Is it Necessary to See a Vet for Worms?

Hi All,

My cat has worms. First of all, I'm wondering if it is necessary to see a vet for worms or if there is an over the counter medicine you would recommend.
Second of all, if I do see a vet, does my cat have to come with me? The reason I ask this is because the owners of my apartment do not allow pets (though the manager told me I can sneak them in, which I did fine in the middle of the night). Obviously, the appt would have to be in the daytime, and I'm not sure that I could do that without other tenants noticing.
My cat has had worms before so I do know what they look like.

Do you think that a) there is a over the counter medicine that works
if not, then b) I can get medicine from the vet without bringing the cat.

Thanks!

Worms untreated can lead to a variety of problems for cats. A vet should be consulted and a fecal taken so the vet can identify if the cat has more than one type of worm.

Over the counter medicines are dangerous to give to your cat UNLESS your vet has recommended them to you. In order to dose correctly, your vet has to have a weight on your cat otherwise, he is shooting in the dark as far as dosage goes.

Over the counter wormers can do two things and neither are good. Then can be to watered down to be effective or they can be so strong they can make your cat or kitten toxic.

yes, your cat should go to the vet so he has an idea what he is dealing with and he can weigh your cat, giving him proper treatment after performing a fecal. Otherwise, your cat is at risk.

Over the counter dewormers are not regulated the same way prescribed meds are and I know someone whose cat died from an overdose on them even though she gave the one pill meant for her cats weight. Its not worth it. There are also many types of worms and most OTC dewormers are only effective against one type. Many cats have 2-3 types at once.

Has your cat been to the vet recently? If so they may allow you to bring in just a fecal sample to find out what worms it has, but it has to be fairly recent for them to prescribe as they can get in trouble for prescribing without seeing the cat.

If your building manager told you that you could sneak in a cat, my guess would be that others have too. In my building they allow cats but not dogs, someone recently set off the fire alarm and I counted at least 20 dogs outside while we waited for the fire dept to clear the building - no one said a thing to them.

Call and ask the vet what procedure they use.. and what type of fecal... One vet uses two types of fecal in office and is fine with just a fecal if he has seen kitty recently...

the other one wants to see the cat

If you have a vet you go to, you might be able to call and ask to bring a fecal sample in.... That's what I do.... Plus you need to know the exact weight of the kitty for the dewormer.

I have had worms twice (that doesn't look right! ) My CATS have had them twice. I was lucky enough to be able to bring a sample of the worms to the vets and they gave me the right med. I would definately get a vet approved med not an OTC.

Just an off topic query: How are you going to get the kitty its physical exams? Can you have a vet come to your home? or maybe hide the kitty in a duffle bag till you get off the property? It is important not to skip the exams.

Hey everyone, thanks for your advice. I was able to get the medication without having to take them in. The last time I've had my cats examed was in June.
Fifi, I just moved into my apartment in August... it was very rushed and I couldn't find anything else within the time given. It was a six month lease, so I was pretty sure I could find another place by January. Sure enough, my brother needs a roommate now so I'm breaking my lease and moving out by the end of this month... which I'm excited about but not so excited about because the cats are going to have to get readjusted once again!

Originally Posted by JB68711

I was able to get the medication without having to take them in. The last time I've had my cats examed was in June.

Click to expand...

I've found this is fairly common if you take your cats in for their checkups and you have an understanding vet. Make sure to clean your apartment and litter boxes!

Don't worry about your cats too much. I've found they're a lot more versatile than we give them credit for sometimes. Move what you can ahead of time, get some feliway if you can, make sure no kitties slip out doors, and show them their litter boxes after you move. Let them decide when they want to do the rest.

I would not recommend using any OTC wormers because (1) you don't know the type and (2) you don't know the exact weight of the cat. OTC wormers can be too toxic and you can do more damage to your cat by trying to cure him yourself.

Its best to take the cat to the vet to be properly tested and treated for the type(s) he may have.