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My kitten has a new long worm after tapeworm medicine. What to do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 2 lbs

Hello! I have a question about two kittens I recently adopted. One is female and the other is male. They have worms! I found a tapeworm segment on the female's bottom two nights ago. I bought Bayer tapeworm medicine and gave it to both kittens, who ate it up with wet food (followed the prescribed amount on bottle). It's been over 24 hours however, and now I've found a worm on the male! The worm is much longer than the other, closer to over an inch in length. Please help me figure out what to do!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 19th, 2019

I am sorry to hear about your concern for your kitties! If this worm is long and skinny compared to the tapeworm segments then it is possible it is a roundworm. Roundworms are treated with a different dewormer than tapeworms, normally with pyrantel or fenbendazole. You can get these medications over the counter but if your kitty has not visited a vet yet, it might not be a bad idea to bring them in for an exam along with a stool sample to check for other parasites that could be present and invisible to the naked eye! You can read about roundworms and see an image at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951385

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    Answered By Ana M, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 15th, 2018

    Thank you for submitting your question regarding your kitten. Tapeworms will look similar to grains of rice stuck to the anal area or where the kitten sleeps. It is a good idea to have a fecal sample tested by the veterinarian as many times the kitten is infected with more than one type of parasite. This way an appropriate dewormer may be prescribed. The kitten may have diarrhea, but not necessarily. The attached picture is not clear enough for me for me to see. I hope this information helps!

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