is praziquantel ok?

Question
my cat has tape worms and i was wondering if praziquantel is safe to give
to him? is there any side affects? or should i stay clear of this medicine
and give some thing else. (i have already purchased this as it was only
$11 compared to the $30 my vet charges for a shot)

also i have another cat that i just spent$1000. on to find out he had a
bowel blockage (constapation) no Known reason had xrays blood test etc...
done. well with some antibiotics and cisapride he's fine now, but vet says
he needs to be on cisapride everyday for the rest of his life!he said
once a cat has blockage like that they tend to have for rest of ther
lives. does this seem right?

Answer
Praziquantal is Droncit and is the treatment of choice for tapeworms...just make sure you are giving the appropriate milligrams/dose for his size.  There usually aren't side effects that I have seen with this medicine.

When cats have MEGACOLON, they usually do need to be on cisapride long term--some can be weaned to a smaller dose or less frequently.  Increasing the fiber (feeding W/D or adding canned pumpkin) in the diet will help but repeat blockages will lead to further damage in the colon.  And if he is overweight, getting him to lose weight would be of great benefit.