Every cat lover is willing to do anything and everything to ensure their cat is healthy. We try our best to keep our cats’ miles away from any danger, but unfortunately, there is only so much we can do. No matter how hard we try, we can’t protect our cats from everything all the time. And that’s why our cats often fall victim to parasites like tapeworms.
One of the biggest questions associated with tapeworms in cats is whether or not your should quarantine them. We have compiled the following article to answer this fundamental question.
Should I Quarantine my Cat with Tapeworms?
If your cat has tapeworms, you should administer dewormer and quarantine them for a couple days. The quarantine may need to be longer if you have other cats or dogs in your house, as tapeworms can spread very easily.
You should also keep a close eye on their poop, and make sure to scoop it up immediately.
Before you quarantine your cat, you should take him/her to the vet if its possible.
Best way to treat cat with tapeworms at home
Since a trip to the vet will probably be expensive, you might want to try treating the tapeworms by yourself. There are some cheap and effective ways to treat tapeworms with cats that doesn’t require a vet prescription. My two recommendations are:
This dewormer does not require a vet description and costs around $30 on amazon. These tablets are also easy to administer to your cat because they can be crushed up and added to their food. This is a great medication to have on hand so you can treat your cat’s tapeworm as soon as possible.
Elanco Tapeworm Dewormer ($18)
This is also another cheap way to treat tapeworms in your cat. This tablets can be given directly to your cat, or crushed up into their food.
What to do if cat has tapeworms?
If you can afford it, the best thing to do if your cat has tapeworms is to take him/her to the vet. The quicker the tapeworms are treated, the easier they are to eradicate.
Your vet will likely prescribe a topical cream to treat your cats tapeworms. They may also suggest that you quarantine your cat from other animals and humans.
While a lot of tapeworm medications are prescription only, there are some over the counter tapeworm medication for cats.
Can you get the parasites from your cat?
Many cat owners come up with this question. In short, the answer is both yes and no. There are some parasites such as lice which cannot be transferred to humans. This is because each species of lice can only live on the species they are infecting. For example, there are lice that can only live on cats, and lice that can only live on humans.
There have been some cases when the tapeworms present in cat poop have leeched on the handler’s skin and burrowed themselves inside the skin. While these cases are rare, it is still something to keep in mind. In some cases, they even found their way into the eyes of the handler. Ear mites from your cat can also be transferred to humans.
For this reason, it is always important to wash your hands with warm water and soap after handling your cat. You should do this all the time, regardless if your cat has tapeworms or not.
The best Dewormer for your cat’s tapeworm
Selecting the right dewormer(anthelmintics) is essential for getting rid of those pesky parasites. We highly recommend you visit a qualified Veterinarian as he will be better advising you about this issue.
But if you decide to go for an over the counter tapeworm dewormer, then it’s essential to closely read the instructions and information on the bottle. This is because deworming agents are effective against specific kinds of parasites, so you want to ensure you are targeting the right one.
It is essential for cat owners to know that not every class of Anthelmintics is effective against every parasite. There is no one solution to every parasite problem in cats. Some classes do particularly well against Roundworms, while some are specifically manufactured to tackle with tapeworms.
In fact, administering your cats with the wrong class of anthelmintics can actually do more harm than good. Therefore, we highly advise you to visit your vet if your cat shows symptoms of parasitic infections instead of trying to self-medicate them. There are many factors that contribute to deciding which deworming agent to use, including Age, breed gender, and reproductive status.
Below are the four main types of deworming agents for cats:
- Macrocyclic Lactones
- Tetrahydropyrimidines
- Benzimidazoles
- Prazion-izoquinolines
