My cat has a live worm after recent treatment. What should I do?

What you're seeing is most likely tapeworms. Tapeworms are intestinal parasites of the cat and dog. They belong to a different family than hookworms and roundworms, which are the other common intestinal parasites of dogs and cats. Fleas are the intermediate host for tapeworms. In other words, the tapeworm is unable to complete its life cycle without the presence of fleas in the environment. Regardless of whether the owner may have seen fleas, the cat must have ingested a flea in order to have tapeworms. Consequently, tapeworms are more common in environments that are heavily infested with fleas. Most commonly, owners recognize that the cat has tapeworms and bring this to the attention of the veterinarian. When segments of the tapeworm break off and pass into the cat's stool, they can be seen crawling on the surface of the feces. These proglottid segments look like grains of cooked white rice or cucumber seeds. Less commonly, segments are seen moving around the cat's anus. A variety of products are available to treat tapeworms in cats but they are not all equally effective. For the best advice on the type of de-worming preparation most suitable for your cat, you should seek the help of your veterinarian. The most effective worming products are only available by prescription from a licensed veterinarian. Flea control, both environmental and on the cat is necessary to help prevent this from recurring.

These do indeed look like tapeworm segments, so BV will definitely need to be treated again. Normally, to make sure that all life stages of the tapeworms are killed, the initial deworming dose needs to be repeated in 14 days - so if this wasn't done the last time she was treated, this could by why the problem has recurred. She may also simply have become re-infected, either from fleas or from eating dead rodents or other animals if she hunts outdoors. I would recommend calling your vet to let them know that you are seeing tapeworm segments again - they may be able to have you come and pick up another dose of dewormer for her, rather than requiring another exam since she was just seen for this problem two months ago.

I wouldn't be too concerned. I would recommend repeating treatment in two weeks just to make sure they do not have tapeworms again. I would also recommend a stool sample at your regular veterinarian to make sure there are no other intestinal parasites. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. In this case, if follow-up fecal testing isn't possible/practical, I recommend repeating the treatment 2 weeks later. However, I would encourage you to call your primary vet and talk about your options. If your outdoor cats have tapeworms, they very likely have roundworms and/or hookworms as well, so ideally the cats should be treated with something a bit more broad-spectrum. You're right that vets certainly prefer doing an exam on each animal prior to dispensing medication (we are legally required to have a "doctor/patient relationship" to dispense medication).....but depending on your relationship with your vet, some vets may make exceptions when it comes to deworming outdoor/feral cats. It's worth asking what they recommend in this case! Hope this helps - it's great that you're caring for these outdoor cats!

Hello. This is definitely a tapeworm. Go to https://www.chewy.com ( or check with your local pet retailer ) & pick up Bayer tapeworm de-wormer for cats. That will take care of the problem for now. To prevent further tapeworm problems, prevent your cat from hunting & use a good flea preventative on a regular basis. Thanks for contacting PetCoach.

Hello. Once the tapeworm has been killed by the wormer, the parasite is often digested ( it exerts a protective coating while alive ), & we usually do not see tapeworms passed in the stool. If it was a particularly heavy infestation, you may see some pass out, but this is not the norm. Any signs of tape segments should also disappear shortly. I like Profender, it is a good product, but I would follow label directions & reapply when recommended. Otherwise, once it wears off, your cat can pick up more tapeworms from hunting & from fleas ( make sure you are using a good flea preventative, too ). Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The worms in the photo appear to be tapeworms or, less commonly, pinworms. these can cause impactions and diarrhea, especially in kittens. Unfortunately, I am unable to prescribe medication for Coco without having examined her. However, your veterinarian can quickly determine the exact type of parasites present with a fecal sample and prescribe the appropriate treatment. Because many parasites are transmitted by fleas, it is important for Coco to be on a monthly flea preventative. You should also be careful when cleaning out her litter box to make sure you wash your hands well with soap and water, as some of these parasites can infect humans. I hope all is well!