Tapeworms in Cat; How to Prevent Transmission?

[goblinprincess]

Well, we've found out that Boogie (the Goblin Princess) has some tapeworm eggs (booty worms). Hooray... I ordered her some dewormer and that should be here in about 5 days, but in the meantime, how do I make sure it doesn't transmit to anyone in the house? I'm worried about allowing her on the bed and furniture and have been washing my hands after petting her. Could there be egg deposits on the rest of her fur from after she cleans herself, or am I being paranoid. I just know how devastating and life-threatening these things can be if they enter the human body. Please let me know if you have any advice. Thanks.

 

[di and bob]

Tapeworms need a host to continue their life cycle, that host is pretty specific, mainly rodents, anything that is infested with fleas, who are in the cycle to transmit tapeworm. They are an intermediate host, which enters the cat's body while they are eating their prey. It is the FLEAS that give you tapeworms. Cats, when grooming ingests the fleas, and the fleas suck up the microscopic larvae while ingesting blood from the cat. The fleas must be present to transmit. So as long as your cat doesn't have fleas you are safe. While the eggs are gross, and the buts of live tapeworm which can break off and exit through the anus too, everyone is safe as long as they don't get bit by fleas.

 

[FeebysOwner]

As noted above, fleas transmit tapeworms to their host, but the host doesn't have to be Boogie. If she goes outside and hunts/eats prey she can contract tapeworms directly from ingesting a flea-ridden critter whether or not she has any fleas on herself.

There is a form of tapeworm that can be transmitted to humans, but it is very rare. You can ask your vet if this form (called Echinococcus) is known in your area - but the odds are pretty remote.

 

[goblinprincess]

Okay. This situation has been pretty confusing to me, because I've seen a lot of things that say what you all have told me, but for some reason I can't help but wonder if kissing her fur can be dangerous and whatnot. So the eggs and larvae can't live on surfaces for very long, right? Like if she sits on the couch, then wouldn't some of the eggs fall off onto the couch and be alive for a little while? I'm just trying to do everything I can to keep my household safe right now, because we can't really afford expensive doctor's visits and medications, etc. at the moment. Of course, I am going to provide her with a new litter box and materials as well as clean the house by vacuuming and with bleach. I also have a parakeet that I need to keep safe. Thanks for any and all advice.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Flea larvae feed off of any debris anywhere they are at, so yes they could consume tapeworm eggs. The development process of flea larvae into adult fleas would then 'trigger' the growth of the tapeworm inside the flea and can then be transmitted to the flea's host. So, unless someone is actually eating adult fleas, or elsewise ingesting feces or saliva of a cat that has tapeworms, it would really be nearly impossible for that person to contract tapeworms. And, even if they were to do so, the parasite most common to pet infestations of tapeworms won't likely make it through a human's system without being destroyed in the process.

Birds can get tapeworms - but, again, by eating adult fleas or other critters that already have tapeworms, such as insects. I would recommend you ask your vet about treating your parakeet concurrent with treating your cat for the tapeworms, as a precautionary step. If your vet would prefer not to do so, you can ask them about checking for tapeworms in your parakeet's droppings.

If you are overly concerned about yourself, check with your vet about whether you should consider taking a wormer, the main ingredient is the same for humans as it is other species - praziquantel. Obviously, the dosages would be different.

 

[snowkitten]

I'm kind of an expert in tapeworms now since my foster kitten had them for 3 weeks until it was safe to treat him for them (the vet refused to treat him until he was 2 pounds). So I can understand your worry, I was the same way too.

I did loads of research and it's as the other comments have said, the only way for other pets to become infected is for them to ingest an infected flea or straight up eat the cat's feces. I have a dog at home so I was pretty worried that she could become infected too, but I just flea treated her as usual and she's fine. As for you becoming infected, it's probably not possible since the tapeworms that infect pets are different from the ones humans get (which usually happens from eating undercooked pork infected with it).

I would recommend that you keep him in one room and quarantine him until you are able to treat him, so he doesn't drop segments all around your home, and so it's easier to clean once he's been treated. That's what I did. I never let him leave the bathroom, but I kept everything he needed in there, like his litter box, water, and bedding. I also cleaned up any segments I saw on daily basis. I'd also get him flea treated so that it doesn't happen again, and to keep your home flea free.

But don't worry too much , just get him treated as soon as possible and all should be good...
I should mention though, that my kitten received a shot for the tapeworms from the vet and it only cost like $20, and it took care of it right away. I've read that sometimes the pills you get from the pet store don't work properly and they end up taking them in anyways. So if he's big enough to get a shot, I definitely recommend you take him in!

 

[hortusgirlii]

just don't lick your cat and inadvertently ingest a flea and you should be fine