Expert: Jessica - 12/9/2009

Question
I have a 1yr old mixed siamese kitten and he keeps getting worms,I've tried everything,but they keep coming back.Do you know why? I thought it might be from giving him sliced sandwich meat and cooked chicken,but it doesn't matter,he keeps getting them.He's been treated for fleas (we also have 2 other cats and they don't get worms)and we've treated the house,but he still gets them.What can I do about this.It's very frustrating..

                        Thank you,
                          Cher

Answer
Hi Cher.  Do you know what kind of worms your cat is getting?  If he's getting tapeworms, as evidenced by small, rice-like worms that are shed from the anus, then fleas are the root problem, unless the kitty hunts rodents.  If he hunts, there is a very small possibility that he could be contracting tapeworms through eating whole prey.

Is the kitty receiving a topical flea treatment each and every month?  Treatments like Frontline, Advantage and Revolution, which are applied between the shoulders, provide more protection than shampoos, collars, dips and powders, but they need to be applied every 4 weeks.  You should treat regularly whether you see fleas or not.  Because cats are meticulous groomers, they often remove fleas with their tongues before owners can even spot them.  However, swallowing those fleas is what leads to tapeworms.

Treating the home is a difficult process.  I'm not sure what you used, but if it has been longer than 4 weeks since you treated for fleas, and your kitty is continuing to get tapeworms, you should treat the house again.  You should use a product that not only kills adult fleas but has an insect growth regulator (IGR) to prevent any eggs from hatching, which remaining fleas may lay.  Remember to vacuum all carpeting BEFORE applying the flea treatment to carpets.  This will allow the flea treatment to penetrate the carpet more efficiently.  Also, move furniture and treat underneath it.  Don't forget to treat furniture/cat furniture and also try to vacuum drapes.  Hard flooring should be cleaned with a bleach and water solution.  Any soft toys and bedding your kitty uses should be washed in hot water with detergent.  

Once fleas are under control, your kitty should be treated with praziquantel.  This is available over-the-counter as Tape Worm Tabs.  One dose kills all worms, but you may want to treat again in 2-3 weeks in case your cat swallows any lingering fleas in the meantime.

If your cat has roundworms, however, it's a completely different story.  These worms look more like spaghetti and may sometimes be passed in the stool.  They are often vomited up.  These worms are spread through ingesting the worm eggs directly, which are shed in the feces.  Because eggs can survive in the environment for over 2 years in favorable conditions, it can be difficult to stay rid of roundworms.  You can get rid of the infection, but cats often become reinfected.  To help minimize this risk, be sure to clean the litter box of solid waste at least once daily.  Eggs don't become infective until they are in the environment for 48 hours, so if you remove stool before this, chances are less likely that there will be large quantities of eggs in the litter box.  Again, wash hard flooring with bleach and water, and vacuum soft surfaces very frequently.

Treating an adult roundworm infection requires a different medication from the one used to kill tapeworms, so if you are treating for the wrong type of worm, treatment will not be effective.  There are some over-the-counter dewormers, but they are somewhat ineffective, and the best ones come from your vet.  Treatment needs to be repeated, since it does not kill immature worms, which will mature in 3 weeks.  Depending on the medication you're using, the second dose may be given 2-3 weeks after the first dose, and sometimes a third dose is recommended.

If worms are a continued problem, you may want to talk to your vet about a product called Profender.  This kills both roundworms and tapeworms, as well as hookworms (uncommon in cats).  It's applied on the back of the neck, like a topical flea treatment is.  One application provides lasting treatment for a month, so no second dose is needed to kill roundworms.  The general recommendation is to treat every 3 months when cats are at increased risk for contracting worms.  However, for cats who are persistently infected due to their lifestyles (often outdoor cats and hunters), it can be applied every month.

Best of luck!

Jessica