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My cat has a white worm from its bottom. Is it a tapeworm?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | unspayed

My little one saw a white stringy thing teyimg to comebout of our cats bottom I also then looked amd saw this amd obviously think its a parasite. Trying to find an affordable vet to help us and also how to get rid of anything and clean with whatever is best for the household. Any sugfestions on the cleaning of the household from parasites and also affordable vets that will help us

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 2nd, 2017

This looks a lot like a tapeworm proglottid. The tapeworms that infect dogs and cats do not cause infections in people, so you do not need to be concerned about cleaning the house. Most tapeworms are spread through fleas so you should check for fleas and start a flea preventative to prevent reinfection. While I think confirming the diagnosis with a veterinarian is best, and you could ask your local animal shelter about low cost options in your area, tapeworm dewormers are available over the counter. The medication used is called praziquantel. If Zoey has any medical conditions I would check with your veterinarian before giving any OTC medication.

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    Answered By Jenny, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It is hard to tell if it is a parasite and what type from those pictures. But they dewormers over the counter at many animal supply stores and it never hurts to go ahead and treat them just in case. If it is a tapeworm, which looks like little rice grains, they get those from ingestion of a flea. So you may need to treat her for that also. Washing your bedding and her bedding is good control and clean her litter box daily.

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