Little Sam and Tapeworms

I adopted a cat - Sam - about three weeks ago from the Humane Society. Sweetest little guy ever. He was living outside prior to being brought to the Humane Society. He has had a ton of health issues (ear infections, infection where he was nutered, stomach infection, tapeworms). We've been to the vet several times in the last two week. I think I've got the health issues taken care of now except the nasty tapeworms.

I found the worms on the floor and on his bed last week. Vet game him a single pill of Cestex. This was last Monday (today's sunday). Yesterday and today I have found more worms. This is disgusting. And, poor Sam.

So, I can't call my vet because it's Sunday. I don't want to wait until tomorrow if I don't have to. I want these worms gone! A few questions:

1. Could it be that the Cestex just didn't work?

2. Is the Cestex still working and I just need to be more patient? Seems to me like the medicine would be out of his system by now.

3. I researched OTC medications. And found that Pro Lab Tapeworm Tabs have gotten good reviews. It's Praziquantel. Anyone used this?

4. He doesn't have fleas. My assumption is he got the tapeworms when he was living outside and ate a mouse or something. Can he reinfect himself if he eats one of the white "worms" that are coming out when he's cleaning himself? Or, from the little box?

Thanks for the help.

Is it possible he spit out the pill somewhere you didn't see? Cats can be tricky with pills sometimes. In that case it wouldn't work because he didn't swallow it.

When my cat had tapeworm, the vet gave her praziquantel as an injection, and I did not see any more tapeworm segments after that.

My understanding is that cats get tapeworm from swallowing the immature stages of the worm in mice or fleas. They can't get infected by swallowing the segments they shed.

Thanks for your comments. I'm 95% certain that he swallowed it. I put it inside a treat and he gobbled the treat right up. I may wait until tomorrow and talk to the vet. It's just hard to wait. I want him all better!

I used the Petmeds Tapeworm tablets with my male that I rescued from a parking lot. It is Praziquantel I believe.

  It cleared up the worms, he seemed a little ill the night i gave it to him, I made sure he was getting plenty of water. He has been fecal tested now and is free of worms. (My kitty had vomited them prior to being treated - they had migrated to his stomach -  so I think he had a pretty bad case. )

I think it's possible that as part of some treatment they can expel some worms in the next few days. But a week seems like somehow he didn't get cleared by the medicine. 

 But the praziquantel dissolves the tapeworms - and then you shouldn't see any - they dissolve inside kitty and then are digested/dissipated. The Tapeworm med tablets at Petmeds also had tons of good reviews. It cleared my kitty in 24 hours.

Best. <333

I would wait and talk to the vet's office tomorrow rather than try something over the counter.