Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

Best dewormer & flea/tick for my 6-week-old kitten? Vet or OTC?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Mediumhair | Female | unspayed

Hi! I'm trying to see if I can deworm my kitten before the vet visit unless there isn't much of a price difference. What is the best dewormer for a kitten who's about 6 weeks old? Will it cover, I believ, for the roundworms and tapeworms? Are those the only kinds of internal problems I should concern about? Is it safe and healthy enough for the small kitten? What is the schedule for deworming them? Also, how to I care for fleas and ticks at home? What is the best product for them? Thank you!

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on October 26th, 2018

Tapeworms are killed by a medication called praziquantel, which is prescription only. A dewormer containing that can only be gotten at the vet. A great deworming medication is Drontal which kills tapeworms, roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms. OTC dewormers will only kill roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms. Personally I always recommend a deworming medication from the vet, as they are stronger and better than anything you get OTC. Drontal is safe and healthy for kittens. Bambi should get a dewormer now, and another in two weeks. After that she will need to be dewormed monthly until she is six months of age, and then every three months thereafter. It's perfectly safe to give them a deworming medication even if they don't have worms, it prevents them from occurring. I never recommend getting OTC flea and tick medications. Many brands of them, such as Hartz, are terrible products that do not work and can have serious side effects in cats. I personally recommend getting a flea and tick medication from the vet such as Frontline, Advantage, or Revolution. When you make an appointment with the vet to get her vaccines, you can also get the deworming treatment as well as the flea and tick medication. I hope this helps!

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Health & Wellness

My kitten has worms. What deworming medicine does a vet recommend?

Hello, thank you for your question. To ensure that your kitten is dewormed appropriately, you would have to be prescribed a product by your veterinarian. The most commonly used dewormer in kittens is called fenbendazole, and is given for a few cycles based on the life cycles of most intestinal parasites. There are other topical products that also do treat some intestinal parasites, however not all of these products are safe for kittens unless they are over a certain age. Therefore, to ensure that your kitten receives a safe and appropriate deworming medication I would recommend contacting your veterinarian. Hope this helps, good luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My 6-week old kitten has fleas. What's the best safe treatment?

Hi. There are some prescription glea medications you can get from your veterinarian at that age. In the meantime, bath with dawn soap, and you need to have your home and environment professionally treated or the flea cycle will continue

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

What dewormer and flea prevention should I use for my kitten?

Most kittens will need a dewormer for roundworms and hookworms like pyrantel: https://www.petcoach.co/article/cat-roundworms-ascarids-toxascaris-leonina-toxocara-cati/ I don;t recommend a flea shampoo because they can be toxic and they are not very effective. A better option is to apply a dose of revolution to Lokee which will last for 30 days and is safe on young kittens. Vaccines should start between 6-8 weeks of age. Lokee will also need to be checked for parasites (coccidia are common) and an Felv/FIV test. Here is great information about what kittens need: https://www.petcoach.co/article/routine-veterinary-examinations-for-your-kitten/ I hope this helps.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

What's the best flea medicine for my 5-month-old indoor kittens?

Hi I would suggest you buy a box of 6 pipettes of Revolution. Make sure you apply one pipette on each cat to the skin to the back of their neck, so it’s important you part hair when applying it. You need to repeat it every month. I would also suggest you spray the environment to kill all eggs and larvae present. I am sure they will be able to advise you on which spray is best according to the size of your house and people living in it. https://www.petsmart.com/cat/pharmacy/rx-medication/revolution-for-cats-5.1-15-lbs-5273301.html

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Should I deworm my 6-week-old kittens if I can't afford a vet?

Many times you will not see intestinal parasites until the animals are critically sick. It's recommended to deworm young puppies and kittens every two weeks for at least three cycles, due to the lifecycle of the parasites. I would recommend getting a product labeled for kittens such as pyrantel pamoate. Make sure you weigh them and get accurate weights to dose the medication. As soon as you are able I do still recommend a veterinary exam as they will need vaccines, feline leukemia testing and there are other parasites that the pyrantel may not address. Look in your area as there are often low cost vaccination clinics available through pet stores or feed stores if a full service clinic is not possible. Also check with your local veterinarian as many times they may offer a rate for a litter of kittens versus charging each animal individually. Best of luck and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My 8-week kitten has worms. What dewormer will help her gain weight?

You can try to give her an over the counter dewormer. Make sure it is for cats and okay for 8 weeks and older. Depending on the type of worms she has and the type of dewormer you give will depend on whether or not they will go away. Unfortunately, there are some types of worms that will need prescription dewormer to get rid of them. Most common types of worms are tapeworms and roundworms, but there are several other types. I would deworm now and repeat in 3 weeks or whatever the label says. If she is continuing to expel worms in her feces or she isn't gaining weight, I would strongly recommend to have your vet take a look at her to ensure she doesn't need a stronger dewormer and/or other medications. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My kittens have fleas, tapeworms, ear mites. Can I treat them at home?

Poor kitties. YOu should be able to get both treatments from your local pet store. There are many variations to the brands available, but they should all be mostly effective. Tapeworm medication can come in the form of "Praziquantel" or some variations of this and some ear mite medications you may see are "Acarexx", "Milbemite" or some other off brand. 1 treatment should resolve the infections your kitties have. I would also recommend getting them on a flea preventative (if they are old enough) to prevent re-infection with tapeworms, since tapeworms come from flea ingestion or ingestion of poop that is infected with them. Clean their litter boxes regularly as well to prevent re-infection. I hope that your little fur babies get rid of their parasites soon! Best wishes and take care.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share