Help to deworm at home

HelloNingNing

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Hello, as some may know, I have asked multiple questions and help regarding my cats. I have 5 in total and we can't really afford vet bills. They are over a year old now and I honestly have only taken them out to get fixed, nothing else. I'm here to ask if it's safe to deworm them at home? Are there specific brands of dewormers that we can use safely that will not cause problems?

I also have seen this natural dewormer which is diatomaceous earth on youtube but I wanted to ask here as well if anyone has ever tried it? The video is quite old but there are a lot of good reviews about it.

I have not seen any type of worms in their stool or vomit. I may have missed it though.
Some of them do have hard small stool which makes it hard to see, whichI am quite worried about. I feed them pumpkin sometimes to loosen it up.

Anyways, I hope we can find a way to do this. Please send suggestions if you can 💛
 
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HelloNingNing

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To give some more info, we never let our cats out. We also had some flies in our home a few weeks ago, and some in the past. We also had mice problems before and after they were born that mom cat made contact with.
 

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You may not like my answer, but if you are concerned about parasites I would suggest seeing a vet. Over the counter products such Drontal do not treat all parasites. Plus, kitties should have an annual check up at the vet anyways. Vet visits are not just for sick pets.

I would also not feed my cats DE. My thought is if DE is abrasive enough to harm the exoskeleton of a parasite then what is it doing to my kitty’s sensitive small intestine lining that contains millions of microvilli that are used for absorbing nutrients? Just my $0.2 but I would definitely reconsider using DE as a dewormer. There’s no evidence that it is effective anyways.

Sorry to be kinda blunt but I get my feathers ruffled when people post terrible recommendations on YouTube regarding animal health.
 

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You can get a nice big bottle of generic pyrantel pamoate suspension on a horse supply website. You can find the dosage on the Merck vet manual website. Make sure to take note of the mg per ml of the particular kind you get when you look up dosage. That's what you use for roundworms, hookworms, etc.

If they get tapeworms you can get Bayer tapeworm tabs OTC.

And you can usually get vaccines at farm stores or online. But rabies vaccines aren't legally recognized if you give them yourself so try to get those done by the vet. If you get them in every year or two for rabies vaccines and a basic checkup it shouldn't cost too much.
 

MissClouseau

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I remember 4 cats are the kittens of the first cat, right? Are you working on finding a home for the kittens? You know they will need absolutely need vet care. They are already late on the vaccinations. This is to say if you are going to find a home for them soon, they can take care of the deworming too.

Otherwise, I would highly suggest staying away from any "natural" remedies. At the best they will be a waste of time and money, at worst the cats might have a side effect and make a vet trip more costly. Since you have 5 cats to deworm, a vet could maybe make a discount for deworming. A shelter may also help.
 

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Are you currently dealing with a worm issue? Do you know what kind of worms? There are some safe OTC deworming products out there but they may not take care of every single worm cats can have. Be wary of remedies you find online. They have tons of "likes" and whatnot but may not be actually safe to use.

Online advice is never a substitute for proper veterinary care and treatment. Many vets are happy to respond to emails and phone calls from clients with various pet concerns.

I have not seen any type of worms in their stool or vomit. I may have missed it though.
Some of them do have hard small stool which makes it hard to see, whichI am quite worried about. I feed them pumpkin sometimes to loosen it up.

Small hard stools may not indicate worms. It could be related to diet or stress or maybe just a random occurrence. Are all the cats having the same poop issue?
 
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HelloNingNing

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Hi omg. I forgot to mention that they all got vaccinated too on the day they were fixed.

I have not found anyone to adopt them as I really don't think I can handle not being with them. I know it's bad but it just feels like I'm giving away my own children. My mom only recently got a job and is starting to save up.

We do plan to take them to the vet eventually but do you guys have any suggestions on how to like do the process in a cheaper way?

Like, taking them to the vet one by one so that we can plan the costs.
Do they need to be separated through the process? I feel like doing it slowly is better than not doing it at all. Vets here in Winnipeg Manitoba is so expensive. The shelters would only provide vet care if the pet has been surrendered.
 
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HelloNingNing

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I haven't really disected their stool for worms but the last time i checked, I didn't reallt ese anything. I also don't see anything moving in the litter boxes when I clean them.

I will check again though so that I can tell you guys.
 
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HelloNingNing

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I appreciate everyones advice which is why I made a post. Thank you so much! At least now I can try to convince my mom that we shouldn't depend on store bought products.
 

Willowy

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Well, some of it is store-bought but not from regular stores ;). Yeah, most de-worming and flea products are toxic or ineffective.

I de-worm my cats once or twice a year even though they don't go outside; roundworm eggs can be tracked in on shoes. Pyrantel is pretty safe. I don't give tapeworm tabs unless I see signs of tapeworms though.
 

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Maybe look for a low cost vet in your area. Or a vet who does house calls so it's easier on the cats.

If you take the cats to the vet one by one, you may or may not need to worry about post-vet aggression. Some cats couldn't care less if their friend smells a little funny. Others go berserk if their friend smells different and fighting will ensue and you'll have to try to reintroduce the cats to each other. TCS has an article: How To Deal With Non-recognition Aggression In Cats – TheCatSite Articles
 
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HelloNingNing

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Maybe look for a low cost vet in your area. Or a vet who does house calls so it's easier on the cats.

If you take the cats to the vet one by one, you may or may not need to worry about post-vet aggression. Some cats couldn't care less if their friend smells a little funny. Others go berserk if their friend smells different and fighting will ensue and you'll have to try to reintroduce the cats to each other. TCS has an article: How To Deal With Non-recognition Aggression In Cats – TheCatSite Articles
Thank you for your suggestion!! I have experienced aggression a few times between some of my cats after seeing other cats through a glass door hahaha. They seem to adjust quick.

And yes, we will look for low cost vets.

But if ever they do get to go one by one, will i have to separate them from the others after being treated?
 

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If you take all 5 to the vet at once, they usually only charge for one office visit and that saves a lot. Bayer tapeworm tabs are good, tapeworms are seen in the stool or around the cat's anus as small rice like white segments. They are given to the cats through eating the fleas on rodents. I would order the worm tabs online, (for all kinds plus tapeworms) from a reputable site like Petmeds or foster and smith, to be able to research them and see what you need. Cats kept indoors should not need deworming or flea medications. you could also take a sample of all their stools mixed together into the vet that neutered them and get them looked at for parasites. it costs, but not as much as bringing them all in. That way you would know if you even have to give them medication.
 

Willowy

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tapeworms are seen in the stool or around the cat's anus as small rice like white segments. They are given to the cats through eating the fleas on rodents.
Unfortunately, they can also get them from licking fleas off themselves, so even indoor cats can get tapeworms. So flea meds are also important in tapeworm prevention.

But, yeah, no reason to give the meds unless you see signs of tapeworms.
I would order the worm tabs online, (for all kinds plus tapeworms) from a reputable site like Petmeds or foster and smith
Sadly, Drs Foster and Smith is out of business :bawling:. They were my favorite! But Chewy is a licensed pet pharmacy so that's one good choice.
 
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HelloNingNing

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Unfortunately, they can also get them from licking fleas off themselves, so even indoor cats can get tapeworms. So flea meds are also important in tapeworm prevention.

But, yeah, no reason to give the meds unless you see signs of tapeworms.

Sadly, Drs Foster and Smith is out of business :bawling:. They were my favorite! But Chewy is a licensed pet pharmacy so that's one good choice.
Wow thank you for that!! I really don't see any signs of tapeworms in my cats. I have also checked their stool for any other signs. I only found some fur, but that's it overall. I will still try to get them checked out as soon as we can to make sure that they are healthy and protected.

By the way, I will be taking my cats to where I took them to get fixed, which is an animal shelter. Last time we took them, they also provided vaccines. I don't expect you guys to know but, before a cat gets any type of vaccines, does that mean that they will do an examination? We haven't asked them but I just wanted to know in general hehe.
 
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