Instructions
Determine if your cat is infected with tapeworms. Common symptoms are abdominal discomfort, such as vomiting, or scooting across the floor to scratch the anal area.
Avoid using over-the-counter medication or home treatments. There are many natural remedies, such as garlic, that are effective in treating the fleas that cause tapeworms, but once infected, it is important to ensure your cat receives the most effective treatment to avoid serious problems. Even products claiming to contain the same ingredients as prescription medication are often ineffective.
Take your cat to the veterinarian to have it tested and treated. Tapeworm treatment can be administered topically, by tablet or by injection.
Get rid of future flea infestations by using over-the-counter medication to control fleas and prevent the cat from immediately contracting tapeworms again.
Take your cat to the vet again for a second treatment approximately three weeks after the first treatment to ensure your cat has not been infected again before you were able to rid it of the flea problem.
How to Kill Tapeworms in a Cat
The most common tapeworm is dipylidium caninum, hosted by fleas and ingested by the cat while grooming. The other common type of tapeworm is taenia taeniaeformis, which are ingested by cats when they eat infected rodents. While tapeworms are not generally harmful to your cat, they will deprive the cat of important nutrients, causing it to lose weight and its fur to appear rough. Serious problems can result, however, if they are infested with a large number of tapeworms and if the worms are left untreated.