Important: If you see a tapeworm segment coming out of your cat's anus, do not attempt to pull it out! If the worm is long and wrapped around his intestines you could cause serious internal damage. Call your vet immediately.
Can I get a tapeworm infection from my pet? Yes; however, the risk of infection with this tapeworm in humans is very low. For a person to become infected with Dipylidium, he or she must accidentally swallow an infected flea. Most reported cases involve children.
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.
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.
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. Recommended for you: The deworming medication causes the tapeworm to dissolve in the intestines.
If they are well and eating / drinking / urinating / deafecating / breathing normally, then you don't need to present as an emergency.
Regardless of how regal they may seem, cats can carry worms and kissing your pet on their fur or head can lead to the transfer of worms to people.
Ingesting Fleas
It's also possible for tapeworms to be transmitted directly from pets to humans; we can become infected with the flea tapeworm if we eat an infected flea by accident, often through playing or sleeping with our pet.
If your cat has tapeworms, your veterinarian will prescribe a dewormer medication to kill the tapeworms. In most cases, a single dose of oral medication is all that's needed. Prevention of tapeworm infection includes limiting access to small rodents and flea control.
If these dried segments are ingested, it is possible to pass on the tape worm parasite. Beware, HUMANS ARE ABLE TO GET TAPE WORMS. If you see these dried segments around your house, and aren't sure if they are sesame seeds or small grains of rice, DO NOT EAT THEM.
Tapeworms are not particularly harmful to the cat and few clinical signs are attributed to their presence. Usually, the cat is brought to the veterinarian because the owner notices the presence of proglottids crawling on feces.
If they have small white 'grains' in them, it's likely your cat has the parasite. These small pieces will be cream in colour and around the size of a grain of rice. If your cat is regularly licking their anus it could mean they have tapeworms. Similarly, biting or scratching at this area may be a sign.
Because cats are not feces eaters (coprophagic), humans are unlikely to become infected by parasites from their cats. Giardia and Cryptosporidia are immediately infective so potentially could be transmitted by a lick.
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.
The worms should be gone in two to three weeks after administering the dewormer medication. A second deworming might be needed a few weeks later to eliminate all the worms because the medication affects life cycle stages differently.
The tapeworm eggs can live in the environment in grass and soil, carpets and dust, so it is hard to eliminate the process of infection as we cannot keep this permanently clean.
The worm can't survive outside of a living host, but the eggs and larvae can. Eggs pass from the original host through their poop into the local soil and water. There, they contaminate the food and drinking water of other animals.
The most common side effects include vomiting, diarrhea, excessive salivation, and hair loss at the site of application if a topical product is used. If you notice any unusual behaviours in your cat after administering a dewormer, please contact your veterinarian.
Use newspapers or paper towels to clean up waste. Rinse the soiled area with hot water and detergent. Scrub away as much of the soiling as you can, blotting with towels. Use an enzymatic cleaner to remove stains and odours.
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.
Yes, particularly if the infection was contracted from a flea and a cat and dog share a household or they groom themselves/each other. Dogs can also contract tapeworm from eating infected cat feces. Read our blog on Worms In Dogs here.
There are no home remedies for tapeworms in cats. Prevention, however, is the best course of action. Whether your cat has had tapeworms or you want to avoid your cat getting them, the best way to prevent tapeworms in cats is by giving your cat flea and tick medicine.
The most common tapeworm in cats is the flea tapeworm, but this species is not readily transmitted to humans as it is necessary to swallow an infected flea to contract the disease.
Numerically, the odds of you or your children getting worms from your dog or cat are quite low.