tapeworm?????

FMgurl43 · Member Joined: 21 Mar 2004 Posts: 419 Location: Florida

my mother in laws cat just threw up a long white flat worm that looks kinda like a fettichine noodle its maybe 3 inches long.... she has taken the worm to a vets office 4 them to look at it and they said it was a tapeworm she phoned 3 other vets they also said tapeworm...im still doubting what they r saying out of all the vets ive worked 4 i have neevr seen a tapeworm that long!!!!! the one vet she brought the worm into not the cat just the worm gave her some tapeworm tablets to give the cat one today and then one in 12 days....has anyone ever heard of a tapeworm being that big??? and why would the cat throw it up???? what else could it be... i could be wrong but i dont think its a tapeworm....

moose · Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2004 2:32 am Post subject:

tapeworms will just keep growing until they are somehow killed or eliminated from the animal -- they can get to be pretty long. the fact that this cat hacked up a 3 inch long one means she's probably been host to its little worm party for a while now and definitely needs the dewormer the vet gave her. just make sure she follows up with the 2nd pill in 2 weeks, as that will ensure all life stages of the worms have been killed. also i would suggest getting the cat on some sort of regular flea treatment (frontline, advantage, etc) since tapeworms can be transmitted when animals swallow fleas.

Chessmind · Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2004 2:34 am Post subject:

Hi. Tapeworms can get so long. I think you may just be used to seeing pieces (segments) of a tapeworm which are small. Also, whole tapeworms may come out of the mouth. It's rare but it does happen. I would trust the vet on this one. It's a tapeworm.

FMgurl43 · Member Joined: 21 Mar 2004 Posts: 419 Location: Florida

hummm...interesting ive never seen a tapworm that long... gross.... luckily my babies never had that.... she does have her cats on advantage and treats the yard etc... soooo im still confused.... she said she has treated them several times 4 tapeworms but who knows....

nern · Moderator Joined: 14 Mar 2004 Posts: 5042 Location: NY

If her cats go outside maybe they got them from an infected animal that they killed and ate?

FMgurl43 · Member Joined: 21 Mar 2004 Posts: 419 Location: Florida

yea i have asked her that but i guess the one w/ the hugh tapeworm has always been afraid to go outside 4 some reason... he gets to the steps on the patio and runs back in all fluffed up.... lol its sooo funny to watch him do that though... i dunno why hes so scared.... hes 4 years old and has neevr been outside hes had many chances but just cant make it to the bottom step....

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3437

Yup, tape worms can be as long as the host's intestines.

-Chelle

vene · Super Senior Member Plus Joined: 25 Mar 2004 Posts: 4267

We found a 8 inch flat, white, segmented dead worm in our dining room last year. I thought it was a tapeworm but hubby thought it was a dead earthworm. When segment came out of the rear end of Venus, we knew she got tapeworm infestation. Our vet prescribed Drontal tabs which worked immediately. Yes tapeworm can get very long. I witnessed it myself. If the tapeworm hooks in their stomach, it iritates the lining and cats will occassionally puke up tapeworm although it's a rare occurrance. Yep, we hit the jackpot!

fleafly · Super Senior Member Joined: 30 Mar 2004 Posts: 1079

Tapeworms in people can be several feet long. I have heard of 3 and 5 foot long tapeworms. Like someone else said they keep growing until they are killed.

Cats can get tapeworms from eating an infected mouse. Maybe the kitty caught a mouse and ate it.

FMgurl43 · Member Joined: 21 Mar 2004 Posts: 419 Location: Florida

i cant stand to see the normal tiny ones let alone one that big... i do not like worms they give me the creeps...lol ive treated my cats 4 them 1x and hopefully thats all....well since ive had my kittens they all have been treated 1x i should say... my older cats were treated mny times over the years....thanks 4 the info everyone...