help!

i'm a new cat owner and my kitten Kylie who is about 8-9 weeks old has worms. this is not surprising since she came from the barn where my employer boards horses. i work at the boarding kennel for cats, dogs, bunnies, birds, etc. i kind of consider her a rescue kitten as she prob would have been a barn cat otherwise. but by the time i got home from work today and saw the worms, all the vets were closed. i'm calling in the morning, but if they can't see her tomorrow, can anyone tell me what kind of worms they are? they look like small rice grains. she hasn't had any shots or deworming meds yet, as i was waiting until the first week of sept to get it all done. any help would be greatly appreciated!
'chelle

Sounds like tapeworms to me. They gross little buggers! Definitely call your Vet...they might just give you the medicine with out seeing your kitty.

Good luck!

Those are tape worms and they come from fleas. I would get some Revolution or Advantage for the fleas and the vet will need a stool sample for the worms. There should be more than one treatment to clear them up. What ever you do, do not but anything over the counter and give it to yur kitten. Many "pet shop" cures can kill your kitten. Good luck!

Oh shoot...I forgot to welcome you to TCS!
WELCOME!!

tapeworms??? ugh! do i need to wear socks around my house? as for fleas, she is flealess now, but that is why she and her brother came up to the kennel in the first place, to be flea dipped. that was two weeks ago and she has been flealess since, but i take it she was infected before the flea dip? and thank you for the welcome!

Yikes! Sorry your kitty is having problems. I hope you get a hold of the vet tomorrow and some results! Do you have a small room you can keep kitty isolated in that has a tile floor? I'm not an expert but I think you might have to clean your carpets and floors. DragonLady could tell you more.

The good thing about your situation is that you can't get it. She most likely was infected before you got her, but if you don't treat her for fleas she could get them again. Plus, fleas are hard little brats to find, so she still may have them but you can't see them.

Just make sure you clean her toys, bedding, scrub litter boxes and soak them in bleach and clean her brushes.

All it takes is one bite from an infected flea to transmit a tapeworm. Both of mine have had it. My vet gives one little pill.

Also, I am moving this over to Health and Nutrition.

Of all the worms for cats to have, at least (in my vets opinion) tapeworms are more of a nuisance than an immediate health hazard. I live in flea central and am constantly battling them. Being a country vet, he knows many pets that have them all their lives with no ill effect.

Control the fleas, get your baby checked out for all worms, and have him treated for the tapes. I don't think you have to sterilize your house - I never have and they don't come back until the height of flea season each year. Treatment is typically 2 separate pill treatments about a week apart.

If you are just bringing in a barn cat, it is a wise idea to have them checked out in general by your vet - you never know what they might pick up in a "wild" environment.

thank you all sooo much for your help and information! i was flipping out a bit when i cam home from work and found the situation. it is really good to know what is going on and have an idea of what to expect tomorrow! with any luck the vet i would like to go see will have room to see her. i'm a student here in Indiana Pa, starting grad school so having lived in various apartments, was never before allowed to have a pet other than fish. she is my first kitten since childhood and i want to do my best for her. fishies i know how to take care of, kitten issues are a new ball game for me. thank you all once again! i am going to bed much relieved!
'chelle

i'll post pics as soon as i get them!