Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Better ways to diagnose tapeworms in dogs and cats
By Deak, Georgiana et al.·Published in Preventive veterinary medicine·2025·Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Improving cestode diagnosis in domestic dogs and cats: the need for accurate and non-invasive techniques.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 81 dogs and cats were tested for tapeworm infections, which can be tricky to diagnose because the eggs are not always present in their stool. The researchers used traditional stool tests and a more advanced DNA test to look for these infections, comparing their results to findings from necropsy (an examination after death). They found that while some tapeworms were detected during necropsy, the stool tests often missed them, especially one type called Dipylidium caninum. This study suggests that current testing methods are not very reliable and highlights the need for better tests to accurately diagnose these infections in pets.
People also search for: dog tapeworm symptoms · cat tapeworm treatment · how to test for tapeworms in pets
Abstract
Cestode infections in companion animals pose a significant diagnostic challenge due to intermittent egg shedding and the limitations of traditional coproscopic techniques. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of microscopy and PCR in detecting cestodes in dogs and cats, using necropsy as the gold standard. A total of 81 animals (46 dogs and 35 cats) were examined by necropsy, with gastrointestinal tracts inspected for cestodes. Fecal samples were collected and analyzed by coproscopy and PCR targeting cestode infections. Necropsy identified cestodes in 7 (8.6 %; 95 % CI: 4.3 - 16.8) out of 81 animals: Dipylidium caninum was found in 3 (3.7 %; 95 % CI: 1.3 - 10.3) of animals (1/46 dogs; 2/35 cats), and Hydatigera taeniaeformis in 4 (11.4 %; 95 % CI: 4.5 - 26.0) out of 35 cats. Coproscopy and PCR detected only infection with H. taeniaeformis in 2 (5.7 %; 95 % CI: 1.6 - 18.6), and 3 (8.6 %; 95 CI: 3.0-22.4) cats, respectively., No PCR positives were recorded for D. caninum, despite its presence at necropsy. Overall agreement with necropsy was moderate for both methods (coproscopy k = 0.42; PCR k = 0.58), with higher sensitivity and agreement for Taenia spp. and H. taeniaeformis detection. These findings highlight the poor sensitivity of current non-invasive diagnostic methods for cestodes, particularly D. caninum, and the limited correlation between infection intensity and fecal detection. The study advocates for the urgent need for a commercially available coproantigen test to improve the accuracy of diagnosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40812035/