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Leon

Tapeworms (again!) - how to prevent?

How do I prevent tapeworms in my cat? I have him on Advantage, brush his fur, vacuum and sweep the apartment (2-3x a week), wash his food bowls daily and clean his cat litter box religiously.

He received de-wormer when I adopted him last month and now, less than a month later, he has tapeworm segments again (I found 2 on the couch, 1 on his butt).

Do I gas the apartment with flea killer? He's getting de-wormer meds tomorrow from the vet tomorrow.

Tapeworm segments are so gross. *shudder* :(


Asked by Leon on Mar 8th 2009 Tagged tapeworms, flea, prevention, help, dewormer, worms in Health & Wellness
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Izadore (Izzie)

I know worms are icky, but unfortunately, they can be part of the "pet experience". Pets can infect each other, so if you have other animals, you'll need to treat them, too. Also, you haven't had Leon for that long, and sometimes it will take two or three de-wormings before the cat is completely clear of the infestation. Worms/eggs can lie dormant in the tissues, etc. for a while. If he was infested with fleas when you brought him home, you should really bomb the apartment. Vacuum up some flea powder, go over your apartment including furniture, under sofa cushions, etc and throw out the vacuum bag. Since Leon is black, it's kind of difficult to find fleas on him. Ger a flea comb, comb over his back by his tail and put a few drops of alcohol on the fur. If the "dandruff" turns pink, he's still got fleas. There is "light at the end of the tunnel". Worms are tenacious, but you'll win the battle eventually.


Izadore (Izzie) answered on Mar 9th.

Other Answers

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Tabby

Hi,
Fleas and lice are intermediate hosts for tapeworms. You need to watch for: Most infected individuals are usually unaffected,
Anal irritation and Rarely, diarrhea or intestinal obstruction.Treatment for tapeworm infection should be aimed at both the active tapeworm and controlling the host (usually fleas). Looks like that advantage that you are using is doing little to help. Am not saying that it is not a good product but I am not sure if they work on both Fleas and lice. I use Frontline plus and that takes care of fleas, flea eggs, lice, their eggs and its waterproof and you need to administer that only once a month. I think the issue should resolve after dewormer and changing to frontline. You can also ask your Vet abt Frontline and Advantage. Some microscopic eggs can live in the environment like your house and the yard and reinfect.Minimize roaming in places like parks and fields. Ask your vet for recommendation and dont forget to wash his bedding and his toys. Good luck


Tabby answered on 3/8/09. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


Belle

You should also put him on heartworm medication - because in addition to preventing heartworms, it also can prevent other types of worms like tapeworms, roundworms, etc. ask your vet about it.


Belle answered on 3/9/09. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


Guest

Bayer now makes a spot-on intestinal dewormer, if your vet didn't already tell you. It's called Profender I think (in US/Australia at least).


Member 761877 answered on 3/10/09. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


Guest

I really think you should take your kitty to the vet if you suspect tapeworms. There is an oral medication that can be used to treat tapeworms. The other remedy you could try is to apply Revolution topical flea medication, but I doubt it will work for tapeworms. It will probably only work for roundworms, etc. Tapeworms are trickier to treat and really should be through your vet. Good luck.


Member 185886 answered on 3/10/09. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


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