I have to adult cats. I am fairly certain that one is infected with tapeworms. I have observed small white segments on his fur and seen a couple on the couch/carpet. I gave both cats a deworming medication to be on the safe side. My question is this: how long will it be until it takes effect? I dewormed them yesterday and today I still saw a segment on his fur. Should I treat them both again??
Did you use an over the counter wormer or one from the vet?
Reply to Nancy Holmes's Post: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question! I used an over the counter oral medication. It came in a syringe and I mixed it with his wet food. Thanks!
So sorry my demanding animals pulled me away from the PC for a bit! Some of the over the counter meds don't kill all types of tapeworm. In general though the wormers work to eliminate worms over the next 24-48 hours as the poison works through the cat's system. The segments from last might might have been from worms not yet hit by the poison as it passes down the system. To totally eliminate tape worms you have to eradicate the flea population as the fleas carry tapeworm larva. If you find the over the counter med didn't clear it all up I'd suggest seeing your vet for one of the meds that will kill all tapeworm species. You might also want to ask about using Frontline or Frontline Plus on your cats to eliminate fleas. Hope this helps you!