Cysticercosis is a rare disease caused by the larvae of Taenia crassiceps – a type of tapeworm. If the dog ingests the eggs (which are suspected to be found in the feces of infected foxes), they develop quickly in the abdominal and subcutaneous tissues forming large masses of cysticerci (larval form). These larvae are capable of undergoing asexual reproduction and multiplying a high rate.
The condition is rarely found in Europe or the United States, and is seen mostly in older dogs or young immuno-compromised pups.
