Worm - what would you do?

Well, this morning I found a worm in what I believe is Lazlo's poop, but I can't be sure it was his. I don't know what worm it is, but now after having looked it up, I'm pretty sure it IS roundworm.

In the fall, we had what was at first an unidentified worm in the litterbox - it turned out to be a millipede. Something we must have tracked in the house, it got onto a cat, and dropped in the box. It isn't an internal parasite, and it wasn't in poop, just walking across the litter.

This morning I wasn't SURE it was roundworm - but it was smooth with little antennae. It was also dead. I just looked at pictures, and I'm pretty sure it's roundworm.

Anyway, off we went to the vet. We asked them to identify the worm. One of the ladies up front asked that I speak to a vet. It was the least experienced vet there and I don't like her. She doesn't see our cats. She said she didn't know what it was, and didn't think the other vets would either, but they could send it out for identification.

?????? They don't know what round worm looks like?

Well, they called a little while ago to say it will cost $160 to send it out to the lab for identification!!!!!!!!!!!! I am REALLY tempted to go pick up our poop sample, take the worm out, have the rest sent out for a normal fecal, and see if we can't figure out what the darn thing is ourselves. I'm really kind of upset.

I asked the vet we work most with to call (she only works morning, and was already gone for the day by the time they called to give us this info). She won't be able to call until tomorrow morning.

So here's my question for all of you. What would you do?

a) Pay $160 (and the cost of the fecal exam) to have the worm identified?

b) Just do the fecal to see what turns up (if anything)? (Of course, the problem is fecals can be negative when there are worms). The fecal is around $25.

c) Or not bother with any of it, and just treat all the cats with Revolution? (I see no need to figure out which cat it is, because if one has it and it's been in the box, it's possible they all have it, so on that I'm clear. If we're going to treat one, we treat them all. That'll mean eight treatments, at least twice).

d) Just wait for the vet we like and trust to call us and advise us on her suggestion for the best course of action?

Gary, of course, is completely freaking out. I told him this isn't an emergency.

P.S. For those that don't know, our cats are indoor only. But we have a growing feral colony outside, and the cats DO hang out right around the RV, on our steps, on our deck, and everything's melting, and we could easily have tracked something inside, despite trying to be so careful (shoes/boots come off as soon as we enter), it's been really muddy.

Oh Laurie, what a pain in the ... Here is what I would do. I would not pay the $160. for the test to determine the type of worm. That is outrageous!! I would not pay for a fecal exam as you already know it was a worm you saw in the poop. I WOULD just treat all of my cats with either Revolution (and that will take care of fleas as flea season will be upon us anyway soon) or Profender (which will take care of every type of parasite and their stages) Both are top spot treatments. I would do these three weeks apart since you have seen a worm and I would treat 21 days after the first de-worming. Profender claims that you only need a one time treatment and recommends treatment every three months (of course they want you to continue to use their product, but not necessary). I just don't trust a one time treatment and my vet said to go ahead and treat (this was for Magilla) in 21 days.

I know this is an expense up front, but when we have so many cats that share the litterbox, I just treat everyone or you will never get rid of the parasite. Like I said, WHAT A PAIN.... I too worry about going in and out of my house caring for the ferals, because you can track in stuff on your feet. You just never know.....

Intestinal worms don't have antenne, so chances are it's something from outside again.
You should have pm'ed a pic of it.

Honestly, at this point, I'd just wait for the other vet to get back to you and after they do go pick up some Revolution.

definitely don't pay the 160, i wonder where they even got that figure from. did they find an entomologist for hire? it's almost definitely not an intestinal worm, but it couldn't hurt to get the $25 fecal.

If you go here http://www.cat-health-guide.org/catworms.html and scroll partway down the page there's an image of a roundworm. Looks sort of like a strand of spaghetti.

It's been my experience that cats tend to vomit a mass of roundworms rather than defecate a single roundworm. Tapeworm segments - look little rice grains - may be seen around anus.

So your cats are unlikely to be infested with roundworms and the $160 can be spent on something other than a parasitologist.

A long time ago I had a college course in parasitology. It is astounding how many parasites can live in or on us, our cats, dogs, pigs, cattle, fish - you name it, something lives there. And their modes of transmission are ingenious to say the least. A "good" parasite may weaken its host but will not kill it.

[size=+2]warning: Gross picture in post below[/size]

I'd wait until you talk to your regular vet.

I'd keep a look out at the litter pans and look for more evidence.

I'm against those tropical meds unless absolutely necessary.

Lots of that it's nothing to worry about.

I would NOT pay $160 to find out what kind of worm it was.

Robin

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Intestinal worms don't have antenne, so chances are it's something from outside again.
You should have pm'ed a pic of it.

Honestly, at this point, I'd just wait for the other vet to get back to you and after they do go pick up some Revolution.

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I KNOW! I really want to go back to the vet and get the poop sample back.

Here's a picture from Wikispaces:



And here's the diagram (also from wikispaces):



Look - it's got "antennae." That may not be the right technical word, but the worm in the poop was smooth, "clearish"/whitish, and had those little thingies on one end.

What kept me wondering was that the worm was dead. We had a LONG battle with roundworm when we fostering and the kitties were young (and we had a strain that was resistant to panacur, and this was before Revolution or Profender & such existed)... and I saw lots of roundworm - but always alive, and always in vomit.

Well... at this point, we'll talk to the vet. But we'll probably forget the fecal, and treat them all with Revolution.

But if we're going to not bother with the fecal, I can get the sample back and I'll take pictures LOL.

Originally Posted by Catapault

It's been my experience that cats tend to vomit a mass of roundworms rather than defecate a single roundworm.

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Right! My experience too! That's why this left me wondering! It WAS strange - a single dead worm.

(It's also why Gary wants to pay the $160 to figure out what kind of worm it is. ).

Originally Posted by bastetservant

I'd wait until you talk to your regular vet.

I'd keep a look out at the litter pans and look for more evidence.

I'm against those tropical meds unless absolutely necessary.

Lots of that it's nothing to worry about.

I would NOT pay $160 to find out what kind of worm it was.

Robin

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Exactly. I don't like to use unnecessary meds, especially the poisonous toxins to kill parasites. I'm sure all of the kitties would be fine... EXCEPT Tuxedo and Chumley. I know Chum did fine before with the two treatments... and his fecals subsequently came up negative three times (trying to figure out his diarrhea problem).... but both of them have compromised immune systems to begin with.

By this time the specimen is probably dried up and difficult to identify. If there is a next time take the specimen and place it in a glass jar with some clear alcohol to cover as a preservative. If you can get it somewhere within a few hours just place it in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel to keep the specimen from drying up. Take it to the nearest college with a biology department preferably one offering a class in parasitology (best choice), invertebrate zoology (possibly helpful), or to your local board of health.

The parts you are calling "antennae" in the drawing would only be seen with a magnifying glass.

Fascinating stuff, parasitology, but nothing with which we are comfortable having an intimate experience.

If there is a next time, we're taking the specimen to our other vet (45 min away). I had no idea the local vet would pull something like this, and I think had it been ANY other vet at that practice that came out to chat with me, we'd have a definitive "yes, that is" or "no, that isn't" round worm.

The other what I SHOULD have done or could have done is dropped it off and left instructions to have to have the vet we like take a look at it and then call us with a recommendation on what to do.

I like the idea of just treating with Revolution if you're pretty sure it won't affect anyone negatively. But...worms just creep me out. Ew!!! LOL

I wonder if a county extension office could identify it?

My vet isn't so convinced Revoution works for all pets w/ worms. He's seeing pets on Revolution who are having positive fecals.

As another thought - have you considered trying DE as a wormer?

Drontal for Cats covers hookworms, tapeworms and large roundworms.

So what type of worm is it??

Absolutely do not use dog worming/flea products on cats. I would also not use anything over-the-counter at pet stores for worms.

Originally Posted by white cat lover

As another thought - have you considered trying DE as a wormer?

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I know there are some on here that do this, but the amount that would need to be added to food- how would you get a pickier cat to eat it and for long enough for it to do the job?

Originally Posted by Jazzmin_Flower

Drontal for Cats covers hookworms, tapeworms and large roundworms.
Droncit for Cats gets tapeworms.
D-Worm pink liquid for Cats does in large roundworms.
D-Worm tablets for Dogs (which can be broken into small pieces) covers large roundworms and hookworms.
Sargeant's Vetscription Worm-Away for Cats remedies large roundworms.
Sargeant's Vetscription Worm-Away 7 for Dogs (which I use for my multiple cat household) is the same as Drontal and frees your pets of hookworms, tapeworms and large roundworms. This remedy is very gentle and yet fast and 100% effective on tapeworms. (These tablets can be broken into small pieces to treat 5 or 6 animals)
Tradewinds Tape Worm Tabs for Cats works well on tapeworms.

My cats are always getting tapeworms only. They get 100s of fleas and with each round of fleas, there are sure to be tapeworms. I know others will probably tell you NOT to use products for dogs on cats, but the ingredients are the same and you get more worm killing power for your buck. Since the worm you described was unusual, worm your suspect cats anyway and try taking the dried worm to other veterinarians for their opinions. The girls that work at the front desk always respond with a standard answer that either we have all heard before or leaves us confused and still wondering?? Try and have another veterinarian or two simply look at the worm and give their trained opinion of what type of worm it really is.

The fecal test sounds like a good idea to me since there is a question mark about the origins of the worm. Do the cats show any other symptoms of not feeling well? What about the feral cats you mentioned? Do they have any signs of worms or unwellness?

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Problem with fecals is they can be negative even though cats have the parasites. The poop sample we left, in fact, came back negative. I asked them to hold off sending it out until we'd talked to the vet today, but whatever. It's "only" $23 or $25, and there was plenty of poop to send it out and not send the worm (which they didn't).

As to the girls up front... you're right. But we know the entire vet staff here really well. The problem wasn't the front desk, the problem was the vet I chatted with.

I'm only familiar with drontal/droncit in this list. For de-worming, we use vet prescribed meds only, and sorry, but I think your advice to use dog treatments on cats is ill-advised. I'm glad it's worked out for you, but others have had cats die because of incorrect treatment. You really have to know what you're doing, and "more bang for the buck" can mean dead or Acute Renal Failure or something equally potentially life-threatening.

All our cats are feral rescues, so when they were first rescued, parasites were a problem. But as I mentioned, they're all indoor-only. So with no fleas or mice, the only potential internal parasites they could have would be roundworm or hookworm (the only two that don't require a host for transmission) that we somehow tracked inside. It is definitely possible we brought something strange in on one of our shoes, and Lazlo ate it. (Yuck).

Originally Posted by Feralvr

Absolutely do not use dog worming/flea products on cats. I would also not use anything over-the-counter at pet stores for worms.

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Totally agree, never would.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I know there are some on here that do this, but the amount that would need to be added to food- how would you get a pickier cat to eat it and for long enough for it to do the job?

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And Chumley and Ming Loy are our only cats that aren't picky.

No, we'd use Profender, as suggested.

Profender treats for Tapes, Roundworm, and Hookworm, including larvae in hook and roundworm.

Revolution only treats adult roundworm and hookworm (though it also treats heartworm).

The roundworm out here is generally resistant to drontal, though supposedly it treats it. We use it for tapes on the ferals. Our standard "protocol" for parasite treatment on ferals is Revolution (topical - at least two treatments three weeks apart), drontal (pill, one administration), and shot of ivermectin (usually with a follow-up 2nd application 10 days after the first).

We do have a problem with lung worm in our area - a big problem. But that's with the outside ferals, and it requires a host (slugs or snails). Treatment is a shot of ivermectin - usually requiring a second (though theoretically fenbendazole (Panacur) also treats them, the shot is much easier)).

Vet's office called to say our vet would be calling after her last patient appt this morning.

Jane did say that doc looked at the worm, and thought she saw a green stripe on it. She's going to look at it under the microscope before she calls back.

Well, the call with the vet returned the expected results. It's probably roundworm. Strange to see it in poop, but best to just treat everyone with Profender.

Ah! I just read through the thread. Good eye and best wishes with treating everybody. I can't believe they tried to charge you $160 and I'm glad you didn't give in to them.