Roundworms

We are caring for 5 kittens (mama too) that were living in our back yard for a few weeks. They are about 11 weeks old and are going to the vet on Thursday. They all have loose stool, which I suspect is caused from roundworms. We work with a rescue organization and one of the other volunteers gave us Revolution, to topically apply. The next day I noticed worms in the stool, which I hadn't previously seen but looked for. I would imagine that Revolution is causing the worms to pass? They still have loose stool though. Will it return to normal once all the worms are gone? Has anyone had experience with Revolution? It's supposed to work for several things, including fleas. I see no evidence of fleas or tapeworm, which is good, but definitely roundworms. Yuck. They are all eating well, and have lots of energy. Would it be safe for me to tell the vet to give them the liquid worm medicine if their stool is still loose on Thursday?

Thanks all!

With roundworms and strays you are better to use a vet's intervention, as internal medicine is needed to destroy the worms. Roundworms sometimes take up to 3 applications to kill and they can quickly deplete an adult cat and kill kittens.

Revolution is my first choice when it comes to cats and parasite prevention and/or treatment, but, I agree, always check with your veterinarian first.

Revolution is a topical prescription product available through veterinarians for the treatment of the adult, egg, and larvae (off label) stages of the flea, roundworms, hookworms, and ear mites, and the prevention of heartworms. Some veterinarians will ask you to re-apply Revolution as early as 2 weeks depending on the severity of the infestation. Application for preventative measures is once every month.

Roundworms do cause loose stool among various other symptoms which should subside as the worms leave the cat through the stool. Repeating the worming 2-3 times is important because the worming medication will not have an effect on the immature adult and migrating larvae stages of the roundworms. Only when the worms become adults can the be killed. There are many more "not-so-pleasant" aspects of the roundworm, but I'll just keep it simple.

You also want to make sure that you scoop the litter box at least once daily (preferably more often) and/or remove all feces from the environment because re-infestation is very easy. Make sure to wash your hands frequently because transmission of roundworms from pet to humans is possible and roundworm eggs in the right environment can remain infective for years to both you and your cats.

Be sure to have your veterinarian check a stool sample for any other intestinal parasites that are not visible to the eye and to make sure the worming agent is remaining effective. Revolution is designed to effectively treat roundworms but may require 2 or even 3 applications to get the situation under control. Just a recommendation, but I would continue applying Revolution monthly even after the symptoms subside to prevent future re-infestations. Some situations may require additional oral medication.

I hope I have been of some help to you and anyone else having similar problems!