Are the worms gone?

Question
I have two young cats, they came from a humane society. After getting them both fixed the vet told us they both have tapeworms. I purchased tapeworm medication online. I would like to know how can I tell if the medicine worked and if the tapeworms are gone?

Answer
Hi Sonya,

Tapeworms are not detected in a  regular fecal check, if your cat still has them you will eventually see little white bits that look like rice grains stuck to the fur around her anus. These are the egg sacs of the tapeworm. If you do not see these again your cat is free of the worms!

I assume you used Droncit for the tapeworms and followed the directions in the package? If so, the medication is very effective and you can be sure they are gone.

To prevent tapeworms from returning you need to keep your cat flea-free since tapeworms are transmitted by fleas. If you are in an area with lots of fleas or if you allow your cat outdoors (I hope you do not) I recommend treating your cat with Advantage, a safe topical product available at vets and online. You simply part the fur at the back of her head (where it's difficult for her to try and groom it off) and squirt the liquid onto her skin - trying to get it right down to the skin not on the fur. Advantage uses a hormone specific to insects to kill the adult fleas, and is very safe for your cat and all fleas should be dead in about 24 hours.

Never use over the counter flea sprays or treatments that you can buy in pet stores and grocery stores - many are toxic and can kill cats or give them brain damage. It's hard to belive these products are still on the shelf but they are - don't try them on your cat!