worms

3kitties

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can someone please give me a little info on worms? i found a cat and he has worms. I tried the pill for it, but he didn't eat the food that i put it in. now he's on some liquid medicine that i have to give him for 2 weeks. a few questions:

do the worms make him eat more? he's eating a huge bowl of dry food, wet food, and drinking a large amount of water.

how are the worms passed on to other cats? i have 2 cats and i've had their stools tested (negative
). do i have to keep them completely isolated?

do i need to limit my contact with the cat?

do the worms make the cat uncomfortable?

thanks.
 

hissy

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I hope the medicine you are giving this kitty has been prescribed by a vet and is not over the counter? There are very few over the counter wormers that are effective. It depends on the type of worms your kitty has- some medication gets rid of some, but most kitties with heavy infestations need at least two kinds of meds- again prescribed by a vet.

It is not uncommon for kitty to not eat the food you put a pill in. Generally you just put the pill in the kitty's mouth with a pill pusher and let him swallow it. The worms will rob the kitty of essential nutrients and will make the kitty uncomfortable to a degree. If he has roundworms, he may puke them up so be ready for that nasty mess.
Keep the litter box scooped as clean as you can, and if you pet your kitty, make sure and wash your hands off well afterward- but don't stop any contact with your pets simply because of worms. Good luck.
 
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3kitties

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yes, of course, the medicine is from the vet. so was the original pill. thanks for the info. i haven't seen him throw anything up yet, and really hope that i don't have to. i'll have his stool tested again in 2 weeks after he's had all the medicine.
 

hissy

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Good to hear. There are a lot of people that buy the over the counter wormers and they really don't work. I was just checking for the welfare of your kitty.
 

kerosine13

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I'm looking for info, too...

Specifically concerning transmission to my kids.

One of our new kittens vomited up some tiny worms today. They were maybe 3" long and the width of a needle.
My kids are six and one and no, they haven't been washing their hands after playing with the cats.
Just how easily can kids get worms from the cats and how would I know if they have them?

I'm calling the vet in the morning, but would love any words of wisdom.
 

sandie

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It is possible for people to become infected with roundworm. It's very important for the kids to wash thier hands after playing with the cat and keep thier hands out of thier mouth. If they ingest an egg, they can become infected. The vet will have you give a series of dewormer, make sure to give all of it at the prescribed time periods.
 

sandi

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The feral cat we just took in has 3 different types of worms (round worm, hook worm and whip worm) and the vet prescribed Panacur in the powder form for her to take for 10 days - we have 5 left to go. I managed to find a wet food (Whiska's Tender cuts with gravy - they come in packets) and I add the powder and mix it up with the food, put the bowl in her room and she eats it all up. The vet said it's better if they take it all in one feeding versus eating a little here and a little there throughout the day.

I haven't noticed any worms thus far, but I guess it can take a little while for the meds to take effect. I actually put on latex gloves when I clean out the litterbox as well as washing my hands thoroughly.

Good Luck,
~Sandi
 
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