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I know this is a joke but, I work at a vet clinic and this actually happened. A frazzled new mom with infant in tow arrived for her dog's appointment without the dog. I couldn't help but laugh.
> bring worm with you
Just sliding in here to say that this might be Toxocara cati, also known as the feline roundworm, which is a common parasite of cats. Humans can contract it through contact with the feces of an infected cat.
Disclaimer: I am not a professional.
Toxocara infections don't really cause itchiness in humans. The larvae migrate through the organ systems and can go to the eyes (visceral and ocular larva migrans), but this tends to only happen in children exposed to HIGH number of the parasites. These parasites also are host specific, so they will not be able to complete their life cycle in a human, and therefore you will not ever see adult worms from a cat in a human of this type of parasite. We are technically paratenic hosts, which means essentially an optional intermediate that the larvae can survive in, but will not go through their whole life cycle, therefore no adults or even eggs in your poop ;)
We see this stuff all the time, particularly when working with rescues, and while zoonosis (spread to people) is of mild to moderate concern, it is rare in adults. People tend to get it from sandboxes and playgrounds more frequently than from their own pets.
this brought me so much peace thank you, i was so scared i’m now a host for roundworms. still though, do you know if there’s any action i should take for myself?
I wouldn't worry about it. If you start feeling ill (headache, nausea), definitely consider seeing a doctor. But as someone who's exposed to these things basically every single day, I can near guarantee that you'll be fine!
her vet may not be incompetent. people decline things all the time. we recommended yearly fecal tests for all pets, even indoor cats, and people regularly refuse.
THIS. We’ve gotten to a point where we just mention fecal testing yearly and 9/10 times, people decline bc cat is indoor or they monitor poops for dogs outside and state nothing is wrong.
The vet may not be incompetent. Many vets don't bother with regular fecal tests because you have to get a very specific part of the lifecycle of the parasite in order to see it. Many vets go ahead and just deworm every so many months without checking that way we don't get a false negative on a fecal.
And even then, clients decline things. I can't tell you how many times I tell a client about the importance of deworming or flea/tick/heartworm prevention only for them to decline the treatment.
The attitude of just assuming a vet is incompetent without good context or any actual information on what the vet may or may not have done is the reason so many veterinary staff are leaving the field, leaving everyone who remains short staffed, overworked, underpaid, underappreciated, and at high risk for alcoholism, drug abuse, and suicide.
Let me get this straight, YOU had a cat that you let get to what you call a medical emergency? Because YOU failed to have your cat tested and or ignored signs in the cats poop? And YOU'RE passing judgment on veterinarians about whom you have no context? That is rich. (Also, vomiting worms is not a medical emergency it's just another sign of worms, stop scaring people).
Yes. They only usually come out of the anus, so if they're vomiting it up, they must be riddled with worms. Do you worm 🪱 them every 3 months? You're supposed to, whether they're indoor or outdoor kitties, as they tend to kill a lot of bugs. Please go to the vet, and bring the worm with you.
definitely going to the vet with the worm, i found him in my yard a few weeks ago but the vet said he probably didn’t have worms when i got him neutered. i’m a first time cat owner so i stupidly took this at face value
>probably didn't have worms
Omg... is that vet new? If it's the same veterinarian that sees you just glare at them and put the worm down and then say "it puked up this up"
Some vets are just idiots. We used one that we’d been taking our pets to since I was 8 with my first dog. Took my chihuahua to them when he was vomiting and couldn’t hold food down and she said “something was stuck” and gave him an anti-nausea shot and told us to take him home and let him rest. She didn’t even touch him. Just had a tech take blood and hand us the results.
Something didn’t feel right so we took him to another vet when he didn’t improve over the weekend and the first thing they did was take blood work and start poking at his stomach. She didn’t even need the X-rays to come back before she told us “it feels like he might have a tumor. I need to check to be sure.” He had a tumor. The vet showed it to me through his skin because it was caught between his heart and stomach and had attached to both. You could feel it just by touching his chest.
The first vet charged me $900 to take my dog home to potentially die a painful death from super aggressive cancer, rather than do her job.
What.
Get a new vet. That’s insane.
We *always* do a fecal before saying something like that. Even indoor cats can get parasites. (We track dirt in from outside.) That’s just silly.
Animals will sometimes vomit and poop worms as the body purges them after deworming, so if/when it gets dewormed, you may see them coming out and that’s not cause for alarm. Just make sure you’ve dewormed (and you will likely have to repeat it a couple of times).
Never go to that vet again. Any competent vet will deworm all cats with every visit. That's just standard practice. It doesn't hurt the cat to do bit can save their life
I’m surprised being that he was an outside cat that they didn’t treat him regardless. If you have other pets you may want to inquire if they need to be treated as well. I’m not sure if they spread to other animals but it’s worth checking. Good luck tomorrow! He’ll he okay. 😊
Definitely a bad vet. I do cat rescue and we usually don't even test for worms, just give them dewormer. The probability of a cat from outdoors having worms is nearly 100%.
You need to change vets.... Feral cats normally ALWAYS have worms, and you should be deworming them every 3-months regardless of inside or outside cats...
I’ve never heard of this either. I’ve only had vets give them dewormer at their initial appointment when I’ve first gotten them and it’s never been brought up again. Maybe because mine are strictly indoor pets?
I should probably get mine done because their parents were indoor/outdoor cats but as far as I’m aware they haven’t never themselves been outdoors. However I don’t think I’ve ever had them dewormed
Years ago I don’t ever remember it being a thing to do either, it was more of an option to have it done. I kinda figured just another way for them to make money. Oops.
Fun fact, dewormer is over the counter. You could buy it yourself and do dose calculations based on weight. All kittens/puppies should be dewormed at least twice if not 3x as babies. They ALWAYS have worms.
This is not a thing. Vets don’t recommend treatments “to make money”. I really don’t know why people think this. It makes no sense. Your doctor doesn’t tell you to get a flu shot because it makes them money. They tell you to do it because it benefits your health. It’s no different for vet medicine. And vets don’t get to bill insurance companies $1,000 for a $100 test. People have to pay for it, so that kind of thing can’t even happen.
Find a vet you feel comfortable with. Be honest about financial constraints. That way, they can help you decide what is most pressing if you can’t afford to do everything all at once. (A rabies shot is more important than a dewormer, for example.) Some medications are available in less expensive formulations. They want you to be able to afford the best care you can, so help them work with you.
Believe me when I tell you that people don’t go into it for the money. The pay is generally awful and vet school debt is insane. You should feel like you can really trust your vet’s recommendations, so definitely find someone who makes you feel that way. Keeping pets healthy should feel like teamwork. Apologies for the long response, but I feel passionately about this having worked in vet med for a lot of years. :)
Appreciate the response. When I was younger and money was extremely tight, I’d have to ask them what had to be done to keep them safe and what I could skip and this was always one of the things I was told they didn’t necessarily need. My cats have always lived into their 20s so I didn’t have a revolving door of animals thankfully so I wasn’t exposed to this treatment much. Tbh my cats I have now I think have been treated because I didn’t ask questions and went with everything they suggested for them. I’ll have to check on Monday. I have 3 cats and a small dog and don’t want to ever have them exposed to something that could have been prevented. 😊
I definitely get it. I think it’s important for people to understand what everything does and what it’s for/why it’s recommended. I’ve worked in several hospitals, and I know not all vets are great at explaining things so people get the reasoning. Its also not always the best choice to do something just because it’s available (surgery, chemo, etc). There is always a cost-benefit, and even when money isn’t super tight, it’s still a finite resource. Sometimes having pets feels like spinning plates. Opting for one treatment might mean money won’t be there for another pet or another issue. It’s definitely a balancing act.
In terms of cost efficiency, there are also products that are multi-purpose. Many monthly topical flea/tick preventatives also kill roundworms and hookworms. So I suspect there are people who are deworming every month and don’t really even realize it. (Heartworm prevention for dogs is the same way.) As long as you periodically check fecals, you’re probably going to be fine. Since animals share a litter box/water, if something comes back positive, they’ll probably treat all of them, but I wouldn’t be too concerned about having skipped something critically important. :)
I read that on here, I’m definitely going to inquire next time I bring them in. I’d hate to lose a pet for something that was preventable. Grateful to these subs to learn these things.
By the time you start seeing the worms / segments, its likely your cat has been spreading eggs for at least a month or two.. for something so preventable, it seems silly not to. In the UK at least, dewormer is quite cheap - my vets offer a subscription for dewormer and flea treatment, it's £10/month ($13), but they ship all the meds to me.
my vet told me it depends on where you live. where i live in washington state, we dont have to worry about heartworm or most worms, so we dont really think about deworming over here, but mosquitos can trasmit heartworm to cats in other areas so for cats living in those areas they are recommended to be dewormed regularly
No. This is misinformation, at least regarding indoor cats. When you get a cat you do the initial deworm and test, and then there's usually a stool test at their yearly appt every year for parasites, but you absolutely do not deworm indoor-only cats every 3 mo. If they're positive on their yearly or are showing symptoms, it is imperative to get treatment, but it is not a preventative used in indoor-only cats. Outdoor or indoor cats that visit outdoor places at all would be a different situation.
Yes, it's pretty standard around the world - flea treatment every month, dewormer every 3-months. For kittens, between the ages of 3 months and 9 months its recommended to deworm every month.
You're supposed to deworm.cats every 3 months??? Ice only done it when I first got them and I knew they had worms then never again. I've had them for 10 years.
At our clinic we require fecal tests from feline patients every year. If the test comes back positive for parasites, then we’ll deworm. If negative, then no need to deworm them more than necessary. I’m guessing it must differ depending on where people are located due to traditional practices, availability of testing facilities, equipment, etc. :)
So the humans get them? Because this new cat we got always seems to get worms. We keep her inside, flea meds (the top of the line) monthly, and she still seems to find a way. We bring her to the vet, he deworms, we go back and he examines stool. I clean the house so well…and I just have a feeling we can get them too
My dog had them years ago and they said they’re a pain the ass to get rid off since they live in the ground. We dewormed her and sprayed the yard and never had further issues. Our indoor cat hasn’t had them either but she isn’t much of a hunter of bugs or anything else.
My cat got worms several years back and they were a Nightmare to get rid of. You have to clean the litterbox Constantly because the worms in there can reinfect. Flea meds, dewormer, and a litterbox cleaner than a germaphobes home finally got rid of them after a month. Meanwhile the other cats we lived with were clear in a week or so lol.
Definitely correct advice! Also, after a recent vet visit, one of my felines picked up a few fleas and shared them with his sister. It took about 2 months before I noticed a few rice grains in their spots. All is good now but man they hate that pill. Good thing about the worm pill, it's water soluble so a syringe is a helpful tool.
Love all animals!
The vet won’t help the worm, sorry.
Dumb joke, I know. But yes - take the cat to the vet, and bring the worm with you! If he’s throwing up worms, there’s probably a LOT in there.
It is a round worm. It's not a huge deal, but it does need to be treated with a dewormer from the vet. Show them the picture so they treat the correct type (not all dewormers treat all kinds of worms). The cat could possibly need a secondary treatment 2 weeks later, depends what the vet recommends. You will see dead ones in the poop afterward, which is normal.
It almost looks like Ascaris, which if it is, and your cat is throwing it up it means it’s traveling.
I am not a vet so take what I have to say with a grain of salt. I did study Parasitology in college however and have seen specimens but that was some time ago.
Once it passes through the intestines it goes upwards and it travels down to the trachea (which can sometimes be thrown up) it will then travel to the heart.
Vet needs to be #1 priority if it’s throwing up *any* worms.
Roundworm…Your cat needs to be wormed immediately! Your cat will need a fecal float test from the Veterinarian to determine if there are just round worms or if there are other internal parasites such as tape worms. Vet will likely give you 2 doses of wormer.
I always took a fresh sample at the clinic with a small fecal loop to do the test. If you can get a new fecal sample before going to your vet that would work as well. If the sample is old it may not be useful. Under the microscope your Vet will be able to see if your Cat has other worms or single cell parasites. This sounds scary but they are treatable. I wish you and your kitty the best!! 🐈⬛
If your cat is throwing up anything that’s alive, it’s 100% a parasite. And likely infested if they’re throwing them up. Parasites usually either stay in the body or come out the pooper.
Yes... You likely have the sane parasites too. This is a large mature round worm. Cats lick their asses and then like you or your food. So... That cat transported parasite eggs from it's ass to your food or objects you touched.
Also asked my vet. And she said most definitely, but most think if they're dewormed as babies, they'll never get worms again. She said even indoor cats, especially if they're always killing flies and spiders. Xx. Hope this helps. 🙏
At least your cat has the decency to throw up in the sink. Mine just do it occasionally on the stairs so I step on it in the morning.
Not to hijack your thread but do all cats throw up sometimes?
Also, that’s definitely a worm but your vet should be able to treat it no problem. Parasites don’t make a living killing their hosts. At worst they just inconvenience them so your cat will be just fine
That’s a roundworm. If the cat is okay otherwise, don’t really need to rush to ER but get seen soon for testing and deworming. If ur cat is vomiting a lot or having diarrhea or not eating well, go to ER
Acute emergency. Take kitty to the vet immediately. Looks like tape worms and those deplete nutrients from their host.
Don't call to make an appointment. Put the work in a jar and take the specimen with you to the doctor.
Please do not treat it yourself. Tapeworms are very serious.
Round worm - if they are coming out of his mouth, then it's a serious infection and has likely been going on for over 4 months - have you not been deworming him regularly?
I would go to the Vet if you’re concerned, but having worms is not irregular for kittens. My cat puked one up as well. I bought dewormer and applied it to her food as the bottle directed. Feel her belly and try to get a grasp on how inflated and dense it feels. If it seems crazy different, make it a priority to get to the Vet.
Definitely mention this to the Vet next time you go if you don’t take it for this specific instance. If it is truly a kitten, you should be going semi regularly for its various shots, so that would be a good time.
The only thing you shouldn’t be doing is nothing.
I have never dewormed my cats, well one in the 90’s, and have never had one throw up anything. My cats have always been indoor cats. Current cat did get a flea treatment because she was balding, but it is actually over licking, because she is anxious.
GIVE THAT KITTY PYRANTAL STAT!!! If you cannot get to a vet today plz reach out to a cat rescue, they will give you dewormer and tell you what to do!!!! That's a roundworm!
That looks like a round worm, send that photo to your vet or show them at the office. They should just prescribe something for you to pick up asap. Saves the hassle and stress of taking your cat. If you are due for a 1 year they will likely want to you to bring your cat in.
If your animal is vomiting their parasites they have a very heavy parasite load. This looks like a round worm. Most likely you will need to give pyrantel now and in a week then test for worms (through feces sample) a week after that. It's not too complicated but the long term issues of having such a heavy parasite load are worth every bit of effort.
Yup!
We took in a stray, vaccinated/dewormed her. She never went back outside. 8 months later she threw one up just like this.
Dewormed again and years later still no problems.
It's pretty gross but that's animals for ya lol
People on here are really telling you to bring the worm like us vet staff need more information than “spaghetti noodle looking worm”. They’re roundworms, incredibly easy and inexpensive to treat. You give two doses of pyrantel two weeks apart and you’ll see them shed in the feces, no biggie.
kitty has worms. until you can get them to the vet, sprinkle a tiny bit of turmeric in with their food. It helps with eliminating the toxins that the worms are attracted to.
Thank you for posting to CATHELP! While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind, 1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**. 2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. 3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment. 4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If they’re puking up parasites it’s BAD. Get to a vet immediately Edit: bring worm with you
Someone make a shirt that says: Edit: bring worm with you
Id wear it
My cat coughed up a worm and all I got was this lousy t-shirt. Booooooo! *I’m boo-ing myself off the stage*
I love it!
I laughed out loud. We are worthless people.
Cute couple short ideas: “Bring worm with you” and “Would you still love me if I was a worm?”
Or better yet, “I’m with the worm” and “would you still love me if i was a worm?”
Perfect. Million dollar idea
Better yet:Would you still love me if i had worms
I’ve got worms!! Huh? That’s what I’m going to name it. I’ve got worms!
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Important information right here.
Hahaha don’t forget the patient.
I know this is a joke but, I work at a vet clinic and this actually happened. A frazzled new mom with infant in tow arrived for her dog's appointment without the dog. I couldn't help but laugh.
I’m not a frazzled new mom and I’d absolutely do this
So... is it called Bringworm? I'll see myself out.
Wormbringer: destroyer of bowels 🗡️
Michael Moorcock's first draft for the Elric series.
😂😂😂
💀💀💀
Lmmfao
Took me a second. But phenomenal. Here, upvote and thank you
Lol bringworm
> bring worm with you Just sliding in here to say that this might be Toxocara cati, also known as the feline roundworm, which is a common parasite of cats. Humans can contract it through contact with the feces of an infected cat. Disclaimer: I am not a professional.
Take the worm to the vet. Bring the cat with you.
update: taking him to the vet first thing in the morning, all vets are closed rn
post vet update: got him on dewormer, he’s very healthy otherwise :)
Check yourself out too. That means look in your own stool to make sure you’re not also infected. Or if you’re really itchy in a very particular spot.
Toxocara infections don't really cause itchiness in humans. The larvae migrate through the organ systems and can go to the eyes (visceral and ocular larva migrans), but this tends to only happen in children exposed to HIGH number of the parasites. These parasites also are host specific, so they will not be able to complete their life cycle in a human, and therefore you will not ever see adult worms from a cat in a human of this type of parasite. We are technically paratenic hosts, which means essentially an optional intermediate that the larvae can survive in, but will not go through their whole life cycle, therefore no adults or even eggs in your poop ;) We see this stuff all the time, particularly when working with rescues, and while zoonosis (spread to people) is of mild to moderate concern, it is rare in adults. People tend to get it from sandboxes and playgrounds more frequently than from their own pets.
this brought me so much peace thank you, i was so scared i’m now a host for roundworms. still though, do you know if there’s any action i should take for myself?
I wouldn't worry about it. If you start feeling ill (headache, nausea), definitely consider seeing a doctor. But as someone who's exposed to these things basically every single day, I can near guarantee that you'll be fine!
>The larvae migrate through the organ systems and can go to the eyes (visceral and ocular larva migrans), That's nightmare fuel, homie.
This was a House MD episode!
Brother, can you testify as to why this poor child's eyeball rolled back into his head?
Sheesh. I love a good info dump. Thanks for that write up.
NGL, this made my asshole itch just reading xD
A vet responded to me. Read his response at your own risk. It's nightmare fuel.
I already saw it xD luckily, I don't sleep enough to have nightmares 🤣
This comment made me cackle bc same 😂😅
Do you really have to tell someone to look in their own stool? Bad, I know.
Well it would make more sense than looking at IKEA’s stools 🤣
I bought a stool at Walmart. It looks normal.
Your lucky - mine is all wobbly and has a dent in or corner. Although I probably did the dent after purchase, to be fair.
True
Nope! If you look at my response to the above comment, I explain why no benefit for people to look in their own stool!
I was trying to make a very disgusting joke that most people missed (because it was so gross).
Thank goodness ❤️✌️
One wormy boy is going to be clean soon enough
Yay!! I was worried seeing this picture, usually when they’re at the point of throwing up worms—it’s a really bad sign of things going downhill fast
So glad you gave updates so quickly. Happy your cat is healthy!
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her vet may not be incompetent. people decline things all the time. we recommended yearly fecal tests for all pets, even indoor cats, and people regularly refuse.
THIS. We’ve gotten to a point where we just mention fecal testing yearly and 9/10 times, people decline bc cat is indoor or they monitor poops for dogs outside and state nothing is wrong.
The vet may not be incompetent. Many vets don't bother with regular fecal tests because you have to get a very specific part of the lifecycle of the parasite in order to see it. Many vets go ahead and just deworm every so many months without checking that way we don't get a false negative on a fecal. And even then, clients decline things. I can't tell you how many times I tell a client about the importance of deworming or flea/tick/heartworm prevention only for them to decline the treatment. The attitude of just assuming a vet is incompetent without good context or any actual information on what the vet may or may not have done is the reason so many veterinary staff are leaving the field, leaving everyone who remains short staffed, overworked, underpaid, underappreciated, and at high risk for alcoholism, drug abuse, and suicide.
Let me get this straight, YOU had a cat that you let get to what you call a medical emergency? Because YOU failed to have your cat tested and or ignored signs in the cats poop? And YOU'RE passing judgment on veterinarians about whom you have no context? That is rich. (Also, vomiting worms is not a medical emergency it's just another sign of worms, stop scaring people).
bring the worm with you
Looks like the round worms my cat threw up after treatment.
Yes. They only usually come out of the anus, so if they're vomiting it up, they must be riddled with worms. Do you worm 🪱 them every 3 months? You're supposed to, whether they're indoor or outdoor kitties, as they tend to kill a lot of bugs. Please go to the vet, and bring the worm with you.
definitely going to the vet with the worm, i found him in my yard a few weeks ago but the vet said he probably didn’t have worms when i got him neutered. i’m a first time cat owner so i stupidly took this at face value
>probably didn't have worms Omg... is that vet new? If it's the same veterinarian that sees you just glare at them and put the worm down and then say "it puked up this up"
They ALWAYS have worms
Yes yes and yes!!!
Some vets are just idiots. We used one that we’d been taking our pets to since I was 8 with my first dog. Took my chihuahua to them when he was vomiting and couldn’t hold food down and she said “something was stuck” and gave him an anti-nausea shot and told us to take him home and let him rest. She didn’t even touch him. Just had a tech take blood and hand us the results. Something didn’t feel right so we took him to another vet when he didn’t improve over the weekend and the first thing they did was take blood work and start poking at his stomach. She didn’t even need the X-rays to come back before she told us “it feels like he might have a tumor. I need to check to be sure.” He had a tumor. The vet showed it to me through his skin because it was caught between his heart and stomach and had attached to both. You could feel it just by touching his chest. The first vet charged me $900 to take my dog home to potentially die a painful death from super aggressive cancer, rather than do her job.
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What. Get a new vet. That’s insane. We *always* do a fecal before saying something like that. Even indoor cats can get parasites. (We track dirt in from outside.) That’s just silly. Animals will sometimes vomit and poop worms as the body purges them after deworming, so if/when it gets dewormed, you may see them coming out and that’s not cause for alarm. Just make sure you’ve dewormed (and you will likely have to repeat it a couple of times).
All outdoor cats have worms. Get a new vet.
How would the vet know just by looking at the cat ?!
because he didn’t have any symptoms so they concluded “testing won’t be necessary” now i know it’s bs 😅
Never go to that vet again. Any competent vet will deworm all cats with every visit. That's just standard practice. It doesn't hurt the cat to do bit can save their life
i went to a different vet currently in the waiting room
Any competent vet will deworm all cats with every visit. Hmmm... I kinda have to disagree. Checking on each visit is more in line with my experience.
That's a dumb vet.
I’m surprised being that he was an outside cat that they didn’t treat him regardless. If you have other pets you may want to inquire if they need to be treated as well. I’m not sure if they spread to other animals but it’s worth checking. Good luck tomorrow! He’ll he okay. 😊
luckily i keep my other cat separated since they fight
Definitely a bad vet. I do cat rescue and we usually don't even test for worms, just give them dewormer. The probability of a cat from outdoors having worms is nearly 100%.
You need to change vets.... Feral cats normally ALWAYS have worms, and you should be deworming them every 3-months regardless of inside or outside cats...
Wait what? You need to deworm cats every 3 months?
I’ve never heard of this either. I’ve only had vets give them dewormer at their initial appointment when I’ve first gotten them and it’s never been brought up again. Maybe because mine are strictly indoor pets?
I should probably get mine done because their parents were indoor/outdoor cats but as far as I’m aware they haven’t never themselves been outdoors. However I don’t think I’ve ever had them dewormed
Years ago I don’t ever remember it being a thing to do either, it was more of an option to have it done. I kinda figured just another way for them to make money. Oops.
Fun fact, dewormer is over the counter. You could buy it yourself and do dose calculations based on weight. All kittens/puppies should be dewormed at least twice if not 3x as babies. They ALWAYS have worms.
This is not a thing. Vets don’t recommend treatments “to make money”. I really don’t know why people think this. It makes no sense. Your doctor doesn’t tell you to get a flu shot because it makes them money. They tell you to do it because it benefits your health. It’s no different for vet medicine. And vets don’t get to bill insurance companies $1,000 for a $100 test. People have to pay for it, so that kind of thing can’t even happen. Find a vet you feel comfortable with. Be honest about financial constraints. That way, they can help you decide what is most pressing if you can’t afford to do everything all at once. (A rabies shot is more important than a dewormer, for example.) Some medications are available in less expensive formulations. They want you to be able to afford the best care you can, so help them work with you. Believe me when I tell you that people don’t go into it for the money. The pay is generally awful and vet school debt is insane. You should feel like you can really trust your vet’s recommendations, so definitely find someone who makes you feel that way. Keeping pets healthy should feel like teamwork. Apologies for the long response, but I feel passionately about this having worked in vet med for a lot of years. :)
Appreciate the response. When I was younger and money was extremely tight, I’d have to ask them what had to be done to keep them safe and what I could skip and this was always one of the things I was told they didn’t necessarily need. My cats have always lived into their 20s so I didn’t have a revolving door of animals thankfully so I wasn’t exposed to this treatment much. Tbh my cats I have now I think have been treated because I didn’t ask questions and went with everything they suggested for them. I’ll have to check on Monday. I have 3 cats and a small dog and don’t want to ever have them exposed to something that could have been prevented. 😊
I definitely get it. I think it’s important for people to understand what everything does and what it’s for/why it’s recommended. I’ve worked in several hospitals, and I know not all vets are great at explaining things so people get the reasoning. Its also not always the best choice to do something just because it’s available (surgery, chemo, etc). There is always a cost-benefit, and even when money isn’t super tight, it’s still a finite resource. Sometimes having pets feels like spinning plates. Opting for one treatment might mean money won’t be there for another pet or another issue. It’s definitely a balancing act. In terms of cost efficiency, there are also products that are multi-purpose. Many monthly topical flea/tick preventatives also kill roundworms and hookworms. So I suspect there are people who are deworming every month and don’t really even realize it. (Heartworm prevention for dogs is the same way.) As long as you periodically check fecals, you’re probably going to be fine. Since animals share a litter box/water, if something comes back positive, they’ll probably treat all of them, but I wouldn’t be too concerned about having skipped something critically important. :)
I think the second round clears out any that may have hatched from eggs which weren’t cleared in the first round - could be wrong though
Its recommended to deworm indoor cats every 3 months as well.
I read that on here, I’m definitely going to inquire next time I bring them in. I’d hate to lose a pet for something that was preventable. Grateful to these subs to learn these things.
By the time you start seeing the worms / segments, its likely your cat has been spreading eggs for at least a month or two.. for something so preventable, it seems silly not to. In the UK at least, dewormer is quite cheap - my vets offer a subscription for dewormer and flea treatment, it's £10/month ($13), but they ship all the meds to me.
my vet told me it depends on where you live. where i live in washington state, we dont have to worry about heartworm or most worms, so we dont really think about deworming over here, but mosquitos can trasmit heartworm to cats in other areas so for cats living in those areas they are recommended to be dewormed regularly
No. This is misinformation, at least regarding indoor cats. When you get a cat you do the initial deworm and test, and then there's usually a stool test at their yearly appt every year for parasites, but you absolutely do not deworm indoor-only cats every 3 mo. If they're positive on their yearly or are showing symptoms, it is imperative to get treatment, but it is not a preventative used in indoor-only cats. Outdoor or indoor cats that visit outdoor places at all would be a different situation.
Yes, it's pretty standard around the world - flea treatment every month, dewormer every 3-months. For kittens, between the ages of 3 months and 9 months its recommended to deworm every month.
https://preview.redd.it/15nzc7holcgb1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6e65fbd9fee975e65da1e71aad3e50b16711927
You're supposed to deworm.cats every 3 months??? Ice only done it when I first got them and I knew they had worms then never again. I've had them for 10 years.
Same. Mine are 11, got all that stuff done when they were babies. Purely indoor, haven’t been outside once in their lives. They’ve never had worms.
At our clinic we require fecal tests from feline patients every year. If the test comes back positive for parasites, then we’ll deworm. If negative, then no need to deworm them more than necessary. I’m guessing it must differ depending on where people are located due to traditional practices, availability of testing facilities, equipment, etc. :)
So the humans get them? Because this new cat we got always seems to get worms. We keep her inside, flea meds (the top of the line) monthly, and she still seems to find a way. We bring her to the vet, he deworms, we go back and he examines stool. I clean the house so well…and I just have a feeling we can get them too
My dog had them years ago and they said they’re a pain the ass to get rid off since they live in the ground. We dewormed her and sprayed the yard and never had further issues. Our indoor cat hasn’t had them either but she isn’t much of a hunter of bugs or anything else.
My cat got worms several years back and they were a Nightmare to get rid of. You have to clean the litterbox Constantly because the worms in there can reinfect. Flea meds, dewormer, and a litterbox cleaner than a germaphobes home finally got rid of them after a month. Meanwhile the other cats we lived with were clear in a week or so lol.
Definitely correct advice! Also, after a recent vet visit, one of my felines picked up a few fleas and shared them with his sister. It took about 2 months before I noticed a few rice grains in their spots. All is good now but man they hate that pill. Good thing about the worm pill, it's water soluble so a syringe is a helpful tool. Love all animals!
Yup some type of parasitic worm. Take to the vet!
It’s a round worm, they’re not horrible however if a cat is throwing them up then it’s probably completely filled with them which is extremely bad
The vet won’t help the worm, sorry. Dumb joke, I know. But yes - take the cat to the vet, and bring the worm with you! If he’s throwing up worms, there’s probably a LOT in there.
i kept repeating this joke to myself at the vet
It is a round worm. It's not a huge deal, but it does need to be treated with a dewormer from the vet. Show them the picture so they treat the correct type (not all dewormers treat all kinds of worms). The cat could possibly need a secondary treatment 2 weeks later, depends what the vet recommends. You will see dead ones in the poop afterward, which is normal.
Throwing up worms is a bad thing. It means the cat is likely infested and needs treated asap
Yea it means they're pretty full of them, but it doesn't require an emergency vet.
Take cat to vet
It almost looks like Ascaris, which if it is, and your cat is throwing it up it means it’s traveling. I am not a vet so take what I have to say with a grain of salt. I did study Parasitology in college however and have seen specimens but that was some time ago. Once it passes through the intestines it goes upwards and it travels down to the trachea (which can sometimes be thrown up) it will then travel to the heart. Vet needs to be #1 priority if it’s throwing up *any* worms.
update: i took him to the vet and got him on dewormer. he’s super healthy and should be okay in a couple weeks 👍🏼
Roundworm…Your cat needs to be wormed immediately! Your cat will need a fecal float test from the Veterinarian to determine if there are just round worms or if there are other internal parasites such as tape worms. Vet will likely give you 2 doses of wormer.
so should i bring a fecal sample with?
I always took a fresh sample at the clinic with a small fecal loop to do the test. If you can get a new fecal sample before going to your vet that would work as well. If the sample is old it may not be useful. Under the microscope your Vet will be able to see if your Cat has other worms or single cell parasites. This sounds scary but they are treatable. I wish you and your kitty the best!! 🐈⬛
You can bring the worm in and tell the vet your cat threw it up. They may not run a stool sample since you have confirmation.
Hi! I have a cat going through the same. Can humans get this? I’m worried the cat may have given me the same thing!
nope! humans can’t get it, like technically they can but it’s impossible for them to reproduce in a human so you should be fine :)
If your cat is throwing up anything that’s alive, it’s 100% a parasite. And likely infested if they’re throwing them up. Parasites usually either stay in the body or come out the pooper.
ascaris lumbricoides
Time to bring kitty and the worm to the vet ASAP.
That’s a round worm. Tape worms are flat.
Yes... You likely have the sane parasites too. This is a large mature round worm. Cats lick their asses and then like you or your food. So... That cat transported parasite eggs from it's ass to your food or objects you touched.
OP we need an update!
currently at the vets office in the waiting room!
That’s not good. She needs to see the vet now don’t wait
Worms and if they are throwing them up it’s really really bad
My cat threw these up when I first rescued her from living outside. After a couple rounds of dewormer, she was just fine.
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Also asked my vet. And she said most definitely, but most think if they're dewormed as babies, they'll never get worms again. She said even indoor cats, especially if they're always killing flies and spiders. Xx. Hope this helps. 🙏
At least your cat has the decency to throw up in the sink. Mine just do it occasionally on the stairs so I step on it in the morning. Not to hijack your thread but do all cats throw up sometimes? Also, that’s definitely a worm but your vet should be able to treat it no problem. Parasites don’t make a living killing their hosts. At worst they just inconvenience them so your cat will be just fine
Is your cat feeling better now?
yes :)
Thank you for the update. Glad to hear that.
Forbidden bean shoot , ring or hook worm prob , need a dewormer from vet not supermarket crap
This is absolutely not a “ringworm.” Ringworm is basically an athlete’s foot type infection. It’s is not an actual worm.
Btw, ringworm is a fungal infection.
Hook worms are tiny. This homie is a roundworm/ascaris
That’s a roundworm. If the cat is okay otherwise, don’t really need to rush to ER but get seen soon for testing and deworming. If ur cat is vomiting a lot or having diarrhea or not eating well, go to ER
No it's spaghetti or pasta did ur cat travelld to Italy last month? dude grab ur cat and run to vet)
Acute emergency. Take kitty to the vet immediately. Looks like tape worms and those deplete nutrients from their host. Don't call to make an appointment. Put the work in a jar and take the specimen with you to the doctor. Please do not treat it yourself. Tapeworms are very serious.
It’s a round worm. Tape worms usually come out in segments that look like single grains of rice stuck to their fur around the anus.
Instead of seeking a vet and asking their opinion, you ask random anonymous reddit users?
I will never understand the thought process behind "my *pet* thew up/shit out worms. Is iT A pArAsItE?!"...
Yes. It is.
Veterinarian ASAP!
Yes! Get to the vet for a dewormer ASAP!
Ours did it and we got meds and it cleared up in a few weeks.
Take your cat to the vet NOW! your poor kitty has worms
YES!
Round worm - if they are coming out of his mouth, then it's a serious infection and has likely been going on for over 4 months - have you not been deworming him regularly?
i’ve only had him a couple weeks
Yes! It’s absolutely a worm
I hope your kitty gets better soon
Yes, get them to a vet and take that in a bottle or container with you so you can let the vet handle it from there
Hook worm
vet time
Bring the worm with you
I would go to the Vet if you’re concerned, but having worms is not irregular for kittens. My cat puked one up as well. I bought dewormer and applied it to her food as the bottle directed. Feel her belly and try to get a grasp on how inflated and dense it feels. If it seems crazy different, make it a priority to get to the Vet. Definitely mention this to the Vet next time you go if you don’t take it for this specific instance. If it is truly a kitten, you should be going semi regularly for its various shots, so that would be a good time. The only thing you shouldn’t be doing is nothing.
Yup. Dunno what kind, but it ain’t good
Roundworm ?
I have never dewormed my cats, well one in the 90’s, and have never had one throw up anything. My cats have always been indoor cats. Current cat did get a flea treatment because she was balding, but it is actually over licking, because she is anxious.
You better bring that cat to the vet or you will be found by someone you don't want finding you.
Cat do that
GIVE THAT KITTY PYRANTAL STAT!!! If you cannot get to a vet today plz reach out to a cat rescue, they will give you dewormer and tell you what to do!!!! That's a roundworm!
That’s a round worm, you need to deworm your cat
Tapeworm
That looks like a round worm, send that photo to your vet or show them at the office. They should just prescribe something for you to pick up asap. Saves the hassle and stress of taking your cat. If you are due for a 1 year they will likely want to you to bring your cat in.
🤮🤢 got chills. Go to vet !!
Good rule of thumb is that if worms are coming out of holes on a living things it’s probably a parasite.
Yes every 3 months. I didn't quite believe it myself until I googled it.
Take your cat to the vet
Probably ringworm; definitely needs to go to the vet asap
I don't want to say that this is a heartworm. I hope it isn't
it’s not! it’s roundworm which is more treatable
If your animal is vomiting their parasites they have a very heavy parasite load. This looks like a round worm. Most likely you will need to give pyrantel now and in a week then test for worms (through feces sample) a week after that. It's not too complicated but the long term issues of having such a heavy parasite load are worth every bit of effort.
Yup! We took in a stray, vaccinated/dewormed her. She never went back outside. 8 months later she threw one up just like this. Dewormed again and years later still no problems. It's pretty gross but that's animals for ya lol
Check with r/AskVets
Omg why does it look like that
I would take it to the vet.
Tapeworm
People on here are really telling you to bring the worm like us vet staff need more information than “spaghetti noodle looking worm”. They’re roundworms, incredibly easy and inexpensive to treat. You give two doses of pyrantel two weeks apart and you’ll see them shed in the feces, no biggie.
well it doesn’t hurt, i brought it anyway for good measure
GO TO THE VET YESTERDAY worms are never a good sign
Obviously..
kitty has worms. until you can get them to the vet, sprinkle a tiny bit of turmeric in with their food. It helps with eliminating the toxins that the worms are attracted to.