Newly adopted cat has worms

[dianajune]

Sometimes they can't be caught in a single poo sample. But most rescues deworm regardless. Like I mentioned above there's a few instances where he could get reinfected through pure happenstance.

After we steam cleaned, we put our couch pillows spare cat beds etc in plastic bags. You could pop them through the dryer.
We bagged up the cat blankets and such that are dirty and put them next to the wash.

Sometimes you can rent a furniture cleaner from your local grocery store or hardware store. Home Depot has them. But when I contact my mum (she's delt with worms from rescues), she said you need to do that cleaning 48 hrs after giving the medication. She also said to dump the litter at that time and clean the boxes with hot soapy water. Fill with new litter. For the two weeks in between medications, clean the boxes daily.

You mean completely empty the boxes and scrub them daily?

 

[Alldara]

You mean completely empty the boxes and scrub them daily?

No just scoop daily. She said to completely empty and wash 24 to 48 hours after each pill.

 

[dianajune]

D dianajune I know you got this. You will get it all done. We worry about our babies and that is ok. Like Kwik said breathe and that is good advice for all us worry wart mommies and daddies.

I can't bear to part with Sam's toys that used to belong to Pumpkin. I don't think they can go through a washer, esp. the squeaky elephant.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't I told to scrub his litter box daily? As in completely empty is every day until this is gone? I will be going through tons of litter.

I don't have a way to get a rented steam cleaner to my home from the store. I don't have a car. I would have to buy one outright and have it shipped. I can't afford that if I'm going to be taking Sam to his first checkup soon.

I don't know what to do. And Sam is acting very odd tonight. He was trying to chase the back end of my wheelchair and at the same time he acted scared of it. This evening was the worst. I am sleep deprived again and had a panic attack after a short nap.

 

[dianajune]

No just scoop daily. She said to completely empty and wash 24 to 48 hours after each pill.

For some reason your message posted after my latest response. I don't know It's me or this website. That's good to know. Tx.

 

[Kwik]

Sometimes they can't be caught in a single poo sample. But most rescues deworm regardless. Like I mentioned above there's a few instances where he could get reinfected through pure happenstance.

After we steam cleaned, we put our couch pillows spare cat beds etc in plastic bags. You could pop them through the dryer.
We bagged up the cat blankets and such that are dirty and put them next to the wash.

Sometimes you can rent a furniture cleaner from your local grocery store or hardware store. Home Depot has them. But when I contact my mum (she's delt with worms from rescues), she said you need to do that cleaning 48 hrs after giving the medication. She also said to dump the litter at that time and clean the boxes with hot soapy water. Fill with new litter. For the two weeks in between medications, clean the boxes daily.

I've always done same as your Mum,day or two after worming change that litter plus I change out the litter again about a week later to be on the safe side- even though by then everything's dead it's still gross to me and any kind of bug,parasite or wormy thing just freaks me out.....even a centipede or caterpillar would have me scratching and goose bumps.....oi vey!

 

[Alldara]

I can't bear to part with Sam's toys that used to belong to Pumpkin. I don't think they can go through a washer, esp. the squeaky elephant.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't I told to scrub his litter box daily? As in completely empty is every day until this is gone? I will be going through tons of litter.

I don't have a way to get a rented steam cleaner to my home from the store. I don't have a car. I would have to buy one outright and have it shipped. I can't afford that if I'm going to be taking Sam to his first checkup soon.

I don't know what to do. And Sam is acting very odd tonight. He was trying to chase the back end of my wheelchair and at the same time he acted scared of it. This evening was the worst. I am sleep deprived again and had a panic attack after a short nap.

If you're able to see if a neighbour can help, or if you can borrow one, that may work as well. I've borrowed many a thing off my local Buy Nothing group on Facebook.

But talk to your vet. I'm sure there's many in the same position as you and they might have some advice.

We just got this upright garment steamer. Since it says on it certified to kill bed bugs. Worm eggs will not be as hearty as bed bug eggs. So it will certainly work on them. Borrowing anything like that should work: Conair Upright Fabric Garment Clothing Steamer., Heats up in 60-seconds - Walmart.ca


For the toys, you can gently handwash them or use a blow dryer. or you could put them in a ziplock bag for a long period of time. I'm not sure how long the eggs survive on surfaces.

 

[Kwik]

I can't bear to part with Sam's toys that used to belong to Pumpkin. I don't think they can go through a washer, esp. the squeaky elephant.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't I told to scrub his litter box daily? As in completely empty is every day until this is gone? I will be going through tons of litter.

I don't have a way to get a rented steam cleaner to my home from the store. I don't have a car. I would have to buy one outright and have it shipped. I can't afford that if I'm going to be taking Sam to his first checkup soon.

I don't know what to do. And Sam is acting very odd tonight. He was trying to chase the back end of my wheelchair and at the same time he acted scared of it. This evening was the worst. I am sleep deprived again and had a panic attack after a short nap.

Diane,you dont have to scrub daily- plus Sam is an only child so your not having to worry about them going from cat to cat--once he's wormed it's going to kill them and kill the larvae so he'll be eliminating dead worms and larvae....clean out the litter when he goes and 2 days later,like Alldara said you'll wash the box out with soapy hot water and/or disinfectant ,rinse well with very hot water,dry ( blow dryer great idea) and put in fresh litter.
It's going to be okay,depending what the Vet uses it and what species( worm) it is- itcmay be a one time administering of med.... ask the Vet,and follow his instruction

You don't have to throw away Pumpkins toys --- hydrogen peroxide,scrub,very hot water( blow dryer) and repeat if you'll feel better.... it'll be alright..... you just don't want him ingesting any live larvae to get re- infected.... so you clean everything- do you have Simple Green or some type of disinfectant cleaner- use what you have and don't panic..... the easiest thing to do is de- worm a kitty--- disgusting as it is ,it's not like trying to get rid of fleas or bed bugs! Really,try to relax and it'll be okay- truly

 

[Kwik]

Diane,you dont have to scrub daily- plus Sam is an only child so your not having to worry about them going from cat to cat--once he's wormed it's going to kill them and kill the larvae so he'll be eliminating dead worms and larvae....clean out the litter when he goes and 2 days later,like Alldara said you'll wash the box out with soapy hot water and/or disinfectant ,rinse well with very hot water,dry ( blow dryer great idea) and put in fresh litter.
It's going to be okay,depending what the Vet uses it and what species( worm) it is- itcmay be a one time administering of med.... ask the Vet,and follow his instruction

You don't have to throw away Pumpkins toys --- hydrogen peroxide,scrub,very hot water( blow dryer) and repeat if you'll feel better.... it'll be alright..... you just don't want him ingesting any live larvae to get re- infected.... so you clean everything- do you have Simple Green or some type of disinfectant cleaner- use what you have and don't panic..... the easiest thing to do is de- worm a kitty--- disgusting as it is ,it's not like trying to get rid of fleas or bed bugs! Really,try to relax and it'll be okay- truly

Tapeworm ggs can survive the environment for months or even years depending on the temperature,light and humidity

So cleaning the house is inportant- that conair steam cleaner Alldara posted (& I see they have many inexpensive ones to choose from) is a great idea

 

[dianajune]

I don't have hydrogen peroxide or a blow dryer, so I'm at a loss as to what to do. Besides, isn't hydrogen peroxide toxic to cats and has a strong smell? My lungs can't handle something like that.

The program director came over today with Profender, which is part flea medication and part de-worming medication. So far I haven't had a chance to sneak up on him to apply it. Does either medication smell? I remember giving Pumpkin some strong flea meds a few years ago in our old apartment. His vet's office swore up and down that it had no odor but it made me so sick. The smell was very strong.

I hope I can sneak up on him soon to give it to him. I'm exhausted and have to go to bed soon. I'm getting up early to do more bedding so we can conquer this beast.

 

[dianajune]

Oh jfc - I just read up on the Profender and found that it's killed cats. I'm scared of giving it to him. I don't know what to do and I am freaking out. I can't do this.

 

[Kwik]

Diane I'm pretty surprised ghst the Director told you Profender is part flea & part worm treatment- it's for worms,hookworms,roundworm & yes- tapeworms..... no disrespect intended to her here but it disappointing that she'd drive over to your house and not apply the treatment herself... I just don't know how anyone having her position could walk into a house,meet a very upset person,sitting in a wheelchair with a less than easy to handle cat and say " here ya go- apply this- bye"......not sure if it's just me but that doesn't sit right with me- wish I was there to help you

As I've mentioned,I use Revolution Plus and give my cats Temptation treats- there's more stuff all over the internet saying " Temptations killed my cat" - Revolution kills cats ' and you name the product and you'll find negative and frightening claims against it and without substantial proof

I'm not saying there is NO risks at all ,there's always risks of adverse reaction ,contraindications of drugs and POSSIBLE side effects ,some expected and common and some that are not.... it's a DRUG.... but in all the clinical trials,,researchv& studies thst have been documented Profender has been found to be safe for adult cats-

You should be careful to keep them from eating it - They are likely to vomit or salivate and drool if they lick it before it's dried ... and in RARE cases as a result of ingestion mild and transient neurological disorders MAY occur.
IMO that's highly likely because of misapplication or multi cat households( cats grooming each other while wet)

It's a good treatment for tapeworms - if you cannot apply it yourself either call the Director back to do it or have her bring him to their Vet if she can't handle it or take him to your own Vet.....that's my advice but I wouldn't panic over what you are probably googling and reading ,written by who knows who.....just my 2 cents......

This is a temporary set back,it's a nuisance,it's aggravating,frustrating and very inconvenient but it's a small and not life threatening thing..... compose yourself,Sam will be even harder to get hold of if your upset and keep your wits about you dear friend..... if it's too much for you to handle then call your Vet and a taxi cab( he's easy to get in a carrier?) Or as I said,,call Director back..... it's going to be okay,this too shall pass

 

[Kwik]

Also- I love you girlAnd though Profender might not smell to the Vet ,,that and mostly all transdermal treatments for worns,fleas etc do have a very distinct odor and I have no doubt any cat can smell it the moment you puncture the opening... so yes,it smells

I could easily sneak up on any of my 5 cats but once its open they smell it ,it's obvious they do

 

[dianajune]

Diane I'm pretty surprised ghst the Director told you Profender is part flea & part worm treatment- it's for worms,hookworms,roundworm & yes- tapeworms..... no disrespect intended to her here but it disappointing that she'd drive over to your house and not apply the treatment herself... I just don't know how anyone having her position could walk into a house,meet a very upset person,sitting in a wheelchair with a less than easy to handle cat and say " here ya go- apply this- bye"......not sure if it's just me but that doesn't sit right with me- wish I was there to help you

As I've mentioned,I use Revolution Plus and give my cats Temptation treats- there's more stuff all over the internet saying " Temptations killed my cat" - Revolution kills cats ' and you name the product and you'll find negative and frightening claims against it and without substantial proof

I'm not saying there is NO risks at all ,there's always risks of adverse reaction ,contraindications of drugs and POSSIBLE side effects ,some expected and common and some that are not.... it's a DRUG.... but in all the clinical trials,,researchv& studies thst have been documented Profender has been found to be safe for adult cats-

You should be careful to keep them from eating it - They are likely to vomit or salivate and drool if they lick it before it's dried ... and in RARE cases as a result of ingestion mild and transient neurological disorders MAY occur.
IMO that's highly likely because of misapplication or multi cat households( cats grooming each other while wet)

It's a good treatment for tapeworms - if you cannot apply it yourself either call the Director back to do it or have her bring him to their Vet if she can't handle it or take him to your own Vet.....that's my advice but I wouldn't panic over what you are probably googling and reading ,written by who knows who.....just my 2 cents......

This is a temporary set back,it's a nuisance,it's aggravating,frustrating and very inconvenient but it's a small and not life threatening thing..... compose yourself,Sam will be even harder to get hold of if your upset and keep your wits about you dear friend..... if it's too much for you to handle then call your Vet and a taxi cab( he's easy to get in a carrier?) Or as I said,,call Director back..... it's going to be okay,this too shall pass

I was very confused when she came here with the medicine. The Profender was in a small foil package and the flea medication was in a syringe. She said the syringe was for applying it to his skin (not ingested). I thought they came from the same box.

Anyway, I tried telling her previously that it was my understanding - given what Pumpkin went through many years ago - that a stool sample would be appropriate so they can check for parasites. This way they will know which medication to give him. We went back and forth about this by email and text and then one time I got fed up and said something like "this should have been taken care of before I adopted him because, as you (meaning the director) said, this was a pre-existing condition." I wasn't trying to be disrespectful but their approach seems to be "cost effective" if you know what I mean.

When cats are in foster care, it is up to the shelter to take care of veterinary issues. I don't even have his records, just his rabies vax certificate. They know that I want his records sent to where I took Sam's brother and I am not clear if they did this yet.

Anyhow, after this back and forth and her conversations with the vet who gave him the vax, along with Pumpkin's vet, they decided the best approach was to get a poop sample and go from there. I couldn't believe what I heard...this is what I was trying to tell her.

She's coming here tomorrow to get the poop sample and I will have results by the afternoon. Then we will know what medicine needs to be given to Sam. The cost will be covered by the shelter. As for seeing Pumpkin's vet, I can't make the appointment until I know the outcome of this test.

She asked if I've seen other worms since I first told them about it and I said no. I checked his poop the other day when I scooped it. But I also told her the eggs are microscopic. They can't be seen by the naked eye.

It feels like I know much more about this subject than she does, given my years of experience with Pumpkin esp in the poop department.

After this is resolved, I will not allow the shelter to have anything to do with his veterinary care. It's my responsibility and I will take it from there. I ordered a new carrier for Sam and it's being delivered today. He will like it better than the hard top one his brother had that I've got stored away.

One more thing I almost forgot - she said Pumpkin's vet uses Profender. I don't think that's what they used on him all those years ago.

 

[Alldara]

D dianajune I think it's just a difference in care model that you're going back and forth with to be completely honest with you.

When you already know what type of worm you have, there's no need for a poo sample first. My vet didnt ask for one. I just sent the photo and they offered either a topical or a pill.

I have 3 cats who co-groom one another and low mobility at the moment so I asked for the pill. My wife picked it up from the vet and we gave them the meds ASAP. No poo samples involved (yet). We take one in 3 weeks after the second dosage.


They should be paying for the post-treatment poo sample because how else will you know it's gone? They obviously didn't do that part before.

 

[dianajune]

I want to SCREAM. The shelter rep just called and said the fecal sample was negative for parasites so she suggested we just monitor him. Seriously? I know what I saw...and have years of experience dealing with poop issues because of what Pumpkin went through.

I hung up on that shelter rep and left a VM with the shelter director herself and ended up hanging up on her too. I told her that it felt like the shelter is taking the least expensive approach to fixing this issue and she disagreed. This issue should have been handled before I adopted Sam. The director said Pumpkin's vet would have given him Profender but I refuse to give it to him because of the risks. I would prefer that he be pilled and it would take a professional to do it, given how testy he has been.

So, I"m trying desperately to get him into Pumpkin's vet. This is where I should have gone to begin with. Like I said to one of those shelter reps, if I want something done right I have to do it myself. If I came across as rude, I didn't mean to but it felt like both me and Sam were abandoned by them.

I told the director that I will never deal with another shelter and that I will take it from here and that I want nothing more to do with them. I've had it.

Again, I want to scream my bloody head off....pardon my language. I can't tell you how upset I am.

 

[Alldara]

Diana I really sorry you're dealing with this. And I know how much stress it can cause and you're extremely frustrated because it's extending your already limited resources.

Did you take a picture of the roundworm? If yes, can you just send a photo of the roundworm to Pumpkin's vet and see if they can accommodate just picking up some dewormer that you're comfortable with?

If you've seen a roundworm, he needs two rounds of treatment regardless of whether or not the stool sample came back as negative, which can be common in an initial sample if the infestation is low or newer. (Within the last 6 weeks.)

" Roundworm eggs are usually plentiful but, in some cases, it may take more than one fecal examination to find them. " Roundworm Infection in Cats | VCA Animal Hospitals

 

[Alldara]

I'm just thinking that Pumpkin's vet knows you. Knows your mobility is lower and may be willing to accommodate this knowing that Sam would have been seen by a vet recently already and that you'll be bringing him in later.

 

[dianajune]

Here's the text of a conversation I had on FB today with a different shelter. Once I get Sam to his new vet I will find out exactly what this shelter did for him (or not) when I review whatever records will be sent over. Sam will get a thorough checkup at his new vet including blood work and a stool sample. Plus meds.