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steppy_gw

Need info on worming cats

Steppy
11 years ago

How often is it safe to give cats roundworm medicine? It's pyrantal pamoate. I bought it at PetsMart and it says to give it once, then again in two weeks (which I did) then again in six months, but I think my cat has a major infestation. I gave it to her as directed, but after two weeks, she is still passing worms. The worms are dead, but it's still distressing. Would it be safe to dose her again in a month? I can't stand the thought of her being infested with these horrible things.

Comments (5)

  • quasifish
    11 years ago

    I don't know much about the wormer you are using, but wanted to share that I've used food grade diatomaceous earth on humans and animals as a means to control and eliminate parasites. It is very safe, and you could use it regularly until you feel confident that her infestation gone.

    I wish I had known about this when one of my cats was diagnosed with giardia. DE would have been 1000% better than the anitbiotic that she was given, to which she had a bad reaction (she was fine eventually, thankfully).

    I'll post a link to a place with some good info. You have to use a certain grade DE, but it is cheap. I've not purchased from this place. I generally pay $12+ shipping for a gallon jug of it (it's 2 lbs I think), and that's probably a little expensive for the product compared to some places, but even used regularly it lasts well more than a year.

    I've never tried to feed it to a cat. It does have a strange, edge-of-the-lake taste, so don't know if it would really be as easy as this website makes it sound.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Lots of worming with DE info.

  • lzrddr
    11 years ago

    pyrantel pamoate is safe to give every week or so if you need to.. but what kind of worms does your cat have? What do they look like (how long are they and what color?)? Are they flat or round in cross section. The reason I ask is sometimes tapeworms are the worm problem and all the pyrental pamoate in the world won't kill a tape worm. And sometimes other things that LOOK like worms and are not can be found in a pet's stool.

    PS DE will not rid an animal of round worms or giardia despite what some may claim.

  • spedigrees z4VT
    11 years ago

    Pyrantal pamoate is a safe wormer, but it gets roundworms and little else. If you are continually seeing worms in your cat's stool, you may be seeing tapeworm segments, and pyrantal pamoate will not kill tapeworms.

    I use vetafarm wormout on my cat, a combination of praziquantel and oxibendazole, that kills virtually all worms. One tablet treats cats up to 11 lbs, and it is a safe medication. Treat once, then again two weeks later. This place is where I buy it and my other pet dewormers, flea, and heartworm meds.
    http://www.pets-megastore.com.au/wormout-c-2_15_205.html

  • Elly_NJ
    11 years ago

    I think that after the second dose and passing dead worms that the med is working.

    Wait a couple of weeks and get a fecal. Then you can see any intestinal parasite still lurking.

  • spedigrees z4VT
    11 years ago

    Dead worms are not always seen after a de-worming treatment. They can be, but not always. A dead worm or tapeworm segment passed in a stool also does not mean that an animal is parasite-free.

    Fecal exams very often result in false negative readings. Worms or their eggs do not always show up. You can spend a lot of money on these tests with an end result of your pet being infested and going untreated.