My cat has rice-like tapeworm segments. Will albendazole work?

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would not recommend the albendazole as it has cause a bone marrow toxicosis when used in cats. Very dangerous situation. The current thinking is to treat these cats with fenbendazole & a probiotic like Purina FortFlora or Proviable KP. Check with your vet about switching to the fenbendazole. Take care.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Cats should be treated with an initial dose (based on the label instructions) and then again after 3 weeks. DO NOT give multiple doses in a day. Cats get tapeworms by ingested fleas that are infected with the tapeworm larvae so be sure to get the fleas under control.

If you are seeing worms that look like rice, those are tapeworm segments. Panacur can kill some types of tapeworm, but the best drug for it is praziquantel. That is a prescription only drug, and a great brand that contains praziquantel is Drontal. You can try the Panacur, but you may have to go back to your vet to get Drontal. As long as you practice good hygiene (wash your hands after petting him, wash your hands after cleaning his litter box), you should be fine. I hope this helps!

Hello. There have been some reports of drug resistance with tapeworms. I would talk to your vet about either upping the dose of the praziquantel or trying an alternate drug called epsiprantal. And make sure your vet sees a stool sample containing the tapeworm segments just to make sure there is not something else going on. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. Yes, those look like dried tapeworm segments. The DE works to desiccate the tapeworm larvae present in the environment. It is not fed to your cat. I would ask your veterinarian to prescribe the medication praziquantel, as this is the best way to deworm Lion for the tapeworms. Keeping fleas off of him, & not allowing him to hunt, will prevent a reinfestation of this parasite, but he can be retreated as necessary in the future. Thank you.

From the picture these look to be tapeworm segments. Often you will see them dried on the rear end too. Pyrantel is a great broad spectrum dewormer, but it doesn’t kill tapeworm. Droncit ( praziquantel) kills tapeworm. I always recommend a full fecal exam looking for microscopic eggs as animals who have parasites often have more than one kind. Tapeworm can cause gastrointestinal signs if she has a high enough worm burden. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello and thank you for using pet coach. Tapeworms are typically treated with a drug known as praziquantel. The drug that we use at our Clinic to treat tapeworm is called drontal Plus. Only a single dose with drontal Plus is typically required. A follow-up dose 1-3 weeks after the initial treatment may be given if needed. I hope this helps! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any other questions or concerns that you may have. I am also available via consultation if needed