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My cats don't have fleas, but they have tapeworms?

6K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  hillymum 
#1 ·
So I posted on here once a few months ago about a flea problem after adopting our rescue cat, Hermione. Well, we got rid of the fleas. We sprayed the house, bathed the cats, and have been religious about the Advantage. They had worms after we first got the fleas, so we bought Profender from the Petcareavan, which is an organization that does low cost vax, meds, etc around here. A month later, we saw worms again, so we went back, and they said we were supposed to do TWO doses 3 weeks apart the first time, not one dose. So we bought two doses, did them 3 weeks apart, and have been worm and flea free for maybe 2 months now. We can't find a flea on either cat, no flea dirt, and no fleas seen anywhere in the house or on any people in the house.

Hermione throws up a lot, and has for months...but I thought it was because she eats stuff she isn't supposed to. I find things like leaves and ribbon in her vomit. Her belly is big, and I assumed it was because she eats a lot, and due to her issues coming from a cat hoarder, I assumed she eats a lot because she didn't have enough to eat when she was younger...when our other cat, Leia, goes to eat, Hermione runs to the bowl and eats too, ALWAYS. I figured she was worried that next time she came back, the food would be all gone, like it was at her old house. Now I'm wondering if it's a physical issue.

A few days ago, we all of the sudden have seen the tapeworms in our cats butts, their poop, and dead ones ALL OVER THE PLACE. Leia is all of the sudden acting strange, and has thrown up twice, which is unlike her. Both cats are a little more lethargic...not totally out of it, but not wrestling and chasing each other all day like they usually do. They are eating and drinking like normal.

They have a vet appointment on Monday, as that's the earliest our vet can see them, and we honestly can't afford to take them anywhere else. But when I spoke with the vet office on the phone, she said "Well we will give them Capstar to kill all the fleas." I told her, "They don't have fleas." She said, "Well that's how they get the worms. Fleas." But I swear, they do not have fleas! Unless they are invisible fleas, which are resistant to Advantage, then there are none!! I tried to explain to her that they don't have fleas, they just have worms, but she didn't seem to believe me.

So is it possible? Can they have worms and no fleas? Is it that one solitary flea gets on my cats (they sometimes go on our screened porch), and before the Advantage can kill him, the cat eats him? Are tapeworms contagious? Could Leia have gotten it from Hermione? Is it that the tapeworms have been breeding within the cats all of this time, and without showing themselves the way they have suddenly started to?

I am due any day and the thought of having a baby in this worm covered house is disgusting. I keep cleaning, and I keep seeing them any way, and it's driving me crazy...plus I'm really worried about my cats. I hope there isn't any permanent damage if this has been going on for awhile. I also don't have a million bucks to spend at the vet so I really don't want them to try to sell me flea products when I don't see any fleas!
 
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#2 ·
Trust me, I know about not wanting to have your baby near wormy cats, and about how worried you must be for your kitties. Is it possible to quarantine your cats until you get this figured out? That way you won't have the stress and nastiness of cleaning up worms all over the house...at least they will be in one spot. Do your cats ever eat mice? The mice can have the larvae and then the cat eats the mouse and they can get the worms that way.
 
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