Deworming

[Cuchulain]

I'm looking for some help with a new and major problem in my furry family. Worms...for the first time in my life I am struggling to control worms. I currently have one cat (DSH) and a RR (11 months). I am currently deworming every 3 weeks but this morning the cat was shedding live worms again, 2.5 weeks after being dewormed. I have been using, on my vet's advice, Milbemax but I'm starting to think I need to use something else!

Some background, until last year I had a multi-cat household (up to 5 cats at one time) but no dogs I dewormed the cats every 4 months and NEVER saw worms. My circumstances changed just after Max, my RR arrived in October last year and I had to re-home 2 of my cats (a long story, I won't bore you). I have subsequently moved back in with my parents. There is now one cat and Max. Nothing has changed as far as I can tell except that there is now a dog in the house for the first time. He was worm-free when he arrived and as far as I can tell is still worm-free. The problem seems to be with Squeak the cat. I am deworming them both every 3 weeks at the moment but Squeak seems to keep getting re-infected and I am clueless about stopping the cycle.

The worms look like wriggly grains of rice and seem to reoccur every 2.5 to 3 weeks. I'm sure this must be an environmental issue by now and I don't know what to do. My vet is away and I'm not sure about his locum (I've had a bad experience with her and am loathe to have a 2nd one).

Thanks

Edited: I got Max's age wrong <blush>

Edited July 29, 2010 by Cuchulain

[MolassesLass]

If the worms are like flat rice then it's probably tape worms which can be spread by fleas. You'll need to get the fleas under control.

ETA:

Tapeworm Info

The wormer you are using does kill tapeworm (not intestinal wormer's all do).

Edited July 29, 2010 by molasseslass

[Cuchulain]

If the worms are like flat rice then it's probably tape worms which can be spread by fleas. You'll need to get the fleas under control.

Thanks, I wondered about that. Max has no fleas they are easily visible in his very short coat and he is checked for ticks daily so I would see them LOL. Squeaky may very well have fleas - she is treated with Frontline Plus every 4 weeks while I use ExSpot on Max (also every 4 weeks). She is not a lapcat is difficult to groom - I manage perhaps 20 minutes over 5 days and she hates a flea comb I have tried other flea treatments and she has had a bad reaction to Advantage (developed what looked like a burn where I used it).

Our neighbours don't treat their animals for fleas at all. We had a major problem this last summer with fleas and I went to both neighbours (we have a corner plot) and the one lot don't have animals. The others have 5 or 6 dogs and what seems like 20 cats (but in reality is probably only 5 or 6) and the response I got was "It's too expensive and they don't have fleas anyway!" Until Max and I moved home their cats were in my folks yard a lot. How does one go about treating the yard?

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

Here is a thread where you will find information on treating outside areas for fleas.

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...12&hl=Fleas

[Cuchulain]

Awesome! Thanks Hesapandabear

Edited July 29, 2010 by Cuchulain

[Frostypaws]

Don't forget to wash bedding and bowls frequently - tape worms exiting the anus will end up in bedding and in food bowls (and wherever else the animal's tongues go!), and fleas + eggs will accumulate in bedding. Consider a carpet clean.

[Cuchulain]

Thanks Frostypaws.

Right now to find a South African equivalent for Permoxin.....

[Dagmar]

I'm looking for some help with a new and major problem in my furry family. Worms...for the first time in my life I am struggling to control worms. I currently have one cat (DSH) and a RR (11 months). I am currently deworming every 3 weeks but this morning the cat was shedding live worms again, 2.5 weeks after being dewormed. I have been using, on my vet's advice, Milbemax but I'm starting to think I need to use something else!

Some background, until last year I had a multi-cat household (up to 5 cats at one time) but no dogs I dewormed the cats every 4 months and NEVER saw worms. My circumstances changed just after Max, my RR arrived in October last year and I had to re-home 2 of my cats (a long story, I won't bore you). I have subsequently moved back in with my parents. There is now one cat and Max. Nothing has changed as far as I can tell except that there is now a dog in the house for the first time. He was worm-free when he arrived and as far as I can tell is still worm-free. The problem seems to be with Squeak the cat. I am deworming them both every 3 weeks at the moment but Squeak seems to keep getting re-infected and I am clueless about stopping the cycle.

The worms look like wriggly grains of rice and seem to reoccur every 2.5 to 3 weeks. I'm sure this must be an environmental issue by now and I don't know what to do. My vet is away and I'm not sure about his locum (I've had a bad experience with her and am loathe to have a 2nd one).

Thanks

Edited: I got Max's age wrong <blush>

Sounds like tapeworms, which are transmitted by fleas. If they were my animals I would use food grade Diatomaceous Earth to get rid of the worms and fleas. It is a natural substance and has the benefit that parasites cannot get used to it like to chemical wormers. Here more info how to use it: http://animalconnection.com.au/index.php/t...l-dewormer.html

I hope that helps.

Dagmar

[Cuchulain]

Thanks Dagmar