Worm prevention for cats?

Hi, I have a dog that has had re-occurring episodes of worms and sometimes I wonder if he's getting them from 1 or more of my cats.  I've never seen signs of worms in the cats, but the dog loves to eat their poop when he can get access to it.  

Are worms common in cats and if so, is there prevention for them (rather than just treatment) like for dogs?

Thanks so much!  

Once dewormed, worms shouldn't be a problem unless your cats and/or dog eats live prey.  You can control worms in both cats and dogs with a monthly application of flea/worm med.

He's been de-wormed each time and they keep coming back.  My cats have never been de-wormed because I've never seen signs of worms.

What product is recommended for cats?

You are doing multiple treatments each time he gets them, yes? How far apart are you doing the treatments?

Are you using prescription de-wormer? The OTC stuff  from the pet store or big box store (Wal Mart, etc) often do not work at all or only work on certain species of worms. What worms does your dog have?

Always follow the directions for a entire course of treatment. One dose isn't going to work like magic to get rid of worms or other parasites It usually takes a few doses spread over at least a few days or a week to remove all the adult worms and young worms and unhatched larvae.

There are parasite preventatives for cats. Some are for fleas / ticks / etc others are for worms. The vet will be able to prescribe the right product. One of my cats is on monthly Heartguard and other other is on monthly Revolution.

Yes, the vet had me do multiple rounds and the couple times I've done it myself I followed the instructions which also said to do multiple rounds (like 3).

The vet prescribed me Drontal for hookworm.  This last time I used Safe-Guard.  I believe what I saw yesterday and today is tapeworm. 

OH, I thought Heartguard is just for dogs?  That's what I plan to put my dog on after he has the heartworm test and they'll prescribe it.

Heartguard does have a cat formula: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9465 It's a chewable so it's easy to give. My cat gobbles it right up. It may be cheaper to buy online than from the vet.

Wow, never knew?  Thanks a lot!

CareBear13 said:

 
He's been de-wormed each time and they keep coming back.  My cats have never been de-wormed because I've never seen signs of worms.

What product is recommended for cats?

Click to expand...

Both your dog and your cat need a fecal exam to determine where the worms are coming from and the best way to treat them.

My dog is going to the vet this week.  I think it's tapeworm from fleas.