Answer

Good Afternoon!

Worms can rob your cat of vital nutrients causing anemia, diarrhea, perhaps with blood; weight loss; dry hair; general poor appearance; and vomiting, perhaps with worms in the vomit. If left untreated the cat could die, so it is advisable to act on you observation.

If it looked like spaghetti, then it was most likely roundworm which can be treated with a wormer containing piperazine as it's active ingredient.

If it looked like a grain of rice or a sesame seed, it is most likely tapeworm. Over the counter products will generally treat the tapeworms if there is Praziquantel in it.

However, the problem with over the counter treatments is that many aren't effective against ‘all' the possibilities. That's why a vet administered med is highly recommended. The vet can determine what kind of parasite (or parasites) your companion may have in addition to tapeworms and treat her accordingly with the latest prescription meds and accurate dose. Please see this link http://www.fabcats.org/worming.html

Other parasite info:

Roundworm: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_roundworms_in_cats___kittens.html

Tapeworm: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_tapeworm.html

Hookworm: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/resources/brochure/parasite.html

All worms http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/worms.html

I hope this is helpful to you!

Warmest Wishes,
Reani

Expert:	Reani
Pos. Feedback:	99.8 %
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Answered:	3/4/2009

Cat Care Expert

20+ years experience with Cat Care and behavior problems, 3 years Pet Rescue