Deworming Question

I usually deworm my cats with Pyrantel (aka Strongid/Nemex). I just started using Revolution (quite a price hike, but it covers fleas, ear mites, etc as well). Now that they are on a schedule with revolution, can I discontinue the Pyrantel? Or will they still need that for some different kinds of worms?

If I should keep up the Pyrantel, what is your recommended frequency? I've heard everything from monthly to yearly. My cats are indoors only Siamese.

Seems a bit excessive to use two insecticides/wormers for indoor cats. The Revolution should be enough, unless you suspect tapeworms which need a specific type of wormer.

If at all possible though, with using what is essentially a poison... less is better.

IMO if they are indoor only cats and you don't have a flea problem WHY are you worming your cats? If you are concerned they have something, then take them to a vet to have diagnosed and treat as needed.

Worming medicine is poison and its unnecessary to "routinely" give to a cat who has no signs/symptoms of worms.

I RARELY wormed any of my cats - they were all indoors. The vet would check kittens when given their 1st shots (which they were clean). I never had a worm problem with any of my indoor only cats.

In fact, Charlie has NEVER been wormed - he never had them in his life. Ling was wormed once as a kitten and never again.

All cats are susceptible to worms/fleas, even indoors. I think my vet told me that 95% of kittens are BORN with worms, despite whether or not the mother has them. As far as fleas go, unless everyone in your house stays inside like a hermit and never ever leaves the house, your cat can get fleas. They travel on PEOPLE as well as pets. You can carry them inside your house without even knowing (do any of the homes of friends/family you visit have animals?) When you walk outdoors you are passing on the same grounds that feral/homeless dogs and cats may travel on, not to mention other people's pets if you live in a neighborhood.

I don't have a problem with fleas or worms, but I use revolution to PREVENT problems. I appreciate your concern (and certainly don't want to medicate more than I absolutely have to) but thinking that indoor cats and dogs can't get worms or fleas is very naive.

I never said they couldn't get worms. I'm a breeder; I know the facts. Been around cats probably longer then you.

I'm saying that you should not need to be worming your cats unless there is a problem. I'm speaking from experience. I also show my cats and I had a flea problem ONCE and took care of it.

My litters of kittens were clean - they never had worms. Yes its common for kittens to have them, but mine never did and they were checked. I know what to look for when it comes to worms.

Its fine if you want to prevent the fleas, but you really should not be worming your cats unless they have problems.

When Toby was young I dewormed him with Drantol and it made him sick for 3 weeks. When he got thin when he was 15, the vet suggested he needed Drantol again and he went downhill fast after that wormer, even though he had been diagnosed with FIP later. I didnt worm my cats very often, nor did I deflea them constantly. Dillon lived till 20 and I sometimes feel we can overuse dewormer and deflea treatments.

Best Wishes
Chris

Yes, indoor cats can get fleas from humans carrying them in, but the chances of it happening are certainly not frequent. Most of us here are certainly not naive when it comes to fleas/worms/parasites. Having said that, Goldenkitty is right - de-worming routinely is giving unnecessary poison to our cats. Besides, unless you know specifically what worm (if any at all) that you are dealing with, you are playing dangerous games with your pet's life.

Nobody should be buying over-the-counter medications for their cats unless specifically instructed to do so by their vet. OTC and online meds are often not the same dosage as one gets from a vet, are often ineffectual and have, in some instances, caused death to beloved pets. Some online meds are knock-offs and fake.

If anyone suspects their cat has worms, take your cat to the vet, have them do the testing and diagnosis because they are the ones that took the medical courses and are qualified to diagnose and prescribe medications. Any other course of action is not acting in good faith for our companion animals.

My cats WERE tested (on several occasions), found to have NO worms, and the vets (three different ones) still suggested placing them on preventative meds.

It's up to you on what you wish to do. If you still decide that you want to keep your cats on preventative medicine, talk to your vet on the dosing and what not.

All of my cat's were dewormed as kittens, when I took them for their vaccinations. I don't see a reason to keep them on preventative medication unless they are outside often or another similar reason. If your vet recommends to keep them on preventative medicine, by all means.. trust your vet. We are only giving you our thoughts on the subject and letting you know what we do with our cats.

IMO that's like saying "take cough medicine" whether or not you really need it. Sometimes cats are overdosed on meds and develop a resistance to the meds and when they DO have problems have a lot more trouble.

I agree with the poster on "do what you want". Just hope your cats don't have future problems with you overdosing them all the time.

I'm not sure I'm clear here, but if by preventative meds you mean monthly treatments of Revolution or Advantage for fleas, then yes, by all means, especially since Revolution will take care of worms and mites as well. If you live in a climate where there are fleas that is IMO a wise thing to do. In fact, from April until October both our indoor cats get Revolution and Advantage (Bijou - Revolution; Mika - Advantage). Bijou is allowed out for short periods by my husband so I think it's important that he not bring fleas into our lives.

BUT - to de-worm on a regular basis is not a good thing to do IMO. That's a totally different thing in my mind. De-worming should only be done if tests have proven that your cat has worms of some sort.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

De-worming should only be done if tests have proven that your cat has worms of some sort.

Click to expand...

Or unless you see unmistakable physical evidence yourself.

As I said, Revolution is enough. Give your pocketbook and your cats a bit of a break. Depending on how your home is set up, if you dust your pant legs off or stomp your feet before coming in, or if you have a true winter that gets below freezing - often you don't need to use anything during the winter months.
Also, tapes are carried by fleas - round and hookworms are something a cat would pick up from being outside themselves (contact with soil/infected feces) or eating parasitized prey.

A cat becoming tolerate to the flea treatments or wormer is not your only worry. Some cats can actually become sensitive to them. All vets will suggest you buy treatments from them, that's how they make money.
I'm going to guess that the highnote, like many others, is just very grossed out about the thought of parasites and a bit protective because of it - or even possibly worried about catching them from the cats (there's been threads about it before).


My suggestion to highnote, you don't have to believe what you've been told by several cat owners. But it wouldn't hurt to do some research and maybe reach your own conclusions from that.