Adult whipworms live in the large intestine where the female worms lay eggs that pass out in the feces. The eggs require 3 or more weeks to develop into infective larvae. Eggs containing infective larvae are then ingested by the host, hatch in the intestine, and mature to adults in 70 to 90 days.
The adults tunnel into the intestinal wall to suck on blood.
Light infections usually do not cause any clinical signs. Heavy infestations can cause:
Only a few anthelminitic medications are effective against whipworms. Some authorities recommend retreatment after 3 weeks and again after 3 months due to the hypotheses that developing larvae may not have been killed by the initial treatment.
Good sanitation including regular fecal pickup and routine fecal examination are important in the control of whipworms.