How to Get Rid of Roundworms in Kittens

Kittens are infected with a type of roundworm -- Toxocara cati -- through their mother's milk. If the mother cat has had an infection of roundworms during her life (and most cats have) the larvae of the parasites will remain dormant in parts of her body. These larvae migrate to her mammary glands when they fill with the milk with which she will feed her babies. The parasites then infect the babies as they feed. The good news is that roundworms are easy to treat. It's safe to assume all kittens need to be treated.

Things You'll Need

  • Veterinarian exams
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Take your kitten to a veterinarian when it is 6 weeks old. In addition to beginning its kitten vaccination series, the veterinarian will perform a fecal exam to determine if the kitten has roundworms and other types of intestinal parasites.

    • 2

      The veterinarian will give your kitten a dose of dewormer to rid it of the roundworms. The medication most commonly prescribed by veterinarians for roundworms in kittens is Drontal. Active ingredients are pyrantel pamoate and praziquantel. The medication is safe to use in kittens when they are 4 weeks old and weigh at least 1.5 pounds

    • 3

      Repeat the fecal exam, and deworming if necessary, when the kitten is 10 weeks old. It is likely another dose of Drontal will need to be administered at this time. This is because the medication kills only the adult roundworms and not the larvae. Within four weeks, these larvae are old enough to be killed by the medication.