true host, would they still cause the rabbit to lose weight? Really hope so as I've been so worried about Mulberry's failure to gain weight but this could be the solution - would also explain her huge appetite! :?

Wish vet would hurry up and ring!

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I'll be very interested as Pea has these same symptoms (hard to keep weight on her and always ravenous) and occasionally passes white segments on her poops. I did have them tested at the lab and it came back as 'vegetable matter'. But perhaps a dose of a tapeworm wormer might not be a bad thing? Can you keep the thread updated with your vet's response?

Mackers said:

I'll be very interested as Pea has these same symptoms (hard to keep weight on her and always ravenous) and occasionally passes white segments on her poops. I did have them tested at the lab and it came back as 'vegetable matter'. But perhaps a dose of a tapeworm wormer might not be a bad thing? Can you keep the thread updated with your vet's response?

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Well - definite news! Vet recommended Dronsit - can give dose if anyone needs it - and I gave her the mashed up tablet at 4.30, went out, and just got home to..... drum roll..... dead tape worms! Not sure if it was lots of pieces or several worms but there was definitely at least one whole worm in there, and Mulberry has started brightening up today in herself anyway and seems quite lively (compared to the last few weeks) this evening.

Realise the weight gain may not happen instantly, as she's still fighting myxi and on two antibiotics, but this HAS to help her... Will keep updating re weight.... I'd say that given those symptoms it's definitely worth looking into, Macker! :wave:

Tinsel said:

Well - definite news! Vet recommended Dronsit - can give dose if anyone needs it - and I gave her the mashed up tablet at 4.30, went out, and just got home to..... drum roll..... dead tape worms! Not sure if it was lots of pieces or several worms but there was definitely at least one whole worm in there, and Mulberry has started brightening up today in herself anyway and seems quite lively (compared to the last few weeks) this evening.

Realise the weight gain may not happen instantly, as she's still fighting myxi and on two antibiotics, but this HAS to help her... Will keep updating re weight.... I'd say that given those symptoms it's definitely worth looking into, Macker! :wave:

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Thanks for updating your thread! Would be really grateful for the Dronsit doseage. Both my girls suffer with occasional GI stasis as well so I wouldn't be surprised if worms were present. They've recently had Panacur to rule out pinworms but I don't think that does all tapeworms. This is what they occasionally pass - is that anything like what yours passed? Although this is what I sent to the lab and it came back as 'vegetable matter'. Despite the yucky white bits, I am rather proud of the lovely golden poops LOL!

No problem! The tablet contained 50 mg and Mulberry needed about a quarter, as the dose was 5-10mg per bun kg, if that makes sense. She is 2kg so had about 12.5 mg. Merlin, her partner, is 3kg so I'm going to give him half a tablet = 25mg - (his dose would need to be between 15 and 30 mg). I would double-check those figures with your vet, to be on the safe side. :wave: The tablets have to be ground up. I mixed Mulberry's with her septrin and syringed it in but was worried some of the powder was getting clogged up in the syringe - ideally you need a larger syringe to do this sucessfully.

Your pictures don't show tapeworms - I don't think - but Mulberry was passing something similar and I thought (wrongly, I suspect) that they were pinworms. I know that most buns carry these but they will attack a bun with a weakened immune system, so I thought it was worth treating with lapizole/panacur.

Although lapizole doesn't kill tapeworms it may have damaged them a bit, as I found the creamy, flat, segmented sections of tapeworms in Mulberry's droppings yesterday. Or, rabbits, apparently, start passing bits of worm when they have a really heavy infestation (maybe your buns have a slightly lighter infestation, if they have them?) so maybe this was why I started finding them, and the fact I'd been using lapizole was a coincidence. Either way, once she'd had the Dronsit she passed the worms a few hours later. Am concerned she still hasn't gained weight - in fact she's lost a bit - but I suppose the worms were quite heavy - she had a lot - and it's very early days yet.

Do let me know how you get on! :wave:

PS Indeed - that's goldness to be admired! :lol:

Thank you :thumb:.