Cats with worms :(

Hi. Yet another question.

My cats definitely have worms. I see them..you know. Around their bottoms. Anyways, I want to bring them to the vet. Funds REALLY dont allow that right now. So I was told they may have something I can give them that I can buy from walmart, or a store like that.

Is this bad? I know flea meds from a non-pet store is risky. I dont want to take any chances.

Any ideas ASAP are wonderful. I'm leaving tomorrow for a few days, and I want to know what to do with these guys before I leave.

Also, there is another cat living in this house. She had fleas a month or two ago. Her owner says she sees no worms in the feces, but she hasnt looked around the kittys bottom. Chances are this cat has them too? And if she does, if she goes untreated, could my cats get worms back? (They all live in the same space.)

Thanks!

What are the worms? long small or like halvlong rice? In any case, in Sweden they sell the usual veterinary antiworms drugs at pharmacy recept-free, so you can buy yourself. I hope it is so in US too?
If you want advice here - write up what drugs you can buy - but as a rule of thumb: drugs made by the big wellknown pharmacy quality industries should be OK - even if you could buy them OTC.
They may be useless for the worm - ie wrong medicine for wrong worm - as none of us is a vet - and identification of the worm may be difficult - but they shouldnt be dangerous if adminstered properly.

To your second question. Yes, your fears are justified. Fleas are a inbetween host for band-worms (american name?) - and thus there is danger she is infected too and may spread the infection as they probably use the same toilets and so on. So look out, and give her a dose of the antiworm-treatment too... (especielly as she is probably infected by your cats who evidently HAVE worms...)

Theyre the small rice looking worms. (Very gross.)


And none of the cats have fleas anymore. But they ALL did before. I just figured if both my cats got worms from the fleas, chances are my sisters cat did too.

Originally Posted by Ghostchant

Theyre the small rice looking worms. (Very gross.)


And none of the cats have fleas anymore. But they ALL did before. I just figured if both my cats got worms from the fleas, chances are my sisters cat did too.

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You're kit has tapeworms....which means your cat most likely has flea...since fleas transport tapeworms from one host to another........

So the fleas and the tapeworm need to be taken care of....They can cause blockages in your cats and the flea can cause anemia......also some tapeworms can be zoonotic (transfere to humans).......

This needs to be taken care of.....and its usually not the policy on here to suggest meds over the internet since we are not able to evaluate your kit in person.....However if funds are toooo tight...maybe w/ a small donation a local shealter would help you out.....They usually have effective, yet cost effective meds......And w/ a small donation I am sure that they would comply.....plus they know how to apply this stuff........

Plus you may not see fleas now...However after the flea lays her eggs, the eggs can lie in cracks on the ground....they can last 2 years, and are impervious to most chemicals....and they will atch when conditions suit them....then you have another infestation....so I also suggest when funds are good that you put your cats on a monthly flea plan like advantage or frontline

Originally Posted by Nebula11

Plus you may not see fleas now...However after the flea lays her eggs, the eggs can lie in cracks on the ground....they can last 2 years, and are impervious to most chemicals....and they will atch when conditions suit them....then you have another infestation....so I also suggest when funds are good that you put your cats on a monthly flea plan like advantage or frontline

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Yeah, I did frontline last month, and I have some for this month. I was going to give both my cats bath, but I only ended up giving one of them a bath. And I was going to frontline them after the baths. Should I wait until the worms are gone until I frontline, or do it now?

Originally Posted by Ghostchant

Yeah, I did frontline last month, and I have some for this month. I was going to give both my cats bath, but I only ended up giving one of them a bath. And I was going to frontline them after the baths. Should I wait until the worms are gone until I frontline, or do it now?

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If the vet wants you to have a monthy application...then do as the vet says...though it may not hurt to call your vet and let them know the kit has tapeworm...they might also be able to give you some sort of suggestions...maybe even work out a payment plan

Here in North America most over-the-counter medications for fleas and worms are not very effective and some can actually do a great deal of harm, i.e., make your cat very sick or even cause death if not properly given and also if the correct medication is not given for the type of worm your cat has.

It really is best to get your cat to a vet - whether your normal vet or a shelter/low cost clinic. None of us can diagnose your cat over the internet - in fact I don't even know of any vets that would diagnose an animal without seeing them.

If possible, talk to your vet and ask if you can do a payment plan, but I would seriously get my meds from the vet. Often you will buy OTC medications that don't work and end up still having to pay a vet for meds anyway so you've basically wasted the money you spent on the OTC meds.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Here in North America most over-the-counter medications for fleas and worms are not very effective and some can actually do a great deal of harm, i.e., make your cat very sick or even cause death if not properly given and also if the correct medication is not given for the type of worm your cat has.

It really is best to get your cat to a vet - whether your normal vet or a shelter/low cost clinic. None of us can diagnose your cat over the internet - in fact I don't even know of any vets that would diagnose an animal without seeing them.

If possible, talk to your vet and ask if you can do a payment plan, but I would seriously get my meds from the vet. Often you will buy OTC medications that don't work and end up still having to pay a vet for meds anyway so you've basically wasted the money you spent on the OTC meds.

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Awesome, you've pretty much answered all my questions. I just wanted to know how bad OTC worm meds were. I had a feeling they werent decent. I'm making an appt tomorrow. Thanks

The rule with wormers and why it is safest to get it from the vet is because it has to do with the age of the cat, the health, and the weight. the over-the-counter type generally will not kill the host worm and also make the cat ill.

Tapeworms should be taken care of but they don't pose a significant danger to the cat in the short term. Make a vet visit a top priority but if you are really, really broke, they will be okay without it. (Though think how you'd feel if those things were in your tummy...yuck!).