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CynthiaWVirginia -> RE: How often do you deworm your cat? (5/12/2011 8:18:20 PM)
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pahunkboy, fleas eat tapeworm eggs. It is like a white powder that comes out of those ucky, dried out tapeworm segments that stick to a cat's butt fur like brown rice. Sometimes they are still white and moving, ugh. You can kill the tapeworm inside the cat with a pill or shot from the vet (pills can be bought at farm stores, that is where I get mine in a three pack for about $15), but if the cat chews on an infected flea then it starts all over again. Save a hassle and do both at the same time.
Some use Revolution, as it kills both at the same time, but I use Advantage with Imidicloprid as the insecticide.
Got tired of using other flea stuff that didn't work, the powders, shampoos that left me bleeding, the flea bombs, flea collars that only kept the fleas away from the cat's neck. I like not bleeding. [;)]
With the old stuff for fleas...it didn't kill worms. Every month I had to take this worming syrup and squeeze out the dose into a cat's mouth. Ever fed a small (human) baby babyfood? They don't swallow it, but try their best to push it out with their tongue. With cats, there is theatrical gagging, foaming at the mouth, wild crazy eyes. Then the head shaking begins, so the foam and spit and slime hit the walls, cabinets, ceiling, floors, yer face, clothes... If they swallow even the tiniest bit, they are nauseated that day. Did I mention the bleeding? My forearms and tummy and whatever else those claws can reach have lovely red stripes that ooze blood. Now multiply that by my six cats. (Worming a cat with that grocery store bought worm killing syrup is about as much fun as giving a cat a flea shampoo.)
Revolution and Advantage turn these good old days into Kodac moments, buried away in forgotten scrapbooks. [;)]
The syrup did not kill tapeworm. I used to have to get the pills at the vet or have the vet give some magic shot.
About heart worm...I heard animals can get this parasite from mosquito bites. Mom spent a fortune paying for vet visits to get her cat this monthly pill. After several years she moves from Texas to WV, and when the movers pull out her couch...she finds a small mountain of these little white pills where her cat had carefully spat them out after pretending to have swallowed them. Revolution and Advantage cannot be spat out. You either put this stuff high up between their shoulders or you don't. The cat can be as pissed off as it wants to be, but it is getting wormed. [:D]
During summer, I give my cats their flea meds dose every month. Sometimes I skip dosing The Shredder (her name is Trouble) unless I see a flea in my flea comb. She is a house only cat, is never let outside so I don't really worry about worms...unless I see some in the cat litter or whatever.
With tapeworm, I only get those pills if I see them. Then I dose everyone. The last kitten I adopted was so near to death that I fed her up until she had some meat on her bones before dosing her with Advantage. She had ascarid (round worms that are kind of like swirly Ramen noodles), tapeworm, and gawd only knows what all.
I am getting ready to dose them all with tapeworm pills.
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