Cat Worm Remedies

Fenbendazole and Pyrantel Pamoate

• Roundworms and hookworms typically infest younger cats, usually those who live outside or have never been previously treated. Your cat becomes infected with both worms by eating the eggs or larvae on food or other animals, and by prenatal transmission. The infected queen (mother cat) passes the larvae to her kittens through placental fluids in the uterus or through the milk while nursing. Larvae grow into adult roundworms and hookworms that live in your cat's small intestine and cause diarrhea and general ill health.

  Veterinarians commonly prescribe fenbendazole (brand name Panacur) to treat both hookworms and roundworms in kittens and adult cats. If kittens are not eating solid food before diagnosis, your vet may suggest treating with pyrantel pamoate (Strongid) that can be dispensed in liquid or paste form. Fenbendazole and pyrantel pamoate kill the adult worms by destroying their ability to take in glucose and convert it to energy---in effect, starving them to death. You need to administer the fenbendazole for three consecutive days for the treatment to be effective. As adult roundworms die, you may notice them emerging whole in your cat's feces. You need to pick up the feces after each elimination to prevent your cat from getting reinfected.

Praziquantel

• Tapeworms get into your cat's digestive tract when she ingests a flea that may be biting her. The flea works as an intermediate host, carrying the tapeworm larvae in its gut, before passing it on to your cat. The larva grows into an adult worm that attaches to your cat's small intestines and is diagnosed by the small, rice-like segments seen in the feces and around the anal area of your cat.

  Veterinarians treat tapeworms with fenbendazole and/or praziquantel (Droncit). Praziquantel allows the cat's intestinal tract to digest the adult worm, disintegrating its body and detaching the head that is buried inside the walls of your cat's bowels. This medication kills the worms with a single dose, but takes three weeks to completely destroy all the eggs. Use proper hygiene (wash your hands) when disposing of feces containing possible tapeworm eggs.

Ivermectin

• The larvae of the feline lungworm enter your cat's body when the animal ingests an intermediate host (usually a snail or crayfish) or drinks infected water. The larvae take up residence in your cat's small intestine until they mature and travel to the lungs. The adult worms attach to the lung walls and bring about chronic cough, respiratory diseases, and weight loss. In untreated cases, they cause fatalities. Your veterinarian may suggest either fenbendazole or ivermectin to treat the infestation.

  Ivermectin, also approved as a heartworm preventive for cats, works on the parasite by paralyzing the worm's central nervous system and destroying its primitive brain. The dead adults are released into lung fluid that your cat coughs up and swallows. The worms pass through your cat's digestive tract and are expelled in his feces and urine. Ivermectin comes in chewable cubes that you administer once a month, breaking them up into your cat's food to facilitate absorption of the drug. Your cat should be tested for heartworm prior to administering the ivermectin; the drug prevents furthers infection if the test is positive.