My kitten had worms, but now my other cats do, how do I stop this from happening!?

Question

When my kitten got worms, I gave her the pill down her throat and then 2 weeks later gave her the other one. They went away. Then one of our other cats got worms. I can hardly get the pills down his throat and it's a huge fight. He usually bites the pill and he starts spitting it out, is there an easier cheaper method than what I'm doing. I already have the pills from the vet that cost quite a bit of money, can I grind them up?

When my kitten got worms, I gave her the pill down her throat and then 2 weeks later gave her the other one. They went away. Then one of our other cats got worms. I can hardly get the pills down his throat and it's a huge fight. He usually bites the pill and he starts spitting it out, is there an easier cheaper method than what I'm doing. I already have the pills from the vet that cost quite a bit of money, can I grind them up? I've tried the store bought pills, that you can add into liquid food, but they don't work.

I've tried the store bought pills, that you can add into liquid food, but they don't work.

Answer 1

I know, I been there too, I have 2 cats and they need medicine on a daily basis. But those worms pills are big. here is what you can do, just cut it in half or thirds. wait a bit after the first part gets down and out of the throat and the cat is relaxed. It is necessary to get the pill over the hump of the tounge or kitty will spit it out every time. I usually wait till the cat is relaxed and just put my thumb into the side of kitty's mouth and back over the tounge and it goes right down. I would think by now that a liquid formula would be available but I don't know about that. No, don't grind them up, they would hit the system way too fast and hard getting the kitty sick and throw it up. I know you cannot have a nail on the finger you use. And got to be careful not to injure kitty's teeth by prying or pressing too hard. You don't have long to go, you will be fine. if you have to, you may be able to even cut it into fourths, make a call to the vet to make sure, I do believe in thirds are ok. I had to. A large one like those, darn, I couldn't even get one down my throat. Remember, if you get it over the hump of the tounge in the way back of the mouth by the throat, it will go down, just cut it, they are too big. But don't shove it down, may go down the wrong pipe and choke and die. Mine got worms even though they were inside cats, anything can be brought in on your shoes and also the area got hit with fleas bad one year, even though I didn't let them out, they got fleas anyway, that was awful to deal with those disgusting things, and they always get tape worms from fleas, those kind don't show up on poop samples. You have to lift the tail after they pooped in the litter box and if you see a little white thing go back into the rear end, well, you know. Yes, I gaged allot. Bedding has to be washed to prevent reinfection as well. They come out when kitty is sleeping sometimes, they look like tiny white rice. But you probably already know that. Good Luck, hope this helped.

Answer 2

First, if you're seeing worms, chances are they are tapeworms. If they looking like little wiggly grains of rice (yuck) they are definitely tapes. If they are getting tapes, they've got fleas. You've got to get rid of the fleas or this will be an ongoing struggle. I use Frontline Plus, and I am very happy with the results. You might want to ask your vet what flea control products would be best.

Also, I surely wouldn't put any money on being able to grind the pills. Cats are very picky about that. You said the pills were expensive - you would more than likely end up wasting them like that, or the cat might take a bite or two, and could actually make some kinds of parasites resistant to the treatment.

I am not suggesting the following as veterinary advice, but just simply telling you what I do. You have to decide what's right for your cat. When I absolutely must get a pill down a crotchety old cat, I wrap the cat, all except it's head very snuggly in a towel so its claws are restrained. Then, I quickly dunk the pill into something yummy like sardine oil, open its mouth, get bitten a time or two, and push it way to the back of it's throat. The oil helps lubricate it to do on down, and, on a good day, it swallows it.
There are shots that the vet can give for tapeworms (and fleas, too.)

Answer 3

You're probably treating the wrong kind of worms!

Roundworms, the kind kits get from their mom or cats from prey or raw food, are the ones common dewormers work against. If your cats go outside, then they are exposed to garbage and prey animals, and you need to deworm them regularly.

OTC or petshop dewormers are MUCH riskier than prescription ones sold by your vet. I've never seen a bad reaction to Strongit or Droncit but I have seen horrible seizures brought on by Hartz.

The worms that most people actually see are not roundworms (although these are sometimes vomited as vermicelli). The worms you normally see are tapeworms - little inchworms comng from the cat's butt. These come from fleas. Give your cats all fleabaths, treat them with advantage, vacuum all your carpets, upholstery, and baseboards - bringing the vacuum bag to the outside trash so the fleas don't crawl back out into your house. Hotwater wash all bedding, catbeds, and any other soft goods. THEN treat for tapeworms. Praziquantel is the usual medication - from your vet and some online stores. AND keep your cats inside so they don't catch more fleas!

There's an art to pilling your cat. You might try Pill Pockets, for one, a stinky treat designed to hide the pill inside. If rolling the cat up in a towel like a burrito doesn't help, then bring him to your vet to be pilled.

Answer 4

I don't know where you live but in the US you can buy cat worm medicine at the grocery store or on line and you don't have to pay all that money to see a vet. You don't need a prescription. Nonetheless, you should switch to the liquid form. It's easier to give to the cats. You grab them very firmly on the scruff of their neck and push the dropper into their mouth and squeeze SLOWLY. Next, you need to treat ALL your cats at the same time and wash their bedding and if they sleep with you then you need to wash your bedding too!

Odds are your cats (or one of your cats) are eating mice or garbage and contracting the worms and spreading them to the other cats.

Finally, you can crush up your pills. Try buying a can of chicken broth and dissolving the crushed pills into the broth. The broth also works with the liquid medication if you still have trouble giving the meds to your cats.

Answer 5

Kittens and puppies are usually born with worms. Or else they're eating something live like mice. Ask your vet about grinding them into the food, some meds won't work as well if you do that. Try mixing the pill in with some tuna fish, I've scammed my cats like that before lots of times.

Answer 6

Go to the vet and get Revolution. It kills worms and fleas, flea larvae, the life cycle of the flea, repels mosquitos and prevents heartworms, as well as repelling ticks and other body lice such as mange and ear mites.

Then, get some kind of powder that has nylar in it, which kills the life cycle of the flea and use it on the carpet.

The flea transports tapeworm from animal to animal through saliva. When a flea sucks blood, he injects juice as well, often carrying the small worms directly into the bloodstream of the pet.

Hence, the worms spread.

Worms are also spread by catboxes, food dishes, saliva transfer.

I hope it helps.

Answer 7

Hi, I have 4 cats. Try worming all cats at 1 time. Yes crush tablets into food, best hidden in fish cat food. Although may not be possible if cats share food. I don't use tablets, but a paste. Mlils per body weights. Wipe dosge of thick yellow paste onto forearm of front leg and they instinctively lick it off. Available in Australia by Exelpet. (no brand pushing here). Just trying to help. So much easier. Make sure clever cats don't try and wipe it on your couch. Let them out once wormed. Hope it helps.

Answer 8

hartz makes a liquid wormer that is very easy to administer.it comes with a dosage cup but i find that its best o use one of those blunt plastic oral syringe. place your cat on a counter top or table and hold (firmly but gently)by the scruff of the neck.place the end of the syringe in the corner of the mouth and SLOWLY trickle the wormer in a bit at a time. it is made to taste good so most cats will swallow it voluntarily. if your pet doesn't swallow,simply lift their head up and stroke the throat. that will make them swallow.the medicine.this is the best method but if you prefer the dose can be placed in a small amount of wet food. but u need to make sure they actually eat ALL of the food. just follow thr instructions on the bottle and you'll be fine.(your cat too) as to keeping your cats free of worms the way to do that is to keep them free of fleas.the fleas carry the larvae of the worms. when the cat grooms it swallows them and the larvae hatch in the animals intestines.sooooo flea free is worm free! good luck!

Answer 9

put the pill in something that they love to eat. Give them a bit e of it first and then the piece with the pill in it. There is a trick to giving cats medicine. Hold them by the nape of the neck and put a towel around the legs (so you don't get sratched) This may take two people also. You kindof hang the cat by the nape and open the cat's mouth at the jaw and put the pill deep in the throat and then stroke the cat under it chin. They have a reflex to swallow then.

You could try this also:
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/clientED/cat_meds.asp

http://www.xs4all.nl/~josvg/pets/cat-pill.html
Just kidding! I had to give you that link!

Answer 10

Hi Jenn...usually multiple cat households will pass worms to one another through use of the litterbox or while grooming each other ingesting fleas or flea larvae. Here's a helpful video from Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine which shows how to pill a cat by hand or using a pill syringe/gun: of http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/pill_or_capsule/