What symptoms do cats get when they have tape worms?

Question

My cat is eating like crazy and not gaining any weight...... I'm just guessing it could be tape worms

Answer 1

Tapeworms don't generally cause any symptoms of anything at all in a cat. Tapeworms are not NEARLY as dangerous as the worms you can't see, like hookworms and roundworms (neither of which will cause an INcreased appetite, either.) They're more of a nuisance than anything else. You'll often see the little segments come out in the stool, or occasionally get stuck to the hair around the anus and underside of the tail (those are the ones that look like grains of rice when they dry up.) Tapeworms are caused from swallowing an infected flea when grooming, not from a flea bite as many people mistakenly believe. They can get a different, less common, species from eating rabbits and/or rodents. They do not come from birds. (Eating birds is a common source of capillaria and Salmonella, however.)

Okay....now that we have that all straightened out.....tapeworms won't cause your cat to eat 'like crazy' and not gain weight. The first answerer and old cat lady are correct in that that is most often a symptom of hyperthyroidism in cats over the age of 8-9 yrs, and requires a physical exam and blood test for diagnosis. Diabetes is also a common cause of those symptoms, especially if accompanied by increased thirst and urination.

How old is this cat? The very best thing you could do for it, regardless of its age, is to take it to a doctor (your veterinarian) for evaluation. Then, you'll know. The above conditions are fatal if not treated, but CAN be treated if caught early enough.....allowing your cat a better quality of life.

Answer 2

There are a number of intestinal parasites that a cat can have and it's best to have a vet determine which one it is. With the tape worm you can usually find tiny rice-like segments in the cat's bedding or favorite place for it to nap. That's a pretty straight-forward one and is she told the cat's vet she has found these he may just sell her the tape-worm specific medication for it without a stool sample or vet exam.

The medications are specific for each type of infestation and this is not a do-it-yourself situation. You do not want to hit or miss be dosing your cat with poisons in its system.

If it is a tape-worm you must treat your cat for fleas with topical medication like Advantage or Frontline as the cat can be readily re-infected by another flea bite.

Swims information is also something to be seriously considered as hyperthyroidism is common in older cats now. Eating and not gaining weight is a major symptom of that and a vet needs to do a blood panel on the cat to determine if this is going on.

Answer 3

Tape worms come from one of two things either: you have fleas or ur cat eats mice &/or birds. But-round worms are different and can make a cat eat alot-not gain weight. Both worm s u can see. Tapes- look like bits of white rice that you may find in his bedding or can be in stool. Rounds- look like spegetti and can be vommited up or be in the stool.
Either way, its not a guessing game here cuz u could be wrong all together-therefore, I would take ur kitty to get a vet check-weight loss can be from a number of things from moderate to fatal and I wouldn't guess if it came to my boys.

Answer 4

They have segments coming out of their butts. If it is an older cat it could have a thyroid condition. See the vet.

Answer 5

i think you really need to take it to the Vet because it could be anything, and usually cats eat alot and they sleep to, so its like they are eating and eating but sleeping and sleeping.. See a Vet..
Hope i helped..

Answer 6

my cat had tapeworms ,they have segments comming from the butt they look like sesame seeds and they come from fleas .cause i had to get medicine from the vet.