My cat has fleas. Can she have tapeworms without visible signs?

Question

Hello, my cat has had fleas for a while and we are going to the vet soon to get revolution. I've seen that they can contract tapeworms from the fleas. But, I have not seen anything in her stool or around her rear in her fur. She was treated once with revolution when she was a kitten. I don't know if that matters, though. Could it be possible she has fleas but no worms? Or could there be no signs at all and she could still have them? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Mediumhair | Female | spayed | 7 lbs

Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA · Accepted Answer

Yes, it is quite possible that she could have fleas without tapeworms! Not every flea is infected with tapeworm larvae. Tapeworms are a "see it, treat it" parasite, meaning we only treat for tapeworms when we see them in stool or see proglottids (the little segments that look like rice granules) around the anus or stuck in the hair on the backside, or if there is suspicion that tapeworms are causing chronic weight loss.

My cat has fleas. Can she have tapeworms without visible signs?

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