Our pets are frequently bothered by parasites and in this guide we will go over the cat treatment for tapeworms since they are among the most common ones. A responsible pet owner should regularly check their pet for these worms and offer the treatment they need so let us learn how to identify them, treat them and prevent them from appearing again.
Tapeworms infect many mammals, humans as well, and the way they do this is by settling in the small intestine and leading to a condition called cestodiasis. The most common ones are Taenia, Dipylidium Caninum, Echinococcus and Mesocestoides and you should take them serious for the well being of your pet as well as for your own.
Symptoms and Identification
They symptoms we usually see are dried white colored segments or pieces of the tapeworm or egg packets in the pet’s feces or stuck to the fur below the tail and since cats lick their entire bodies to clean themselves it is no wonder that these worms will thrive and continue to multiply if left unchecked. If you see white objects similar to a grain of rice on the cat’s fur then your pet probably has tapeworms and you should take a sample and bring it to a veterinarian for testing.
One other sign of tapeworms is if the cat has a flea infestation since the fleas feed on the tapeworm eggs so flea control is one of the most important steps in tapeworm prevention! If your cat is a long time outdoors and likes to hunt then the probability of getting tapeworms will increase since rodents or other cats can be infected.
Treatment
There is effective medication for the treatment of tapeworms in the form of injection or oral pills that contain praziquantel. To determine the best treatment and how to proceed it is important to visit a veterinarian since there are more factors to take into consideration. That being said, the treatment will always be the same for any type of tapeworm.
The substance called praziquantel paralyzes the tapeworms so they won’t remain stuck on the wall of the bowel and thus they will be eliminated through the feces. Today there are several tablets and injections that will also work against roundworms but always follow the vet’s instructions for their administering as they can have some side-effects like sickness, reduced appetite and diarrhea. One thing to remember is that this will only work for the present worms, so if the cat reinfects itself then you have to start all over again.
Prevention
As we mentioned before, keeping fleas away from your cat is the best protection against tapeworms too. If the infestation happens then you have to take care not only of the pet but their surroundings too since that is the only way to prevent the infestation from reappearing. Keeping the pet away from garbage or dead animals can also prevent the ingestion of these worms so this means that hunting in general should be reduced, try to find other activities to keep them preoccupied.
The final thing we should mention is that you should treat your pet for tapeworms once every three months or when you see symptoms to make sure the cat will remain healthy.
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