Worms

dtolle

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I am so grossed out. I just saw something white and small hanging out of Sunshine's butt. Now, I've never actually had a cat w/ worms but from what I've read I assume this is what it is. No symptoms, I just happen to see it when she turned around. When I looked closer, it appeared to look like a small white strand ( maybe like rice ), but it was still inside too so I do not know how long it was.
So, where the heck did she get this ( she is an indoor cat), does she have to go to the vet to be treated, and can my kids get this??????????? And should my other cat be treated??? I am panicking now, and my vet isn't in the office till Wed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, yuck.
 

sandie

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Sounds like worms to me. Check where she sleeps to see if you find what looks like mini rice grains. It sounds as if she may have tapeworm. The roundworms tend to come out in the feces and resemble spaghetti. I just posted in the care grooming section on this, but I will post here as well. Transmission of tapeworm is through an infected flea or rodent that has been eaten by the cat. It can't be passed through contact but rather fleas. I would give her a good once over to make sure she doesn't have them now. If you see evidence of fleas you want to treat her and the house. The only way to get rid of tapeworm is a trip to the vet. It's a prescription medication.
 

alicat613

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Daniela, right? Oh, I am in your same spot! Sandie posted in my 'weird skin stuff' thread in care and grooming. My kitty doesn't have anything funky in her poop or hanging out of her rear, but she leaves these seed lookig things that I thought were dandruff where she lies! Sandie said it's probably dried tapeworms and I am sooooo grossed out. Looks like we're all of to the vet now. Yuck.
 

vikki

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My cat had tapeworms a couple of months ago, and if it hadn't been for him being a white cat and sometimes having a messy bum, I think it would have been a while before I noticed anything wrong (I saw the little sesame seed/grain of rice things). He didn't have fleas and had been to the vet a couple of times (for neutering and shots). So, the tapeworms were probably in him when I got him - ick. Another trip to the vet cleared up that problem.
I don't know the likelihood of transmission to your kids and other cat, but you should keep an eye on everyone. It's usually small kids (the ones at the age where anything and everything goes into their mouths) who are at risk. The worms are passed on by ingesting the flea larvae, adult lice or eggs. Make sure the kids wash their hands after playing with the cats or scooping the litter box.
Your vet should be able to tell you if your other cat needs to be vaccinated or if you should just wait for signs (although, sometimes aren't so visible).
Good luck!
 

jakenjinx

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Those are probably tapeworms. Romeo
used to get them all the time (yuk). You need to get droncet tablets from your vet and pop em down..... Roundworm is small and long, tapeworm will come out in segments and it looks flat like a stepped on piece of rice....YUMMY!

Ah, cats, aren't they grreat!?!?!
:tounge2:
 

tarnikhouse

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I can't tell you about whether or not the worms can be transmitted to your other cat (but you may just want to take him/her with you to the vet, just in case), but I know the worms, if the small rice-like things are the same things I experienced (actually picked off Delph's butt, thinking it was plastic stuck to her fur, and then it started moving in my fingers....uggg....goose bumps thinking about it!). anyway, my vet assured me that the worms were not a threat to me at all.
Let me know if your vet says something else...my appetite has been extremely large lately...uh oh!
Oh, and if it is worms, it's VERY easy to treat.

good luck.
Steph
 
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dtolle

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Well, I've been keeping a very close eye out and I've seen nothing at all since the one piece I saw over the weekend. I am starting to think that it was a piece of fuzz or something. My vet will be back on Wed so if I see anything else I will give her a call. Thanks for all of your responses. I feel better, and I don't think its tapeworms after all of the descriptions I've been reading here.
 

jakenjinx

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Dtolle - keep an eye out because you will only see them once in a while. Yea, the vet might be a good idea - nothing to panic about, but if they do have worms....ack... get rid of em.... the one thing I hate about cats - ack.....
 
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dtolle

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I just put a call in to my vet and left a message. I hope I don't have to drag both cats there, I'm hoping she'll just give me the meds. I don't have an extra carrier right now, so I'll have to buy one if I have to take both in. UGH....this is the one drawback of cats. WORMS!!!!!!!!!! Its soooooooooooooooo grosses me out!
 

mermaid

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Daniela,

As gross as they are, tapeworms are basically nonpathogenic (they don't cause problems) in cats or dogs unless they get so big that they actually block the guts. What you are seeing is a segment of a much larger worm (like you need to hear that).

Tapeworms are a platyhelminth, or a flatworm, they look a lot like linguine when they are whole.
Cats and dogs both get them by eating fleas, which are an intermediate host. Cats are very sneaky in that they can have fleas, but often, you'd never know it. If they have fleas, they eat them while grooming, that is just a given. Droncit will kill the current tapeworm that he has, but you need to treat both cats for fleas. Your vet will tell you all of this, though! If one cat has fleas, both of 'em do, and both of 'em probably have tapes, too. Cats don't pass tapes back and forth, or even adult fleas, but if they share the same population of fleas, they share the tapes, too.
Ask her about what flea treatments she recommends. Were I in your shoes, I'd treat both cats with Frontline Plus, which not only kills adult fleas, but also makes the ones that hatch after treatment lay sterile eggs, so it breaks the cycle. Voila, no more fleas, no more tapeworms! (and no, I am not affiliated).
 
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dtolle

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The vet just called to tell me to drop off a stool sample to them, then they will treat accordingly.

So, that solves that. I am sure its probably tape, but I've never seen fleas on either of them....so we'll treat for fleas too I am sure just to be safe.

Thanks again to all who posted to my questions.
 

jakenjinx

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They can get tape from eating varments, too! ACK..... My Romeo didn't have fleas either, and he was a big varment eater.....uuuugggghhh:tounge2:
 
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