My new kitten has worms & red eye. Will my other cats get sick?

Congratulations on your new kitten and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm glad to hear that he is doing well at home. The enlarged belly can be due to parasites (or worms), which are not uncommon in kittens. He should definitely be evaluated by a veterinarian within the next few days, and it would be very helpful to bring a sample of feces with you in a ziploc bag or disposable container (it shouldn't matter if there is litter in the feces). This will help the vet determine if your kitten has parasites, and if so, which ones they are and the best medication to use to treat them. Unfortunately, some parasites are actually transmitted by fleas, so those will definitely need to be treated as well. While the enlarged belly is likely due to intestinal parasites, it is important to make sure that your kitten does not have a viral or bacterial infection or has ingested a foreign body. These scenarios are unlikely as long as he is active and eating well. The vet will also have recommendations on how to treat the fleas, do a general exam, and make sure that everything else is normal! Good luck with your new kitty!

It sounds like Eli might have tapeworms - these usually look like small rice granules and can be seen around the anus or on top of the stool. Tapeworms are usually spread through fleas and cannot go directly from one cat to another, so if your other cats are on flea preventative there may not be a concern. Roundworms are longer and look more like spaghetti inside the stool and can be transmitted through stool from cat to cat. I would recommend keeping Eli separated from the other cats with a separate litter box until you can see a veterinarian - you can bring a stool sample with you so they can determine what type of worms are present and prescribe medication to treat them. It's also fairly common for cats who were dewormed at the shelter to still have some intestinal parasites - it can take several doses of dewormer and not all deworming medications cover all parasites.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Alice is already being treated for hookworms and the anemia and she has a treatment plan that is great. I would try to keep her away from him for now as she heals as she needs to rest up to get better. Best of luck!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Moon. Congrats on the new kitten, but I'm sorry she has worms! Panacur kills roundworms (which is likely what she has), whipworms, and hookworms. You can get that over the counter. Deworm her now, and then again in two weeks to kill all the worms. After that, she should be dewormed monthly until she is six months old, and then she should be dewormed every three months. I hope this helps!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! What clinical signs was she exhibiting that indicated she was ill: vomiting, coughing, sneezing, inappetance, etc? It is not uncommon for kittens to acquire respiratory infections if they were obtained from a shelter/rescue setting and this can certainly make them feel ill. If Luna appears back to her normal self and is eating/drinking normally, no vomiting/diarrhea, or other signs are noted then I would suspect she is okay at this point. If she is still exhibiting any abnormalities of any kind I would certainly have her evaluated by her veterinarian. Based on her physical examination with the doctor, a minimum database (complete blood count, serum chemistry, +/- urinalysis, +/- FeLV/FIV test), fecal diagnostics, or radiographs may be recommended.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! No picture was attached so I am not able to evaluate the wound on the abdomen. Sounds like there is a lot going on with Boo! I think the best bet here is to have Boo seen and evaluated with a veterinarian. Boo may need an antibiotic prescribed as well as a dewormer. Boo may be too young for any flea preventatives but a warm bath with dawn dish soap will help kill the fleas that are presently on her. I hope this helps and I hope she can see a vet soon!

Hello. Thank you for rescuing this kitten. I would be most concerned about this kitten having an infection & most certainly having a large number of parasites it its gut. Roundworms are especially common in kittens & can cause significant discomfort & diarrhea. It would be best to have the kitten seen as soon as possible as she may need some medical treatment to get her going on the right track. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.