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My cat has diarrhea and sneezes after deworming. Are kittens at risk?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed

I've already sent the question 1ce sorry forgot to say my cat has had diarrhoea and been sneezing for 3-4 days I got her dewormed 1 week ago exactly also got her de flead at same time she has 5 kittens of 5weeks old and am worried she may pass it on the original answer said it could be worms but had he dewormed already sorry for messaging again

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on September 27th, 2017

No need to apologize for posting again, we are here to help :-)

Even though Misty has been dewormed once, it will take more than one deworming treatment to kill all the worms. The first deworming treatment kills all the adult worms, but it doesn't kill the eggs. That's why you need to give a second deworming treatment two weeks after the first. This second treatment will kill the worms that had not yet hatched at the time of the first treatment. I would give her another deworming treatment in a week, and then if that still doesn't clear up the diarrhea, have her seen by a vet.

You are correct her kittens can get worms from her, and they should be dewormed as well. I hope this helps!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By David Darvishian
Veterinarian
Published on September 27th, 2017
Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Misty. Most likely you are dealing with intestinal parasites passed from the queen to the kittens and then back to the queen. All kittens are assumed to have hookworms and roundworms from their mother. They get infected while in the uterus and while they are nursing. Thus, kittens should be dewormed every 2-3 weeks starting at the age of 2 weeks old. The queens get infected from the kittens after they start shedding the parasite eggs. I'm sure a good deworming would help Misty get back on track. Try deworming and go from there. The drug to use is pyrantel pamoate which kills rounds and hookworms. You mention something else that is going on which is sneezing. The queen cat often carriers for life the viruses that cause upper respiratory diseases and after she queens, she will break with the viruses and start shedding them to the kittens. Most likely that is causing her sneezing. I would monitor her and the kittens for signs of Upper Resp Infection (URI) such as sneezing, coughing, red/swollen eyes, discharge from the eyes/nose, fever, decreased appetitie, etc. This infection is usually mild in adult cats but not in kittens. It can be quite severe in kittens so early treatment is key. The best advice by far is to always consult with your local veterinarian if this situation progressively gets worse. Let them get a history and do a physical exam. They can run tests if needed (fecal test, blood tests, etc) to make sure Misty is healthy and also discover some of the less common parasites that can infect cats and kittens such as coccidia/giardia. They can also assess the severity of the URI to see if treatment is warranted. Good luck with Misty and the kittens
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My kittens still scoot after deworming. Should they see a vet again?

Great question! When kittens have worms, it typically takes two deworming treatments given two weeks apart to kill all the worms. The first kills the adults already present, which the second kills the adults who had not yet hatched from the eggs at the time of the first deworming treatment. I would give you kittens another deworming treatment now, a second two weeks after the first, and then they should be dewormed every three months regularly. If deworming them again doesn't help with the scooting behavior, then I would take them back into the vet. Good luck, I hope this helps :-)

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My kitten vomited a worm after deworming. Should I re-worm her?

Poor kitty. Typically most pets require a second deworming 2 weeks after the 1st to treat for re-emergence of worms because of their life cycle, so yes it is appropriate to deworm Molly at this time. Pyrantel palmoate or Fenbendazole are typicallly used. This should clear things up for good, as long as she doesn't get re-infected from exposure to the outside. Keeping her on a monthly flea preventative like Revolution can also help prevent re-infection because it contains an intestinal dewormer in it as well.

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My kitten still has worms and diarrhea after deworming. What now?

You are not giving the correct medication. If you are seeing tapeworms, small flat worms or rice like segments near the anus, then you need a prescription dewormer from your veterinarian. I recommend taking a fecal sample in and have them look for parasite eggs under the microscope. Then they can make sure they give you the proper medication. Once Smokey gets rid of the intestinal parasites probably the diarrhea will stop. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Smokey.

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Why are my kittens still getting tapeworms after deworming?

Due to the lifecycle of tapeworms, more than one treatment is needed to kill all the worms. At least two treatments need to be given two weeks apart. The first kills the adult present, while the second kills the adults that had not yet hatched at the time of the first treatment. You need to take your kittens back into the vet.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My cat has diarrhea. Is a second deworming dose still needed?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Parasites is certainly a good reason for diarrhea. I highly recommend you go in for that second appointment to get the dewormer. The reason is most of the time, it is needed to follow up on the initial deworming dose to be actually effective for most parasites. Good luck and have a great day!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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Why is my cat still throwing up worms and mucus after deworming?

That looks like a roundworm. You need to deworm a cat every two weeks when they have worms due to the life cycle of the worm. The deworming treatment will not kill eggs. So the first treatment kills the adult worms present while the second one kills the worms that had not yet hatched at the time of the first deworming. Give Max a deworming treatment now, another in two weeks, and then another two weeks after that to be safe.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Why do my indoor cats have worms and when will the dead ones be gone?

It could be they had worms previously and you didn't know it. It sometimes can take until there is a heavy infestation of worms for you to see them in vomit or feces. Typically only eggs are passed in the feces, and those eggs can be seen with a microscope, not the naked eye. You have to repeat the deworming treatment to kill all the worms. The first one treats the adults already present, while the second in two weeks will kill the ones that had not yet hatched at the time of the first treatment. Hopefully you will stop seeing dead worms in the next couple of days, but it means the treatment is working. Best of luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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