My cat has tapeworms. How do cats get them? Are my other cats at risk?

Question

I’m sure this is a worm. Is it tape worm ? I have 3 cats. It I only saw it on turbo. But they use the same litter box so I’m sure all 3 have it. My one cat I got about a year ago the youngest one. I rescued her from outside. She was pretty Farrell and I only got her one dose of de wormer cause she was hard to catch to give her second dose. Would they have gotten it from her possibly . I have 2 dogs as well... they couldn’t have gotten anything from them could they? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 1 year and 10 months old | 13 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Hi there. Yes, this appears to be a tapeworm segment. Cats generally get them from fleas, or from catching and eating rodents - they can't catch it directly from each other. Many over-the-counter dewormers are not effective against tapeworms, so you'll need to check the label on the one you're using. If it doesn't contain praziquantel, it won't work. The best option would be to get a prescription dewormer from your veterinarian to make sure the meds will be effective. I would also recommend making sure that all of your cats are on a good quality flea control medication like Revolution or Bravecto, to help prevent reinfection once they've been dewormed. If they hunt outside regularly, they should be routinely dewormed every 2-3 months to prevent tapes from returning.

My cat has tapeworms. How do cats get them? Are my other cats at risk?

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