Worms! Help!

Oh my goodness, I just saw a white worm coming out of Harry's bum (sorry to be gross). He's never had worms, so I don't know what to do! Should I take him to an emergency vet today (sunday), or can it wait until tomorrow? Is there anything over-the-counter I can get for him? Are worms contagious? Will Maggie get his worms? I'm so worried for him, and so grossed out. Thanks in advance for help!

It's tapeworms and the vet can give you a pill for Harry. You will want to do a spot-on flea treatment for him- Frontline or Advantage is good. Scrub out your litterbox, wash your brushes that you groom him with, and wash your hands after you pet him. Tapes are caused from fleas and rodents..Whatever you do DON'T use over the counter wormers or flea control- get the medication from your vet.

Thanks for the quick reply, Hissy! A couple more questions: I have advantage and it was just about time for the application ... should I give it to him now or wait for the vet appt. to get those pills? How about his cat roommate Maggie -- should I give her the pills and advantage as well? And, can these tapeworms be transferred to humans? Who knows how long he has had this, and I pet him and cuddle him all day, every day!

No you can't get tapes. And it could be that the fleas have built up a resistance to the spot-on flea treatment. It is always a good idea to switch around so that doesn't happen. The reason I said wash the brushes is the eggs lay on the coat, and get into the grooming brushes. The eggs also lay in the litterbox, so the cat can reinfect himself without knowing it. What the tapes are doing is robbing Harry of nutrition, so the sooner you get him treated by the vet the better.