Experienced and professional animal trainer provide their insights in answering this question :
A. They are possible segments of tape worms. You need to get a good quality worming medications, ideally from your local vet. Please,remember to repeat the treatment after 3 weeks.

How to Identify Common Pet Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced pet care professionals :

Tapeworms are a common intestinal parasite that can affect dogs. They are long, flat and segmented parasites. The segments can look like grains of rice, and they are passed through an infected dog`s feces, where they may be seen in the stool, the fur around the dog`s anus or in their bedding.
As the adult tapeworm matures, individual segments (proglottids) break off from the main body of the tapeworm and pass in the cat`s feces. The segments resemble grains of rice or cucumber seeds and are about 1/2” (12 mm) long and about 1/8” (3 mm) wide.
Tapeworms are a common intestinal parasite in cats that they get from eating either infected fleas or infected small animals. The worms are divided into segments that break off and look similar to grains of rice moving around in the cat`s poop.
How to Treat Tapeworms in Dogs. Tapeworms in dogs can be treated with a parasiticide drug called praziquantel . This drug is available in both oral and injectable form and is dosed by weight. Once praziquantel has been administered, it causes the adult tapeworms to detach from the intestinal wall.
If those tapeworm segments make their way inside your dog`s stomach, they can, though rarely, make your dog throw up. Then you may actually see a worm (maybe 5 to 8 inches long) in your dog`s vomit. If your dog has a heavy tapeworm infection, they may lose weight, even though they are eating normally.
Tapeworm treatment requires the administration of a deworming product which contains the active ingredient praziquantel, such as ParaGard®. Dogs at risk of hydatid tapeworm (those with access to raw offal or carcasses) should be treated with ParaGard every 6 weeks.
A tapeworm body consists of multiple parts, or segments, each with its own reproductive organs. Tapeworm infections are usually diagnosed by finding segments—which appear as small white worms that may look like grains of rice or seeds—on the rear end of your dog, in your dog`s feces, or where your dog lives and sleeps.
Can I get a tapeworm infection from my pet? Yes; however, the risk of infection with this tapeworm in humans is very low. For a person to become infected with Dipylidium, he or she must accidentally swallow an infected flea.
Treatment for adult tapeworms is given on an outpatient basis in the form of an injection or oral medication. Deworming medications are effective at removing tapeworms and very safe for your cat. After treatment, the tapeworms will normally dissolve in the cat`s intestines.
Conclusion. Tapeworms are parasites that can cause infection in your cat. You should always quarantine a cat with tapeworm to help prevent the spread of infection. Speak to your vet about your feline`s best treatment choices or flea prevention medicine.
Sometimes you don`t need to do anything about a tapeworm. It could leave your body on its own. But if your doctor finds it, they can prescribe a medicine like praziquantel or nitazoxanide. These will either kill the adult worms or cause you to poop them out.
A prescription drug called praziquantel is used to treat tapeworms, either orally or by injection. The medication causes the tapeworm to dissolve within the intestine. The drug generally does not have adverse side effects.
Actually, you cannot catch tapeworm directly from your dog, but you can become infected by coming into contact with tapeworm eggs. One of the most common routes of infection is through contact with an infected animal”s faeces, gardening, clearing ground or playing in a sandpit.
In order to do this, you must have a prescription medication from a veterinarian. An over-the-counter dewormer will not necessarily work for all tapeworms. It is always best to check with your animal-care provider first. For the dog to be totally rid of the tapeworms and all eggs, it normally takes 10-14 days.
Tapeworms may live for several months on furniture. On the other hand, they cannot develop or reproduce without a host, though they can live for months on end on furniture while waiting for a suitable host.
NO! People may think because dogs do pick up tapeworms after too much contact with an infected dog, that they can directly get tapeworm from other dogs. However, tapeworms need an intermediary host, like a flea! A flea ingests tapeworm eggs from an infected dog.
Tapeworm proglottids are smaller than both sesame seeds and rice grains. Before they dry out, they look more like the rice grains in color and size and texture. Before tapeworms segments dry out they are a white/cream color and are mushy.
Pinworms are small white worms about ¼ – ½ inch long and look like a small grain of rice. They can sometimes be seen in and around the child`s bottom (anus) and in bowel movements. These worms live in the intestine.
While food products with rice weevils may not look appealing to consumers, food authorities usually regard them as natural and unavoidable substances that do not pose health hazards to consumers with no known illness or negative side effects if ingested.
Tapeworm eggs typically enter a human host from animals through food, particularly raw or undercooked meat. A tapeworm cannot live freely on its own. It survives within the gut of animals, including humans. Humans can also contract tapeworms if they have contact with animal feces or contaminated water.
Signs That Your Dog May Be Dealing with a Tapeworm

Often, you will see the white, rice-like pieces throughout your dog`s feces or in the hair around her bottom. If the worm dies and dries out before or after being passed, the segments turn yellow and hard.

How Do Tapeworms Affect My Cat? Cat tapeworms are gross, but veterinarians consider them a minor parasite. That`s because they are unlikely to do any lasting harm to your pet, according to the Drake Center for Veterinary Care.
Yes, it`s possible for you to get worms from your cat if she sleeps in your bed. It`s not a grave risk, but it is a possibility. The parasite eggs (oocytes) that develop into worms can be transmitted to humans. You have to ingest the oocytes for this too happen, which makes it harder for you to become infected.
Fleas are carriers for tapeworm eggs. If a flea jumps onto your cat, they could accidentally ingest the flea by grooming or scratching. If the cat eats a flea it`s almost a guarantee that the pet will contract a tapeworm. Another easy way for your cat to contract worms is by indirect contact.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Q. Cat showing no signs of fleas, some scratching, doing well.Found a worm the other day.Does the cat have fleas again?Can garlic in catfood help?dangers
ANSWER : A. I’m sorry that you are having itching issues! Those can be tough to figure out! Fleas can also be a tough issue. They are hard get rid of and hard control for sure! If your cat is itching and you are finding worms there is a chance that you may have fleas. It depends on the type of worms of your finding. If the worm was a small, flat worm that resembled a grain of rice, I would say for sure that you most likely have fleas. This was most likely a tape worm segment. Tapeworms are the result of flea infestations. If the worm was longer and white, then you could be looking at another type of worm such as a roundworm. The best option would be to take your kitty into the vet where they can run a fecal test and see exactly which kind of worm eggs are in the sample. This way they can treat your cat for worms and solve one of your issues!
Now on the your next questions: the Garlic. Garlic is actually TOXIC to your cat so I would recommend to not use it under any circumstances! There are some great products that your vet can recommend for fleas that won’t harm your kitty. One that works great and actually takes care of fleas and all sorts of worms is called Revolution. It is a monthly topical solution and cats tend to tolerate it really well. I hope this was helpful and I hope your kitty feels better soon!

Q. We have a 4 yr old lab-pit mix we raise from 6 weeks.If my husband tries to take hin by the collar and make him go out to pottie he growls.Problem?
ANSWER : A. This is not good behavior. Rather than take him by the collar, call him to come with you. If he’s not good about coming when called, you can work on that. Keeps treats on hand to to entice him out and reward him when he does go potty and he’ll come to look forward to it. Clicker training is another great way to teach a dog all kinds of things, from obedience to tricks.

Have treats on hand that you know he loves, then simply click and treat. He will come to associate the sound with getting a treat. Start putting distance between you so he has to come to you. Call and click and when he comes to you for that treat, treat him and give him lots of praise. Move to hiding somewhere in the house, call and click. When he comes to you reliably inside when you call, click and treat. When this behavior is consistent, move outdoors with a very long leash. Call and click, if he doesn’t respond, give a light tug on the leash. If he takes even a single step toward you, click, treat and lots of praise. Keep doing this until he comes eagerly. Next, try him off-leash in a securely fenced area. Call and click. At this point he should be responding well and coming easily to the call and click. If he does not, go back to the last step he performed reliably and work on that again until he responds well. Eventually, you can start not treating him every time, but still praise him. Gradually lessen the frequency of the treats until he comes just to the click and praise.

Keep training sessions short, ten or fifteen minutes to start, no more than 30 minutes at a time and do it a few times a day. Try not to do it any time he is overly excited so that he can pay attention to you. Always end a training session on a good note, even if it is just getting him to do something he already does well on command. And never, NEVER punish a dog when they come to you, no matter how far they’ve made you chase them, no matter how frustrated and angry you might be. That teaches your dog that coming to you is a bad thing.

Read Full Q/A … : Causes of Limping in Dogs

Q. What do cat worms look like? My cat has been vomiting and I found a green/brown worm in it. What can it be?
ANSWER : A. There are two most common worms in cats: tapeworm and roundworm. Tapeworms are small, look like a square segments when roundworms are long and thin (they look like spaghetti). Most of the good quality worming medications contain ingredients that kill all types of intestinal worms in cats.

Q. My puppy will be 8 weeks old tomorrow. I’ve had her for a week now, and she still isn’t responding to any training or her name. What can I do?
ANSWER : A. Try clicker training her to come when called. Clicker training is an effective way of training you dog to not only come when called, but can be used to teach a variety of tricks and tasks.

Have treats on hand that you know she loves, then simply click and treat. She will come to associate the sound with getting a treat. Start putting distance between you so she has to come to you. Call and click and when she comes to you for that treat, treat him and give her lots of praise. Move to hiding somewhere in the house, call and click. When she comes to you reliably inside when you call, click and treat. When this behavior is consistent, move outdoors with a very long leash. Call and click, if she doesn’t respond, give a light tug on the leash. If she takes even a single step toward you, click, treat and lots of praise. Keep doing this until she comes eagerly. Next, try her off-leash in a securely fenced area. Call and click. At this point she should be responding well and coming easily to the call and click. If she does not, go back to the last step she performed reliably and work on that again until she responds well. Eventually, you can start not treating her every time, but still praise her. Gradually lessen the frequency of the treats until she comes just to the click and praise.

Keep training sessions short, ten or fifteen minutes to start, no more than 30 minutes at a time and do it a few times a day. Try not to do it any time she is overly excited so that she can pay attention to you. Always end a training session on a good note, even if it is just getting him to do something she already does well on command. And never, NEVER punish a dog when they come to you, no matter how far they’ve made you chase them, no matter how frustrated and angry you might be. That teaches your dog that coming to you is a bad thing.

Q. What do whipworms in cats look like?
ANSWER : A. Whipworms are usually found upon inspection of the stool under a microscope as they can be hard to see macroscopically. Worms that are more common to see in the stool are roundworms (long spaghetti-like strands) and tapeworms (small rice-grain segments). However in large infestations they can appear as long, skinny, hair-like worms that are white or pinkish in color. Whipworms have a characteristic egg shape (they look like little footballs with knobs on the end) when looked at under a microscope and this is usually the way your vet determines if an infection is present.

If you think your cat may have internal parasites, bringing in a sample of his stool to your vet for a fecal exam is best. Your vet can then provide you with the correct worm type present and right type of dewormer to give.

Q. I moved from an apt to a mobile home and one of my cats is terrified, he will not come out from under the bed. Going on for 3 days, w/o food or water
ANSWER : A. Give your cat time to adjust.. Animals can be quite fragile. Try feeding and watering your cat while she’s under the bed. Maybe give her some wet food (more moisture) every day, add a little bit of water to it, put it under the bed for her to eat, toss some kitty treats under there, give her a bowl of water under the bed.. just make her comfortable under there and act like nothing is unusual. She will eventually come around.

When she does end up coming out from under the bed, don’t make a big deal of it. Continue doing whatever it is you’re doing, and act like she isn’t even there. The more you make a big deal of things, the more she will make a big deal of them too, and it will end up making her more fearful.

Q. How old do kittens have to be before they can be dewormed?
ANSWER : A. Kittens can be dewormed as early as 2-3 weeks of age with an appropriate dewormed that is safe for use in kittens. They are then usually dewormed again about a month later to treat any reinfection or remaining worms that may be present. If worms are present, deworming the mother cat (if safe to do so) may also be needed.

The most common types of worms seen in cats and kittens are roundworms (long, spaghetti-like segments in the stool or vomit) and tapeworms (small, rice-grain like segments that break off separately and shed in the environment). As these two worms are treated differently, knowing which one is present is best for providing the right worming treatment. If you are unsure about the product to use or the type of worm, bringing in a sample to your vet can allow them to find and provide the correct and safe worming medication.

Q. How can you tell if a cat has worm’s
ANSWER : A. Most intestinal parasites are not readily visible to the human eye so getting a fecal analysis by your vet is important, as this will look for eggs the worms produce. Tapeworms will produce visible rice-like whiteish to yellowish segments that may be seen crawling around your pet’s read or in the litterbox, or in dried up, looking like sesame seeds in his bedding. Physical symptoms can include bloating, gas, diarrhea, blood and/or mucous in the stool and intestinal upset. If you suspect your cat has parasites, get him checked by your vet and, even if there are none seen on an analysis of his feces, get him dewormed anyway. It won’t do any harm if he doesn’t have worms and can only help.