What are the signs of worms in cats and how do I treat them?

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.

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!

Vets legally have to treat and animal in need so you should be adamant about getting them seen when you call. In this instance as long as the cats seem well you can buy wormer for them. I would buy the wormer direct from the vet or a good pet shop and I would recommend a product such as milbemax. You should do this every few months.

There is a chance that you may be able to determine the type of worm that Sierra has and then treat with appropriate over the counter dewormers. A small, moving piece sounds most like a tapeworm segment, which typically resembles a grain of rice. These worms can be treated with praziquantel ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=35698 ) with 2 doses, 3 weeks apart. Other common parasites include roundworms, which resemble spaghetti, and hookworms, which are slightly flatter than spaghetti but can be similar in appearance. Both roundworms and hookworms can be treated with pyrantel pamoate ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1430 ). With any deworming medication, be sure that you are dosing for Sierra's current body weight. If you are truly unsure about the type of worm present, it may be best to take a stool sample to Sierra's vet for a more conclusive diagnosis. I hope that all goes well!

You may see: blood in the feces diarrhea lethargy vomiting dull looking coat frequent defecation tapeworm segments in the feces roundworms in the feces If you suspect Milo has worms, I would take him and a sample of his feces into the vet for an exam. The vet can do a fecal exam to determine what worms he is infested with, and can give him a deforming treatment.

The two main types of worms you can see with the human eye is tapeworms and roundworms. Since these don't look like tapeworms to you, purchase an over the counter dewormer for roundworms and give it to see to see if it helps. If you do take her in, make sure to get her vaccines done. Rabies vaccines are very important for any animals who has contact with people so you may consider having this done regardless. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Intestinal worms are very common in kittens, and usually quite easy to treat :) If you are seeing them in the litter box, it's likely that they are either roundworms or tapeworms. If you can, try and put some of the worms in a plastic bag to show your vet - he/she can prescribe an appropriate dewormer to get rid of them. If Snow is not eating anything and has a fever, I would be concerned that something more serious may be wrong - worms do not normally cause these symptoms. It would be best to take him to the vet today for an exam. Your vet may recommend blood work or other testing to help diagnose the problem so that he can be properly treated.