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Why does my cat keep getting worms even after deworming treatment?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat keeps getting worms. We give him medicine each time but he still keeps getting them.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Debi Matlack

Answered By Debi Matlack

Veterinary Technician

Published on April 8th, 2015

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.
Vote Icon11Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 13th, 2019

    Hello. Dallas may have tapeworms. This can be confirmed by your veterinarian if you submit a stool sample or segments of the worms for examination. The dewormer you used does not take care of them. You will need a medication that has either [Panacur]() (fenbendazole) or [Drontal for Cats]() (praziquantel)to eliminate tapeworms. Tractor Supply, Petco & other major pet retailers should carry these products for cats. Just follow all label directions. If tapeworms are diagnosed, you will also need to treat Dallas and his environment for fleas since that is how tapeworms are spread. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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    3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on March 6th, 2019

    By your description, it could be tapeworm. You should wait 2-3 weeks before repeating the treatment. It is common to see a purge of dead or dying parasites after a deworming. Since tapeworm is spread by fleas, you should treat all pets in the house as well as the house for fleas for at least 3 consecutive months, preferably year round.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on November 29th, 2018

    Fleas can carry tapeworms, and the picture you showed does look like the segments of a tapeworm. It would be best to bring it in for confirmation from your vet and to receive the appropriate dewormer. Since it is such a heavy load of worms, you will likely need to do dewormings multiple times for all three cats to ensure they do not continue to infect each other. Taking care of the flea issue with a topical treatment monthly as well as cleaning all bedding, floorboards, baseboards, etc can help manage the flea issue and also prevent worms.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Health & Wellness
My cat has a live worm after recent treatment. What should I do?
Hello. The two extra holes you are seeing are the anal glands, all dogs & cats have them. Sometimes it takes more than one deworming to remove all worms or he picked up another case of tapeworms. If he hunts or has fleas, he will always be exposed to the possibility of picking up a new tapeworm infestation. Keep him indoors & on a flea preventative & this will curtail the tapeworm problem. Otherwise, it is OK to deworm whenever you see the tapeworms. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
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
Vet Q & A
My cat has white specks near her anus. Is it tapeworm after deworming?
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.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My cat still has worms after deworming. What dewormer should I use?
From the picture you provided, it looks like Lucy could have roundworms. I recommend giving her either Panacur or Drontal. Both kill roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms, and Drontal will also kill tapeworms. You can get both from your vet's office. As with last time, you should get her one deworming treatment now and then another two weeks later. At that, in order to keep the worms away, she will need to be dewormed every three months. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My cat has tapeworms, but they won't go away. What should I do?
Tapeworms are relatively straight forward to treat, so sorry you are having such a hard time. However you should do the following: 1) Give tapeworm medicine - Praziquantel (you may have to visit your vet for this if not available over the counter). Typically you only need 1 dose. 2) Get Boo-butiful on a good monthly flea preventative. My top recommendation is Revolution topical or Advantage Multi. Tapeworms come from your pet either ingesting a flea or eating another pets poop with "live" tapeworms in it. I hope this helps you get rid of your fur baby's pesty friends!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
Cat's worms returned after treatment. Why is she peeing blood?
Depending on the parasite, deworming typically​requires two (or more) treatments. The second treatment should be administered 2-3 weeks after the first. Submit a stool sample to your veterinarian to diagnose the specific parasites so the appropriate medication can be dispensed and to confirm clearance. If there are still parasites, repeat the deworming and then place Olivia on a monthly preventative such as HeartGard or Sentinel.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My cat had tapeworms. Will I see worms in his stool after treatment?
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.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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