Another Thing On Worms...

Well, as I was petting Mischief I found a little flat thin worm coming out of her. *shudder* Well, from all the descriptions it looks to be a tapeworm. I read the previous thread on tapeworms, and she will be promptly taken to the vet, but I want to ask a few questions to perhaps avoid some aggravation -

1. How contagious are tapeworms? Should all three cats go to the vet to be checked up? All three have been to the vet around five months ago and had a clean bill of health.

2. What about tapeworms and people? Should any precautions be taken?

3. How expensive does this usually cost?

4. What should I do in the meantime for Mischief?

Wash out the litterboxes with bleach water. Keep them scooped as often as possible. Wash your hands frequently.

The vet will give your cat a pill that should take care of the worms. Bring a fecal sample from each cat. This will determine if they have them too. Make sure to bag each sample seperatly and clearly marked as to who it is from. If the vet didn't check the fecal matter for each cat, he didn't have all the information to say they were healthy.

I have every litter of kittens checked when they are getting their first shots. I haven't found any worms as of yet. *Knocks on wood*

Let us know what the vet says!

You also want to get some flea treatment for your cats from the vets if it is determined that she has tapes, because that is where they come from. But tapes are not really slender, they look more like rice kernels actually, so you want to have your vet do fecals on your cats. I know, good luck with the litterbox patrol aspect of it.

Thanks.

Hmm, if tapes are transmitted by fleas then I think I am wrong. Oh, but it was most certainly a worm...I hate worms more then anything and it was white and too alive for me. I don't mind dealing with the dead ones. But when they're alive...

All of my cats are indoors. But that doesn't mean that fleas can't find a way in, right? I dunno. I guess it is now a matter of bagging the poo and taking it to the vet. Umm, do I have to make sure that the poo is not covered in litter? If that's the case, Isis isn't going to be happy. heh.

Now onto bleaching out the litter boxes...

You can use dried beans for litter until you get a sample. The cats think it is litter, and you can get your sample without a problem. Until the fecal is done, there is no way to know what type of worm you actually saw.

Tomorrow morn I shall call the vet and Mischief will be carted away. I would imagine that if it has gotten one of them it has gotten all three since they are so close. Tomorrow when I have daylight on my side I shall do a thorough cleaning of the apartment and see if there are any loose screens and such.

I used to work for a vet. Litter on stool doesn't interfere with a fecal check. Tapeworms are generally the only worms that will NOT show up under a microscope. A vet usually has to rely on the owner's description to determine that they are tapeworms. Treating all three cats would be a good idea because if one has them chances are all three do. It shouldn't be expensive to treat them.

One sample was recommended after they were at home for two weeks, the other one was brought to the vet's for their routine check-up and second set of vaccinations. I dumped kitty litter on the samples so they would smell better!

If your cats test negative for worms, would eating fresh prey outside or raw meat cause a worm problem? And what kinds of worms could cats get from eating animals outdoors or roaming outside? My cats are indoor cats, but I'm still curious about cats contracting worms.