How to Treat Tapeworms in Cats

Tapeworm infection can affect felines (as well as numerous other mammals), generally settling in the small intestine. Invasion by the Cestoda tapeworm results in a medical condition that is referred to as cestodiasis. The tapeworm species can consist of Taenia, Dipylidium Caninum, Echinococcus, and Mesocestoides. Treatment to damage tapeworms is a crucial step in preventing transmission to humans (typically children), and for avoiding damage to the feline’s body. When dealt with promptly, diagnosis is favorable.

Signs and Symptoms of Tapeworms in Cats

Naturally, an unambiguous sign of parasites are the segments of the body of tapeworms in the vomit of a pet.

Other symptoms of helminthiasis in cats include unexplained weight loss, but the most common sign is proglottides. It is difficult not to notice the white, creamy, egg-filled segments of the worm’s body in the cat’s feces and on the fur near the anus. You may also notice that the animal seems to be scratching the back of the body on the floor, as parasites irritate the skin in the anus, although this behavior is more typical of dogs.

Thus, you, as the owner of a cat, should carefully examine the condition of your pet, the condition of the cat’s anus and its feces to make sure that it really has tapeworms in the body.

Tapeworm segments with eggs from cat's stool
Rice – shaped segments of a tapeworm that you can find in the feces of a cat that has this parasite in the body. Each segment contains several eggs, through which the tapeworm reproduces.

How Do Cats Get Tapeworms?

Tapeworms are gotten by consuming the larvae. Tapeworm eggs are regularly consumed through adult fleas. Other sources that are prospective transmitters, and that a cat is likely to ingest, consist of rabbits, birds, and rodents. Scavenging might likewise cause an invasion of tapeworms.

So you should know that if a cat eats not only at home, but also outdoors, has fleas that it swallows during cleaning and just licks off itself or from some surface, the risk of getting a tapeworm into the cat’s intestines is very high.

Diagnosing

Your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical examination on your feline. If tapeworms are present, they will be found in the anal sac or in the feces. A fecal sample can be used to examine for the existence of tapeworms. Incorrect negatives do happen, however most test results are definitive.

It is best to take the cat to the veterinarian, so that he will examine it personally. If this is not possible, but you can take a sample of your cat’s feces to the veterinary laboratory, then do it.

How to Treat Tapeworms in Cats

Treatment for adult tapeworms is given on an outpatient basis for adult tapeworms, either by injection or by oral medication. Medications are effective at removing tapeworms from the feline’s body.

It is necessary to administer the complete course of the recommended medication to guarantee that the tapeworms are removed from your cat’s body.

What Medications Kill Tapeworms in Cats?

Moving from theory to practice. Here we offer you the most popular and effective medications for your cat that will help you get rid of tapeworms in just a few days. When used correctly these medications are safe enough for your pet:

#1. Bayer Animal Health Bayer Tapeworm Dewormer

How to Treat Tapeworms in Cats

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Bayer’s Tapeworm Dewormer for cats is a simple and reliable way to eliminate your feline’s tapeworms.

It’s practical and simple to offer. You do not require a prescription, and tapeworms are treated in a single dosage. Merely crumble the tablets and combine with food or treats to assist make it a smooth experience for both you and your cat.

What to Do If Your Cat Refuse Swallow the Tablet with a Meal?

It may happen that you will not be able to feed the cat a tapeworm pill along with food. Then you will have to apply a small procedure consisting of the following steps:

  1. place your cat in front of you, cuz they tend to back up to avoid it.
  2. Put your finger in between their back teeth to enforce them to open their mouth
  3. Put a little wet food on the pill so it’ll slide down easier
  4. Put the pill in the back of their throat & IMMEDIATELY close their mouth, pointing their nose to the ceiling WHILE rubbing their throat in a downward motion.

Here is the video of the procedure:

Prevention

Keeping your cat free of flea problem is the best protection versus tapeworms. However, if invasion does occur, the environment must be dealt with along with the cat to prevent recurring problems. Keeping your cat far from dead animals and garbage may likewise assist prevent ingestion of tapeworms.

Questions and Answers

Can tapeworms kill a cat? What happens if tapeworms go untreated in cats?

Although tapeworms harm the normal digestion of food and parasitize the cat, it is unlikely that they can lead to the death of the animal, if only for a long time (months or more) the cat is left untreated and severely weakened.

If there are too many parasites, they will cause blood loss and/or block the cat’s intestines. This, as you know, can be fatal for the pet.

Usually the owners of the cats enough time to detect the parasite, to buy medicine and to have a successful treatment.

How long does it take to kill tapeworms in cats?

As we have already noted in the article, modern medications against worms take 1-2 days to destroy the parasite in the cat’s gastrointestinal tract. In fact, after 24 hours, adult tapeworms will die. But you should repeat the treatment (give a tablet or liquid suspension) after 15-20 days to kill a possible new generation of these worms that appear from the laid eggs.

Can tapeworms be passed from cat to human?

We have given examples of how a cat is infected with tapeworms. A person can get infected from a cat if it has a habit of climbing on the table, eating food shared with you, or simply you do not observe hygiene during the game with a cat. In General, the answer is Yes, it is possible.

Can I deworm my cat myself?

Yes, it’s not difficult. If you are sure that your cat has this type of worms, then by purchasing the above dewormers, you can conduct the proposed simple course of treatment, which consists in giving the cat a couple of tablets or a few drops of medication. The main thing to remember is that following the instructions is mandatory.

Conclusion

Cat owners should be able to determine when their Pets are ill, know the signs of the presence of parasites, worms. If you take tapeworms separately, it is quite easy to fight them. It is enough to offer the correct medicine to the cat a couple of times in accordance with the instructions. However, keep in mind that the risk of re-infection is always maintained, so try to take measures to reduce the risk of re-infection with a tapeworm of your cat.

Reyus Mammadli/ author of the article

I have had pets since childhood: cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, geese, chickens, ducks, parrots, aquarium fish and dogs (in the yard). Of course, I constantly encountered diseases of pets and treated them. Glad to be able to share my skills and experience, as well as advice on caring for and adapting these critters and birds.

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