The definitive host within this life cycle is primarily canines, and occasionally felines, and in rare cases young children.

The first stage in the life cycle is when the gravid proglottids are either passed out through faecal matter, or actively crawl out of the anus of the host.

Then, an intermediate host (the larval stage of a flea or chewing louse) will ingest an egg, which develops into a cysticercoid larva.

The cysticercoid larva remains viable, but is not infective to carnivores until the flea hatches to an adult and begins feeding on a host (e.g. a dog).

In the small intestine of the definitive host, the metacestode develops into an adult tapeworm, which reaches maturity 4–6 weeks after ingestion.

[2] Human instances of diplydiasis are reported globally, and unsurprisingly roughly one third of the cases occur in children less than 6 months of age.

The motile proglottids can actively crawl out of the anus of the infected animal/person and migrate small distances, thus potentially covering this array of neighboring surfaces.

These freshly passed proglottids are motile, allowing them to also be found on the floor and furniture, from a migration out of a pets anus and could be compared to resembling fly larvae, or maggots.

A recent (2018) study using genetical analysis and experimental infections and life-cycles showed that two different distinct genotypes of D. caninum occur respectively in dogs and in cats, and suggested that two different species might be involved.

It is largely agreed across the parasitology community that despite the reports of this disease occurring, there are very likely numerous cases that have gone unnoticed and unreported because of its subtle and minor pathology in humans, in addition to its scarceness in clinical records.

Pets can be prevented from becoming infested with tapeworm if they are treated prophylactically with a product which kills the intermediate host (the flea) before the infective metacestode can develop.