What happens in case of a tapeworm infestation?

I'm thinking aloud about my one rabbit's current symptoms, detailed in another thread regarding weight loss....

The parasitic infestation we had this past autumn is suspected to have been the cat flea. (The vet who found a larva on our one bun wasn't sure what it was. Seems a little concerning that vets aren't learning what the life stages of common parasites look like. Based on images I've seen online, what the vet showed me under the 'scope likely was the larva of a cat flea.)

If I am correct, how is tapeworm treated in rabbits? I'm getting frustrated because my Google search has led to more info. about post-mortem findings than treatment; I have a hard time believing that it can't be treated in rabbits.


Thank you,

Jenk

I thought of a tapeworm, but in people, at least, besides hunger there usually are symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal discomfort & fatigue. It shows up in lab tests with 'macrocytic, megaloblastic anemia, in which red blood cells are large, pale and scarce, suggesting b12 deficiency, shown through blood tests, an elevation in the number of certain white blood cells called cosinophils'

Again, for humans 'The most commonly used medications are niclosamide and praziquantel [Biltricide], which work quite well, with cure rates over 95 percent'

BYW, is he being kept separate from your other 2?

LakeCondo wrote:

I thought of a tapeworm, but in people, at least, besides hunger there usually are symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal discomfort & fatigue. It shows up in lab tests with 'macrocytic, megaloblastic anemia, in which red blood cells are large, pale and scarce, suggesting b12 deficiency, shown through blood tests, an elevation in the number of certain white blood cells called cosinophils'

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Thus far, there's been no sign of diarrhea. Still, even though Pink is much more frantic about food--leaping at the pen wall when I approach with pellets or greens--he's been less active when out of his pen for exercise. He's been resting for longer periods of time while out, usually only following me in his search for food--again, a new behavior. (In the past, if I moved out of his line of sight, he'd either come looking for me, or get the get the zoomers--i.e., running around like mad and doing binkes.)

While his RBC was normal for his recent blood-work results, he does have "slight" Polychromasia. Not sure if that ties in with what you've posted.

BTW, did you mean Eosinophils, rather than Cosinophils? Pink's Eosinophil count was "normal": 57 out of a 0-100 range.

BYW, is he being kept separate from your other 2?

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Pink isn't bonded with Emma; they don't share a pen, litter box, food, or water. The only thing they share is the same space in which they exercise when out of their pens. He does have some contact with our cat, under human supervision, but he doesn't have access to the cat's litter box or food/water.

NOTE: Emma is a bit thinner than usual, too. I verified a week ago that she'd gone from 4 lbs. to 3.6 lbs. I chalked that weight loss up to her previous two gut-slowdown issues, both of which took weeks to nurse her through.


Jenk

Rabbits are usually intermediate hosts of tapeworms although they can rarely be primary hosts. According to my references, Taenia infections are usually subclinical in rabbits but in those cases where clinical signs are seen, they are abdominal distension, lethargy, and weight loss. Lethargy does not seem to apply in this case, although the other two apparently do.

oryctolaguslady wrote:

Rabbits are usually intermediate hosts of tapeworms although they can rarely be primary hosts. According to my references, Taenia infections are usually subclinical in rabbits but in those cases where clinical signs are seen, they are abdominal distension, lethargy, and weight loss. Lethargy does not seem to apply in this case, although the other two apparently do.

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Actually, lethargy does apply. Pink is uber-frantic about food and, yes, runs around his pen to follow me if/when he thinks he has a chance at getting more hay (or greens, or pellets...). But he's been much more lethargic when out of his pen for exercise. In fact, he's out right now and has been in the "loaf" position for 30+ minutes--very out of character for him. He's been increasingly lazy while out of his pen for at least a month now.


Jenk

I hope the vet can figure it out. If it does turn out to be tapeworms (or another worm) it can be treated with albendazole, fenbendazole, or oxybendazole.

oryctolaguslady wrote:

I hope the vet can figure it out. If it does turn out to be tapeworms (or another worm) it can be treated with albendazole, fenbendazole, or oxybendazole.

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My concern--if it is an internal parasite--is that the vet won't be willing to treat for it if no physical evidence of it is found. I would rather take a chance and treat the symptoms, rather that say, "Oh, it may be renal failure, but we need to wait for the blood work to indicate as much."

My DH is 100% convinced that Pink's recent thyroid test (T3 and T4) will be normal; if that's the case, we'd be back to square one.

I'm scared of the chance of cecum impaction, if this issue continues. Last night, during a 4-hr. period, Pink ate half of the hay in his litter box; that's more hay in 4 hours than he could normally consume in more than 12 hours. And his cecum has been very firm for the past 4-5 days--to the point that he can't/won't flop anymore. I skipped giving him pellets yesterday--feeding only greens--from the fear that they'd only "gum up the works" even more. But, of course, Pink just went that much more hog-wild on his hay overnight. This is soooo not normal....


Jenk

Personally I think it unlikely it would be worms given the continued high appetite (rabbits ingest tapeworm eggs and from those cysts are formed that can accumulate in different areas of the body) - in rare cases I have read the cysts can cause intestinal obstruction, but again I would expect the appetite of the rabbit to lessen, not increase.

There is a worry about cecal impaction - actually there is some evidence that too much indigestible fiber (such as hay contains) contributes to cecal impaction, so I would advise keeping the diet well-balanced with hay, pellets and greens.

Truly I think you need a good vet here and agree with the other poster that a urinalysis may be in order. Perhaps diabetes could still be the problem - I cannot think of another disorder that could cause what you are describing.

oryctolaguslady wrote:

Personally I think it unlikely it would be worms given the continued high appetite (rabbits ingest tapeworm eggs and from those cysts are formed that can accumulate in different areas of the body) - in rare cases I have read the cysts can cause intestinal obstruction, but again I would expect the appetite of the rabbit to lessen, not increase.

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There's another potential piece to this puzzle that makes me still suspect worms, but I'm short on time. I'll explain why momentarily.

There is a worry about cecal impaction - actually there is some evidence that too much indigestible fiber (such as hay contains) contributes to cecal impaction, so I would advise keeping the diet well-balanced with hay, pellets and greens.

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I've heard/read this somewhere before. Do you know a valid source that states as much? (The exotics-only vet I see--considered one of the best in my area, possibly the Midwest--doesn't believe there's such a thing as too much hay. I think that there is, especially since Pink's gut sounds are now inaudible in his lower gut and much less audible than normal in his stomach/upper cecum region.)

Truly I think you need a good vet here and agree with the other poster that a urinalysis may be in order. Perhaps diabetes could still be the problem - I cannot think of another disorder that could cause what you are describing.

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I'm not against the idea of a urinalysis but would almost bet money that it--like the thyroid test--will come back as normal. But I won't rule anything out just yet.

So far, I can only think of renal failure, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, and intestinal parasites as possible causes for increased food consumption. Pink's water consumption isn't as high as I'd expect it to be with all the hay he's eating; so I don't think that renal failure is a likely cause, either.

If there is a veterinary school around, give them a call and explain everything to them. Our vet treated our dogs when we first got them with out checking anything--felt it was a reasonable thing to do.

There's another potential piece to this puzzle that makes me still suspect worms, but I'm short on time. I'll explain why momentarily.

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If you are truly worried about it being tapeworms then I agree you should just explain yourconcern and ask the vet - since you have posted about thisI have been reading up on tapeworms in rabbits and feel your worry may have some basis.

I've heard/read this somewhere before. Do you know a valid source that states as much? (The exotics-only vet I see--considered one of the best in my area, possibly the Midwest--doesn't believe there's such a thing as too much hay. I think that there is, especially since Pink's gut sounds are now inaudible in his lower gut and much less audible than normal in his stomach/upper cecum region.)

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The first quote I can think of is from the Merck Veterinay Manual. In the section on rabbits it states: "High-fiber diets (>20% crude fiber) may result in an increased incidence of cecal impaction and mucoid enteritis."There are also multiple articles by Gidenne and others about the respective roles of digestible and indigestible fiber and the effects oftoo little and too much.

Brief update: Tonight, Pink went to the exotics-only vet for further testing. He had a urinalysis, fecal float/smear, and digital x-rays. The fecal float/smear was negative, and the x-rays revealed nothing amiss--no tumor or organ abnormality.

The urinalysis is being sent to the lab; I won't know the results until tomorrow or next Monday.

The vet looked over Pink's recent blood-work results (obtained by my regular vet) and said that Pink's Monocyte count was a bit higher than normal, which generally indicates chronic inflammation. But he said that Pink's other WBCs are normal.

He also noted that the Eosinophils count would typically be abnormally high in the case of parasitic infestation, whether external or internal. In other words, Pink's blood work doesn't really indicate parasitic activity.

Still, I can't help but wonder if tapeworms are an issue; but I have nothing to go on but behavioral symptoms.


Jenk

oryctolaguslady wrote:

If you are truly worried about it being tapeworms then I agree you should just explain yourconcern and ask the vet - since you have posted about thisI have been reading up on tapeworms in rabbits and feel your worry may have some basis.

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I took my boy back to the exotics-only vet last night and detailed my tapeworm theory for him. He considered my concerns and took notes on what I had to say, though I think he feels more justified to treat for internal parasites if/when the Eosinophils count exceeds the normal range.

Last night, my boy had a fecal float and smear, which were negative. (I know that doesn't mean anything, since internal parasites can be missed by these tests due to the timing of shedding.) He had digital x-rays taken; they revealed nothing unusual in terms of tumor(s), organ abnormalities, digestive issues, or muscular/skeletal concerns. He also had a urinalysis, the results of which are pending.

Still feeling concerned about the situation once home, I e-mailed the vet to ask what would be the harm in being preemptive and treating for the possibility of tapeworm infestation. That is, would it be harmful to treat for tapeworms if I turned out to be wrong and the buns don't have them?

The first quote I can think of is from the Merck Veterinay Manual. In the section on rabbits it states: "High-fiber diets (>20% crude fiber) may result in an increased incidence of cecal impaction and mucoid enteritis." There are also multiple articles by Gidenne and others about the respective roles of digestible and indigestible fiber and the effects of too little and too much.

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Thank you for providing your sources. I know this theory has crossed my path before but couldn't--and still can't--recall from where I'd heard it. Heh...

I did a Google search on Gidenne and found links to works by Thierry Gidenne. Clearly, I have more reading to do.


Jenk

If you begin reading articles by Gidenne you will be reading for a long time as he has been active in studying rabbit diets for many many years. Remember though, that the age of the rabbit is critical in diet - the digestive systems of young and older rabbits handle foods (including fiber)differently.

I still do not think the increased appetite would be from a tapeworm infestation since the rabbit is an intermediate host, although an infestation is possible, and from what i have read, very difficult to diagnose until its later critical stages. Here is a quote from an article: "In a suitable intermediate host, the oncospheres hatch in the small intestine, and the embryos migrate to the liver, reach the surface of the liver after about 15 days, and pass into the peritoneal cavity." This is called "cysticercosis" if you want to look up more about it. An infestation would be most likely if there are any dogs around.

I know this is an older thread, but for those stumbling on it hoping to find some help in their own situation, I'd like to point out that there are at least 4 species of tapeworm for which the rabbit is a final (definitive) host (i.e. the tapeworm reaches maturity in the rabbit's intestines).

Cysticercosis is caused primarily by the taenia tapeworm (for which dogs are a final host), and that indeed shouldn't cause increased appetite since that tapeworm only reaches the larval stage in rabbits. But cittotaenia variabilis, the most common fully developed tapeworm in rabbits, would certainly cause increased appetite (and stasis, abdominal pain, gas, etc.).

See http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Parasitic_diseases/tapeworm_2.htm

Jenk said:

Brief update: Tonight, Pink went to the exotics-only vet for further testing. ...
He also noted that the Eosinophils count would typically be abnormally high in the case of parasitic infestation, whether external or internal. In other words, Pink's blood work doesn't really indicate parasitic activity.
Jenk

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Again, to help others reading through this older thread, in rabbits the eosinophils count does not elevate in parasitic infections, as it does in cats and dogs (and humans). Therefore, blood work might not tell whether there is parasitic activity.