Does my indoor-outdoor cat need deworming if I don't see worms?

Hello. If your cat goes outdoors at all, or has problems with fleas, it is not wrong to be proactive in preventing intestinal parasites. We basically do this when we administer monthly heartworm preventative to cats ( & dogs ). So yes, it is OK to worm your cat, at least a couple of times a year with a broad spectrum wormer. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Parasites is certainly a good reason for diarrhea. I highly recommend you go in for that second appointment to get the dewormer. The reason is most of the time, it is needed to follow up on the initial deworming dose to be actually effective for most parasites. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are different dewormers and which one is used depends on which worm is affecting the patient. I recommend that you have Dusty evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Submit the worm and a stool sample to your veterinarian to identify the specific parasite. You may need to repeat the deworming and then use a monthly preventative. The dewormer likely did not clear all the parasites, since it only affects the parasites at a certain stage in its lifecycle.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Most intestinal parasites are passed fecal-orally (meaning the animal would have to eat infected stool) or from ingestion a mouse or a flea. Signs of intestinal parasites are weight loss, diarrhea and possibly vomiting or decreased appetite. The only way to diagnose worms to to physically see the adults or have a stool sample checked to see the eggs microscopically. Sometimes Vet will just treat for them, especially if they are suspicious or the cats go outdoors. You can always see if your Vet would treat with out a stool sample. I have never heard of any parasite causing excessive tearing. That is most commonly a viral upper respiratory tract infection or allergies. Sometimes cats just vomit. Other causes of vomiting are: intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infections, ate something gross, ate something that is stuck, pancreatitis, intestinal disease. I hope this helps!

An indoor cat with no exposure should be dewormed at least every 6 months. He may not go outdoors, but you do and it is possible small mammals, namely rodents, may find their way inside the house. A topical flea and tick preventative should be used monthly all year round. Alternatively, you could use it during the Spring, Summer and Fall months.

Hello. Since you wormed her for the tapeworms, it is a good idea to also worm for roundworms & hookworms. You should be able to easily find this at PetSmart, just look for anything that indicates it has pyrantel pamoate in it & just follow the label directions. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.