Luckily, treatment for cat tapeworms is pretty easy and effective. If your cat is infested, your vet will give you a tapeworm medicine called a dewormer. Typically, dewormers are oral medications, though they can also be given through an injection.
These tabs require only a single administration to start working and effectively eliminate tapeworms within 3 weeks; although, some cats may require another 2-3 week period of treatment.
What is the treatment for tapeworms? A deworming medication called an anthelmintic may be given as a tablet or an injection. After treatment, the tapeworm dies and is usually digested within the intestine, so worm segments do not usually pass into the stool.
While one dose is considered effective to kill adult tapeworms, it is recommended to administer a second dose about two weeks later to kill any remaining or newly introduced tapeworms. Effective flea control must also be used simultaneously to clear and prevent reinfection with Dipylidium worms.
Tapeworms are not usually harmful to your pet. Weight loss may occur if your pet is heavily infected. Sometimes, an infected dog will “scoot” or drag its anus across the ground or carpet because the segments are irritating to the skin in this area.
Tapeworms cannot be directly transmitted from cats to people, but people can become infected if their cats are infested with fleas and those fleas carry tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum). Tapeworm infections occur most commonly in infants and children, who become infected by ingesting infected fleas.
Yes, it's possible for you to get worms from your cat if she sleeps in your bed. It's not a grave risk, but it is a possibility. The parasite eggs (oocytes) that develop into worms can be transmitted to humans. You have to ingest the oocytes for this too happen, which makes it harder for you to become infected.
Conclusion. Tapeworms are parasites that can cause infection in your cat. You should always quarantine a cat with tapeworm to help prevent the spread of infection. Speak to your vet about your feline's best treatment choices or flea prevention medicine.
It is always safest to test all household pet members for parasites (fecal or stool sample) OR treat all household pet members as if they are infected. Treatment may be in the form of liquid, pill, powder or topical medication.
Are there any side effects from deworming medication? Although side effects of dewormer medications are uncommon, some cats may have vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or increased salivation. These symptoms, if occurred, are usually seen within 24 hours of taking the medication and should spontaneously resolve.
If left untreated, tapeworms can cause intestinal inflammation and secondary health issues. Older cats and kittens are especially susceptible to the adverse effects of intestinal parasites. In extreme cases, kittens may develop intestinal obstructions from adult tapeworms.
Treat adult cats (greater than 6 months of age) every 1-3 months with a product that is effective against both tapeworms and roundworms.
What happens when my cat is dewormed? The dewormer that we're giving is killing the worms in there, and it's the adult stage of the worms. Sometimes you can see those adult worms pass in the stool - that's not uncommon - but not all of these worms are visible to the naked eye. Some owners do, and some owners don't.
The most common worms in cats are roundworms and tapeworms. Neither of them are good for your cat – they can cause everything from lethargy to a change in bowl habits, as well as weight loss and other symptoms.
The tell-tale sign of tapeworms is small white tapeworm eggs (proglottids) in your cat's poop. These proglottids look like moving grains of rice or hard white specks that are often noticeably stuck to your cat's rear end or even on their bedding.
Because tapeworms feed on the nutrients passed in the small intestine, your cat may seem more hungry than usual as she is unwittingly sharing her meals with a nasty intestinal parasite. If the infestation lasts long enough, your cat might even lose weight.
At night, female worms come outside to lay eggs in the skin around your anus. If you scratch the area, the eggs get on your fingers or under your nails, then wipe off on the next thing you touch.
Tapeworms can live up to two years if untreated, but often do not cause great harm to their host. These worms can grow up to 20 inches long, however, they are usually smaller. Tapeworm infestations are fairly common in cats, and veterinary treatment is very effective at eradicating them.
Thankfully, most intestinal worms in cats are easily resolved with either a single dose of dewormer or a short course of deworming medication that your vet can prescribe and administer.
Though intestinal worms can cause serious problems in cats, it's usually a very treatable condition.
How Often Should I Deworm My Cat? Adult cats: Most cats should be dewormed at least every three months.
Cats and kittens over the age of 6 weeks should be given Bayer Tapeworm Dewormer Tablets for Cats in the following dosages according to weight: 4 lbs and under give ½ tablet, 5-11 lbs give 1 tablet, over 11 lbs give 1½ tablets.
The most common causes of tapeworms in cats include cats eating fleas, or indoor or outdoor rodents like mice or rats, that are infected with tapeworms. Tapeworm can also be caused by a cat eating the feces of an animal that is infected with tapeworm where larvae, eggs, or segments of the tapeworm pass2.
This medication should take effect within 1 to 2 hours; however, effects may not be noted outwardly and therefore laboratory tests may need to be done to evaluate this medication's effectiveness.
Treatment for adult tapeworms is given on an outpatient basis in the form of an injection or oral medication. Deworming medications are effective at removing tapeworms and very safe for your cat. After treatment, the tapeworms will normally dissolve in the cat's intestines.