Tapeworm Segment (Proglottid)

Scientific Name: Dipylidium caninum (most common dog/cat tapeworm)

Order & Family: Order: Cyclophyllidea / Family: Dipylidiidae

Size: Typically measures between 3 mm to 12 mm in length, resembling a cucumber seed or grain of rice.

Tapeworm Segment (Proglottid)

Natural Habitat

Intestinal tract of mammals (dogs, cats, rarely humans); passed in feces or found on bedding/fur around the anus.

Diet & Feeding

Absorbs nutrients directly through its skin from the host's digested food within the intestine.

Behavior Patterns

Adult tapeworms live in the intestine and shed these segments (proglottids) containing eggs. The segments are mobile when fresh and can crawl around the host's anus or on bedding before drying out to look like sesame seeds.

Risks & Benefits

Risk: Parasitic infection in pets causing weight loss, scooting, and nutritional deficiency. Can occasionally infect humans (zoonotic) if a flea containing larvae is accidentally ingested. Benefit: None.

Identified on: 2/26/2026