Do Tapeworms Cause Itchy Rears?
I recently adopted an eight pound nutered Maltese. He
was covered in fleas and recently even though he
is now flealess, he has begun licking his rear.
Suspecting tape worms, I took him to the vet
Saturday and he was injected with 56.8mg/ml
Droncit. There were no problems with the
injection however it’s now been over 24 hours and
he continues to lick his but. The vet told me
sometimes the shot has to be repeated, how long
should I wait before I decide if he needs another
shot and when should I see a stop in the licking?
Marilynn
Winchester, CA
Pets don’t have fingers. Therefore, they use their tongues and toes to scratch. When a pet licks any area of its body excessively, I take it as a sign that the area itches or tingles.
Two issues commonly cause pets to lick their rear ends in seemingly excessive manners.
Fleas are by far the most common cause of rear end licking in cats and dogs. Flea bites may stimulate pets’ immune systems. In the same way that pollen causes some peoples’ eyes to itch, flea bites cause many pets’ rear ends to itch. For some pets, a single flea bite may cause severe irritation on the back near the tail.
Impacted or irritated anal glands also may cause licking near the tail. The glands, located (as the name implies) adjacent to the anus, produce a foul smelling fluid that usually is deposited on feces. Any irregularity with the anal glands can cause pets to scoot their hind ends along the ground or lick their rears.
Less commonly, allergies to pollen, food, or any number of environmental agents and chemicals also may cause irritation of the skin near the hind end. In my experience, it is not common for tapeworms to cause excessive rear end licking.
Based upon what you have written, it is most likely that fleas are causing your dog’s behavior. I recommend a high quality flea preventative. The itching may persist for several weeks after your dog is free of fleas, because your dog’s immune system may react to the flea bites for quite some time after the fleas are gone.
Conveniently, eliminating fleas also will reduce the risk of tapeworms in your dog. The most common type of tapeworm is spread by fleas.
Photo: Maggie May’s rear end looks fine.
You have questions. 
I’d be willing to bet a large sum of money that if this owner has someone express (completely empty, using the intra-rectal digital technique) her dog’s anal sacs for her on a regular basis (every 3-6 weeks), the problem will resolve…especially if the dog happens to also be periodically hacking up white, frothy, egg-white-like foamy phlegm. This breed (among others) is notorious for this very common issue. Surgery to actually remove the anal sacs (using a laser, by an *experienced* surgeon) usually provides a permanent solution to the problem in my experience. It is soooooo very important to address in these breeds, since chronic anal-sac licking commonly leads to chronic tracheitis, which further increases the risk of developing collapsing trachea syndrome….something to which toy breeds such as this are already predisposed. Once collapsing trachea syndrome develops, it is a lifelong headache (for dog, owner, and veterinarian all) to manage.
Expressing the anal sacs every few weeks for a few times is an easy and inexpensive “trial” to see if they are the source of the licking. If not, other avenues can be explored. Unless the dog’s rear area is also red and inflamed from flea allergy dermatitis, my experience (>20 years as a DVM) has shown that anal sacs are by far the most common cause of anal licking in small dog breeds, even if they are not “scooting.”
Just my 2 cents/another perspective.