Cat and Exotic Care of the Central Coast
Maxwell Conn, DVM
565 Five Cities Drive
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Ph: 805-773-OCAT (773-0228)
Fax: 805-773-0229
www.catandexoticcare.com
Full Service Hospital & boarding for Cats, Birds, Reptiles & Small Mammals
QUESTION:
My cat has worms. Can I use an over-the-counter dewormer to treat it? How can I prevent
them?
ANSWER:
There are several types of worms with which cats can become infected, but the tapeworm is the most
common in an adult cat. It is likely that your cat has tapeworms. When a cat is infected, the tapeworm
latches onto the wall of the small intestine. As the worm grows and matures the end segments fill with
eggs, which, once filled, will detach and exit the cat's intestinal tract via the anus. These are the “worm
segments” that people typically see near the cat's rear-end or in the stools. The segments are capable of
movement, and may crawl around until they dry up to the size of a sesame seed. Eventually these “egg
packets” are consumed by a flea or rodent in which the next part of the life cycle occurs. A cat is only
infected by the tapeworm by consuming an infected rodent or infected flea and can't become infected
by direct consumption of the tapeworm segments.
There are some over-the-counter broad spectrum dewormers that can be used to treat this parasite;
however, because an accurate dose calculation is necessary, you should contact your veterinarian for
the proper medication. The newer generation topical treatments for this parasite have become much
easier to administer and are better tolerated by most cats, but are prescription only.
The key to prevention of tapeworms is through prevention of the carriers: fleas and rodents. A high
quality and effective flea control regimen (I prefer Vectra or Revolution once a month) is necessary to
stop the most common tapeworm species. In order to avoid the other, less common tapeworm, you will
have to stop your cat from hunting rodents. Fortunately, tapeworms are usually not terribly harmful
and most cats are symptom-free when infected (they don't even usually get the weight loss symptoms
that most people expect).
Max Conn, DVM is the owner of Cat & Exotic Care of the Central Coast, a full-service veterinary
hospital dedicated to the special needs of cats, birds, reptiles and small mammals. Cat & Exotic Care is
located in Pismo Coast Plaza, 565 Five Cities Drive, 805-773-0228. More information can be found at
www.catandexoticcare.com.
If you have a veterinary question that you would like to propose for an upcoming edition, please
send it to email@catandexoticcare.com with “ask the vet” in the subject line.