Should I give feral cats with tapeworms a second deworming dose?

Question

We care for outdoor cats and know that they have tapeworms (evidence on their fur near hindquarters). Catching them and taking them to be tested/treated is unlikely as they’re mostly feral. We managed to get (most of) a bayer tapeworm tablet into each via food. Should we treat them twice to insure the parasites are gone or is this dangerous for them? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 10 lbs

Anna M., DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. In this case, if follow-up fecal testing isn't possible/practical, I recommend repeating the treatment 2 weeks later. However, I would encourage you to call your primary vet and talk about your options. If your outdoor cats have tapeworms, they very likely have roundworms and/or hookworms as well, so ideally the cats should be treated with something a bit more broad-spectrum. You're right that vets certainly prefer doing an exam on each animal prior to dispensing medication (we are legally required to have a "doctor/patient relationship" to dispense medication).....but depending on your relationship with your vet, some vets may make exceptions when it comes to deworming outdoor/feral cats. It's worth asking what they recommend in this case! Hope this helps - it's great that you're caring for these outdoor cats!

Should I give feral cats with tapeworms a second deworming dose?

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