Over The Counter Wormers-round Worms

hissy

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NO and NO! Please see your vet for the proper treatment.
 

sharky

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According to a few vets ... They are a waste of $$.... I now know they can also be dangerous ... Get a pill or what not at the vet
 
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jaycee

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im going to use it, i researched the active ingredient in hartz rid worm paste for round worms and its the exact same medication they use in humans to treat for round worms. im inclined to think if it works and is safe for humans it would also work for cats. the ingredient is piperazine.
 

mickee

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I used over the counter wormer and was very hopeful it would work, but alas my cat that was not infected with them became infected. We had round worms and tape worms. If I had just done the vet thing first I would not have had 2 kittens to be wormed, but I too thought OTC was the way to go.

The long and short of it is this. I spent $67 at a low cost clinic getting 2 kittens wormed for 2 different worms. Plus I spent almost $10 on the OTC wormer that did not work. I would have been so much better off fecal testing the other kitten and letting the vet do his stuff with only the one kitten that was infected instead of trying to cure it the cheap route.

I lived and learned from my mistake.

Mickee
 
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jaycee

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yeah, if you have more than one cat you hafta treat them all, whether you go to the vet or use over the counter.

also if you have 2 different kinds of worms, you hafta worm for both kinds.

ive read lots of good reviews by people who have used over the counter wormers. you just hafta know what kind of worm you re treating for and buy the right kind.
 
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jaycee

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oh i forgot to mention, not only is it the same drug used to treat people, but its also the same drug your vet prescribes.
 

yosemite

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Just a note of caution here.

The OTC drugs are not always the same strength as what is prescribed by your vet and the drugs you buy on-line are often not the same strength as what you get from a vet and sometimes are downright "knock-offs". Be careful of what you read on the internet - it isn't always as true as it seems.


Also, just because a drug is used and is effective on humans does not make it safe for our cats. Pepto Bismal is a perfect example - the formula has changed and is fine for humans but potentially lethal to cats.

If you are not qualified to diagnose your animal and what type of worm it may have, do NOT buy OTC drugs and dose them. Just remember that worming medication is basically a poison to kill the worms and you do not want to be giving worming medication if it is the wrong type or they don't need it.

There's an old saying - "you can pay now or you can pay later". If you take the cheaper way out by buying OTC drugs which are often less effective and potentially harmful, you may very well end up paying quite a bit more at the vet later when your cat still has worms or worse yet is quite ill and needs more than worming.
 

solaritybengals

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I've read stories on here from users who have lost their cats to OTC wormers. I would never trust them. Strength is definitely the issue, use the wrong strength and you are not only poisoning the worm but poisoning the cat as well.
 

tru

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After I used an over the counter worm medicine with piperazine in it and the cat died, I talked to my vet and she said some cats are sensitive to piperazine and that can be the end result.

She told me then that praziquantal and pyrantal, (I think), are the safer options to use.
Of course after that I take my critters to the vet for their worming.

Know that you are taking the chance of killing your cat using those products, but if you insist then good luck to you. Maybe your cat will be one without the sensitivity.
 
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jaycee

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well, i did try it but he just threw it up a few minutes later (probably an allergic reaction) so i wound up going to the vet to get a different kind.
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by jaycee

well, i did try it but he just threw it up a few minutes later (probably an allergic reaction) so i wound up going to the vet to get a different kind.
Jaycee, I'm so glad your kitty threw up that stuff. I don't mean to sound cruel, but when I read that you were going to give OTC medication even though we all cautioned against it, I was worried for your cat.


I beg you - don't believe everything you read on the internet. Also know that some folks are paid to endorse products that they've probably never used and have no knowledge of.
 

zissou'smom

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IMO, pyrantel pamoate (Strongid and some other names) is the best one for roundworms, two doses, a month apart. You can only get it from your vet, but seriously, it doesn't cost that much. Certainly less than the health and life of your cat.
 

mickee

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Are you serious!!! Two doses??? I got mine finally at the vet but he did not tell me that. Is that necessary? It cost me $67 for both of mine and would hate to have to do that again if it is not really necesarry, but will if it is.

Mickee
 

zissou'smom

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There are other medications that don't need, necessarily, to be given in two doses because they are systemic. Standard Strongid does, because it only kills adult worms in the intestine, while the baby worms are floating around the bloodstream. These develop and become adults in the intestine about a month later, and so a second dose is needed to get them.

So, I would call your vet back and ask. Mine gave me the second half of the medicine to do at home, with the date to give it written real big on the package.
 
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jaycee

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Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

IMO, pyrantel pamoate (Strongid and some other names) is the best one for roundworms, two doses, a month apart. You can only get it from your vet, but seriously, it doesn't cost that much. Certainly less than the health and life of your cat.
it costs $50 to get it from the vet which is a lot of money for me which is why i tried the other kind first. i wonder if pyrantel is so much safer and the other kind is so dangerous, why is pyrantel over the counter and the other kind by prescription?

but yeah the vet only gave him one dose, i asked her doesnt he need a second dose in ten days (thats what another vet prescribed for my other cat) and she said no.
 

sharky

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With your permission I am going to ask this at the vets this morning... I have used Dronetal ( sp) for the last few years it is a one shot kill s all and for three animals was 48 if the vet gave or 36 if I did it
 
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