Help!!! Tapeworms Maybe???

Updated on July 30, 2010
M.R. asks from Statesville, NC
10 answers

i am wondering what tapeworms look like my cat/kitten throw up & they look like worms/snake looking things can i buy something over the counter they r white n brown stripes looks very nasty!!! i also read something about dizziness can happen in humans please help me and let me know what to do none of us have worms in our bowel movements.i dont think they r pin worms b/c they r not white looking rice looking. omg please tell me that somebody else knows what it is it makes me sick thinking something is moveing inside me or the kids thanks so much.
god bless all and thanks to this web site it helps out alot of moms n dads too.
thanks again,
M.

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Put them in a plastic baggie, put the baggy in a paper sack (so you don't have to look at them) and take them to the vet. They'll be able to ID them, and get her the appropriate meds & dosasge. Some deworming meds are 1 day, some are 2-5. For heavy infestation, sometimes you worm once a week for a month.

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C.C.

answers from Fresno on

My cat and kitten both had tapeworms earlier in the year (they get tapeworms from fleas, and this spring was a particularly bad flea season according to our vet - my cats were way infested with fleas even though I treat them monthly for it. Ugh.). However, they did not throw anything up. The tapeworm segments are white and look like grains of rice in the cat's feces. If your cats are throwing up worms, I would definitely call the vet to determine the best course of action. If it is tapeworm, all they do is give them a liquid de-wormer that the cat swallows, and in a few days, the tapeworm dies. It's very easy.

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D.K.

answers from State College on

I agree with most of them below, give the vet a call and take the worms in and they will have fun looking at them. If you can get a stool sample take that too, so they can check for other parasites. Tapeworms segments will look like a grain of rice and be found usually where the pet sleeps or in stool. Whole tapeworms are usually flat and will look segmented and yes they can vomit whole worms. The ones I have seen have been solid white. Round worms are usually round and look like spaghetti noodles. There are a couple of other types cats can get too. Your vet will be able to let you know what they are and prescribe a dewormer for your kitty if they are a worm and the dewormer will depend on what kind of worm they are.

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R.U.

answers from Nashville on

sound like round or whip worms. call a local vet and tell them what they look like. they can sell you a pill or liquid and it will work better then anything you can get over the counter. good luck R. p.s. my vet said the kids wouldn't get them unless they eat the dogs poop. wash their hand often.

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N.O.

answers from Dallas on

Are you "POSOTIVE" they were worms and not something he/she ate?? I've never heard of a cat throwing up worms. How old is the cat? and don't worry, it shouldn't be anything that can hurt your or your kids. Even tapeworms (the ones that come out the rear) are the least ones to worry about. In fact, I had a vet tell me the cat can go on for years with tapeworms and never get sick from them in any way but they're very disgusting to us humans of course.

I would call a local emergency vet if your regular vet is close and they "should" be able to give you an idea of what it is over the phone. However, most vets I call only want you to come in and spend the money to get any answers and it wouldn't hurt to look it up online although online sites can almost be more confusing than helpful.

Try not to worry yourself, take him into the vet as soon as you can and see what they recommend. Can you separate the cat from the house for the night or at least until he's seen by a vet?

Good luck, and let us know what he was diagnosed with.

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A.P.

answers from Memphis on

My dog has had these twice. They are from your pet ingesting flea eggs where the worm larvae are incubating. Our vet has given our dog a "dewormer" medicine both times and we have been more stringent on giving the dog flea treatments (and switched the type to advantage multi.)
I wouldn't worry about humans getting it because it's from flea eggs... And well you probably don't accidentally ingest those. I guess just be sure everyone washed their hands before eating and after playing with the kitty.

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B.C.

answers from Dallas on

It may comfort you to know that the the type of tapeworms that felines get cannot infect humans. My sister's cat just went through this and she was freaking out too. The vet told her that. She went to the feed store and spent $10 on the meds.

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E.M.

answers from Johnstown on

You can get de-wormer at Walmart. I would actually take your cat to the vet to have the type of worm properly diagnosed and to find the fastest & safest way to ensure they're gone. Tape worms live in the intestines and get several feet long, with little rectangular segments on them--the egg sacs. Those are what break off and are eliminated in the feces. Tapeworms are also off-whitish in color. You could have roundworms, but I would want to be sure. Just make sure that you all wash your hands before you eat and right after playing with the cat. Will be praying you are all safe!

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R.W.

answers from San Francisco on

My cats had tapeworms. They were in the feces, and sometimes around the anus and looked like little tiny wiggly things, before they dried out. Try looking for pictures online if you are not sure.

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K.K.

answers from Dallas on

Unless you really know what worms they are you need to have a sample given to the vet. Tape worms have the rice looking segments that squirm out the behind. But in sever cases that have made it up into the stomach they can infact throw them up.
Often times what you are describing turns out to be round worms. Often they are transfered from the moms milk. Tapeworms are from injesting fleas. You really need to have a fecal test done. Treating with the wrong dewormer will not help. You can effectively treat round worm. But for tape worm you really need the stuff from the vet. All the wormers will require at least two treatments.

As for pin worms, those are very fine and thread like.

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