Do Indoor Cats Need To Be De Wormed?

[2rescuekitties]

So i have 2 indoor kitties. I give them flea treatments either by giving them a bath with flea shampoo, or I used the liquid that goes on their fur by their scruff.

Do they also need to be de-wormed? Or is that just for outdoor cats? Not sure the vet really never told me what I need to do with them when I first got them. I just figured they get their flea treatment since they sometimes hang around outside on the patio.

 

[duckpond]

yes, i and my vet think all indoor cats need de-wormed a few times per year. Fleas, bugs and other thing they may catch and eat can give them parasites. I use profender that i get from my vet a few times per year on all my indoor cats. Better safe than sorry.

 

[2rescuekitties]

yes, i and my vet think all indoor cats need de-wormed a few times per year. Fleas, bugs and other thing they may catch and eat can give them parasites. I use profender that i get from my vet a few times per year on all my indoor cats. Better safe than sorry.

Both my cats have their 1 year check up coming up. Is that something I should buy from the vet then? Or is there something I can buy at the pet store and then administer to them?

 

[duckpond]

Both my cats have their 1 year check up coming up. Is that something I should buy from the vet then? Or is there something I can buy at the pet store and then administer to them?

Personally i always get the medications from the vet. While there for their checkups the vet gets a good weight on them. Then he can sell me the broad spectrum medication based on their weight. No guessing on my part. And frankly i think the over the counter meds have gotten so expensive lately that its not really much cheaper to get them at the pet store. A lot of people do use those, but i like the ease, and safety of buying for each cat, from the vet.

 

[2rescuekitties]

Personally i always get the medications from the vet. While there for their checkups the vet gets a good weight on them. Then he can sell me the broad spectrum medication based on their weight. No guessing on my part. And frankly i think the over the counter meds have gotten so expensive lately that its not really much cheaper to get them at the pet store. A lot of people do use those, but i like the ease, and safety of buying for each cat, from the vet.

Got it! Thanks for the help I think I do a good job with cleaning their ears so they don't get infected, brushing their fur, nail clipping, teeth brushing, L-lysine in their morning breakfast just to keep them healthy etc. But with the de worming and things like that I just have no clue
But thank you I will ask my vet when we go for some

 

[sabrinah]

I agree that indoor cats need to be dewormed. My indoor cat ended up with tapeworms.

 

[2rescuekitties]

I agree that indoor cats need to be dewormed. My indoor cat ended up with tapeworms.

But is it a monthly thing? Or a few times a year?

 

[silkenpaw]

Yup, they sure do. I neglected to give my cats Ivermectin for a few months and a couple of them ended up with parasites.

 

[sabrinah]

But is it a monthly thing? Or a few times a year?

I like deworming every 6 months for the indoor cat, and every 3ish months for my dog since he likes to eat cat poop in the yard.

 

[silkenpaw]

I give my guys Ivermectin for heartworms every month. I think if you are treating with other medications, it can be less frequently.

 

[2rescuekitties]

I give my guys Ivermectin for heartworms every month. I think if you are treating with other medications, it can be less frequently.

Thanks for all the info it's been helpful! Do you buy online? And do they complain about taking it or does it resemble a treat?

 

[LTS3]

You can give a monthly parasite preventative that takes care of worms, fleas, and other nasties. Ask the vet for a recommendation on the best product for the types of parasites in your area.

Revolution takes care of fleas, heartworm disease, roundworms, hookworms and ear mites.

Heartgard takes care of heartworm and hookworm.

Advantage only takes care of fleas.

There are other prescription products out there. Many are liquids that are applied to the back of the neck. Some are flavored chews or tablets. Either buy from the vet or online. Buy from a reputable online source such as 1800PetMeds or DrsFosterandSmith. Amazon may seem great but be aware of fake products even if the product listing and seller look legit.

 

[silkenpaw]

I get my Ivermectin online, from Drs. Foster and Smith. It's cheap. I get 1% Ivermectin (I know it says "for swine" but it's OK for cats and dogs) and give the cats and dogs 0.01 ml per lb of body weight. So an 8 lb cat would get 0.08 ml. You need a tuberculin syringe to measure it. You can give it by mouth or inject it. I inject but it's such a small amount that you can probably easily hide it in some canned food.