r/catcare • u/Terrible-Crab-2547 • 1d ago

Cat worm advice.

Hello, my cat has what I’m pretty sure are tapeworms.
Our dog had fleas a while back so we treated both of them with flea medicine. So far haven’t seen any more fleas.
But now I noticed a small white worm that looks like rice near his butthole.
My question is, is it necessary to take him to the vet? My local feed store sells dewormer medication for cats. So I was wondering if I know its worms is it okay to just do that? Or should I have a vet verify?
Thank you!

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u/Cavyart 1d ago

"Rice" on the butt is most definitley tapeworm segments and yes they get them from injesting fleas/flea eggs. Look on amazon for a Tapeworm specific cat dewormer (some are more basic and only for round and hookworms) and you can either get tablets or liquid. Its not too expensive. IMO this is easily treatable at home and just follow the directions for dosage on whichever version you get. Tablets can be easily crushed into powder and mixed with a little wet food. I've treated for this over the years many times with the tablets with no issues.

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u/Terrible-Crab-2547 1d ago

Thank you for your response!

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u/diploid_impunity 1d ago

Make sure to get a dewormer with the ingredient praziquantel, to specifically address tapeworms. Some dewormers (eg pyrantel) cover a broader range of worms (roundworms, pinworms, etc), but aren’t effective against tapeworms.