My nursing cat has tapeworms. When can I safely give dewormer?

I usually do not recommend using Praziquantel in lactating mother cats, Pyrantel Pamoate is usually fine and they can be dewormed from around 4 weeks of age. flea treatment can be given as soon as 2 days of age-- the ONLY safe product is Frontline spray.

Feli D tablets seem to contain praziquantel and pyrantel pamoate, both of which should be safe to use in a nursing queen. The kittens are actually old enough to be dewormed as well if necessary, but you may need to use a different product since they are small.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. Continue to keep the kitten separated from mom. They should have been weaned at 8 weeks of age anyway. They should definitely not be drinking her milk now. Keep them separated until her milk dries up. I strongly recommend you have her spayed as soon as possible before she becomes pregnant again. ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/spaying-ovariohysterectomy-the-benefits-in-cats/ ) You are also not dosing correctly. They should each be getting a whole tube. As long as they are at least 1.5 pounds in weight they should have a whole tube. If you are unsure of their weight you will need to weigh them. You can get a human baby scale or kitchen scale to weigh them. All animals in the household should receive flea treatment EVERY month and you should also treat the environment for fleas; indoors and outdoors or you will continue to have problems. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-1389-knockout-es-area-treatment.aspx ) ( https://www.allivet.com/p-9065-vet-kem-yard-spray-32-oz.aspx ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Many deworming products are not recommended once pregnancy is established. Tapeworm medications, in particular, can be quite toxic. If you are concerned that your cat has parasites, I recommend that you take a fecal sample to your veterinarian for examination. Your vet can identify the eggs of any parasites your cat may have using a test called a fecal float exam. S/he can then prescribe the safest, most effective dewormer to use in a pregnant cat for that particular parasite.

To treat the mites, you can use the topical Revolution. It is labeled as safe for pregnant and nursing queens. It is applied directly to the skin on the back of the neck monthly. Pyrantel is safe to use in nursing queens. Praziquantel should be used with caution. Discuss with your veterinarian. The kittens should be dewormed at 2,4,6 and 8 weeks of age. Pyrantel is safe to use in kittens. Praziquantel should not be used in kittens less than 6 weeks of age.

Pyrantel (roundworms, hookworms and whipworms) and Drontal plus (also effective against tapeworms) are safe for nursing female dogs. Intestinal parasites are zoonotic/transmissible to humans by fecal/oral contact so be super diligent about hand washing after handling her or her pups. It is likely that all her pups have worms now too but they should be at least 6 weeks of age before deworming with its pyrantel. Good luck and congrats on the puppies!

Yes, worms can be passed from mom to babies. Most kittens will have 1-2 dewormings before they are fully weaned from mom once they are a bit older. It is best to talk to your vet to see if it's safe to deworm the mother and when the kittens can get started on their own deworming protocol.