Another worm question

[addiebee]

OK - In another thread I talked about finding a roundworm in some kitty puke on the carpet. So, my vet gives me Strongid and syringes, I weigh the boys and dose them... then............. nothing. No expelled adult worms.

They were dosed around 9 pm Friday night, 1/16.

Is that normal? She seemed to indicate that if a worm or worms were barfed up then there must be a belly/gut full of them.

I am also 99 percent sure it was a RW.

Could they just be shedding the cysts??? I know Strongid doesn't work on the cysts and juvis.

I know cat digestion runs on about a 12 hour cycle, so if there was something to expel, wouldn't it have shown up already?

 

[ryffian]

It's common NOT to see a lot of worms expelled (out of either "end") following a treatment with a dewormer. The cat's digestive tract will digest the dead worms as they travel along the GI tract. Your cat may have a day or two of loose stool, however.

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Ryffian

It's common NOT to see a lot of worms expelled (out of either "end") following a treatment with a dewormer. The cat's digestive tract will digest the dead worms as they travel along the GI tract. Your cat may have a day or two of loose stool, however.

May I ask where you got this info? I had heard it before but thus far cant find a source saying that

 

[diggerled]

Our case: Marlow was treated for roundworms with "Drontal" on Friday night. Saturday morning he had loose stool with numerous dead roundworms. Today his stool had firmed up a bit but still contained a few worms. Sasha was treated with "Profender" yestrerday at about noon as a precaution. Sasha was not known to have worms. Today Sasha's stool exhibits no worms.

 

[ryffian]

Originally Posted by sharky

May I ask where you got this info? I had heard it before but thus far cant find a source saying that

I remember learning about that in Parasitology class, but I don't have any specific references for you. Sorry.

 

[addiebee]

I emailed my vet about this - she is terrific about answering even on her "off" days... This is what she said:

...when the worm burden is relatively low, the dead worms are digested and don't come out in recognizable form, or even in macro form. Worm bodies are protein, after all, and relatively high value in digestion to the body (yes, yuck). So unless the worm burden was very high (and usually, this is true in only very young animals) you won't see worms as intact structures in the poop patrol after medication. So that's the reason for a negative observation.