Do you know that cats can give children cat tapeworm?

Question

This is more like an answer than a question,but its something that I believe people with small children should know.When my youngest was 3 months old I took in a stray kitten.I gave it a flea bath & set up an appointment at the vet the following day.It was very gentle and the baby just loved her!When I took it to the vet I was told that the kitten had tapeworm and they treated it and told me tthat cats get tapeworm from swallowing infected fleas when they bathe themselves.I asked if me baby could get it and the vet told me he had never heard of that happening.About 3 months later while I was changing my daughters poopy diaper I noticed small worms in her stool.I freaked out!I took her to the doctor & they said it was most likely pinworm and they gave her pinworm medication.It didnt work & the tests came back negative for human parasites.Her doctor thought I was crazy!!! Finally I took her to the local childrens hospital where I was told she somehow swallowed a flea which gave her cat

Answer 1

Intestinal worms in children is a normal occurance. I've seen this more than once...and parents tend to freak out. Pin worms are totally different from tapeworms. You are right when you said that animals (and humans) can get tapeworms from swallowing a flea. A flea is an intermediate host of the tapeworm. Now tapeworm segments (basically baby tapeworms) can appear in an animal's feces. They may also be around the anus of the animal, in the fur. They kinda look like rice, and are the about the same size as a grain of rice...but they'll move like an inch worm.
Dogs can also get tapeworms from swallowing fleas. Hopefully you won't have this problem again, but if you do, then bring the poopy diaper with you to the doctor, that way they can't call you crazy. Best of luck to you.

Answer 2

Hi Christina...it isn't uncommonly heard of young children ingesting fleas and flea larvae later to be infected with the tapeworm parasite. However, there are many types of tapeworms that can also come from other sources as well such as infected meat, poor sanitation environments, etc. however this isn't as commonly seen in the USA. http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1031002399.html

How people get tapeworm infections: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_tapeworm.html#Can_People_Get_Them

Answer 3

The cat did not give her tapeworms, the flea did. You can get tapeworms by eating rats, rabbits, fleas or mice. My suggestion is to treat your cat with flea prevention like Advantage, and have your house treated as well

Answer 4

I work in an animal shelter that mainly deals with stray cats. I deal with fleas a LOT and I've been lucky not to get anything. (Knock on wood).

Answer 5

Absolutely Chick! Those nasty disgusting little worms can burrow right through the skin! I took invertebrate biology in college so I studied the life cylces of these things. Fleas may pass bacteria or viruses sure but worms pass through ingestion of the worm/egg or by passing directly through skin.

Answer 6

It is very unlikely for people to get tapeworms from cats...unless you ate their feces...then you could get it. What you describe is NOT your cat giving your baby tapeworms...but a flea giving your baby tapeworms.

Answer 7

Cats don't get pin worm so your baby couldn't have gotten it from the cat. Yes it is possible for people to catch certain types of worms from cats but very rare.

Answer 8

yes! i know that any types of worms that dog and cats, humans can have the same ones....... sucks doesn't it.... just need to wash hands as much as possible

Answer 9

your cat wouldn't have fleas if you had used advantage, yes people can get worms, from fleas and fecal matter

Answer 10

Interesting to know thanks!