over the counter dewormer?

i know they have it for farm animals but do they sell it for pets? like cats?

we took one of our cats to the vet for a wound he had and they gave us some dewormer but we really didn't think he had any so we didn't give it to him (and he didn't have them) so we kept it. but recently we noticed our other cat was exibiting signs of worms so we gave it to her and she did. so now, were like damn... we need to give the other one some too, just to be sure.

he's not showing any signs whatsoever and almost totally refused to use her litter box during the time she had them... so i dunno... but still, need to be sure.

otc pills/whatever would be best so we don't have to have a vet bill or force him to go (of course, he hates it). i figure if they have heart worm stuff they should have dewormer but i've never really noticed it.

 

heart worm is sold OTC at vets offices but alot of places will make you cough up a receipt to show that you have had your dogs continually on it or they wont sell it to you. im sure its the same with worms. i dont know of any vets office who will just give you meds without first diagnosing the problem. plus ,it sucks but most vets offices want MONEY and so even if they dont think that the cat NEEDS to come in they will tell you that he does. but personally i think you need to be sure he had worms before just giving him meds to treat them. i'd take him to the vet...............

 

You can buy deworming meds at places like Walmart, for some worms, like roundworms. For others, like tapeworms, you almost always have to obtain that type of med. from a vet. Whether they would want an office visit or not would depend on the vet. If your pets are already "clients" at the office, they may allow you to get away with just bringing in a stool sample, which probably costs something around $6 to have tested. And then they would just charge for the medicine. But the bad thing is... stool samples arent always accurate. Sometimes cats have worms and don't pass them and it doesnt show.

What type of worms do you suspect your cats have? I cant help with diagnosing other types of worms, because Im not familiar with them... but if you ever see little flat, or rice-like segments around the anus or dried up in the cat's bed... if so, that would be tapeworms. It's very hard to find tapeworm med's in stores. You almost always have to get it from a vet. However, they usually only give like a 3 day dose. The medicine will treat the worms, but in the case of tapeworms... you have to eliminate the cause, which is almost always, fleas. Cat gets tapeworms by cleaning its fur by swallowing flea... It's a nasty cycle... I think tapeworms are like the hardest to treat for that reason (we have to battle it every few years with our cats)

Well, good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

i'm actually pretty sure it's roundworm

...i just found this

My dog or cat has "worms" (intestinal roundworms) Will these "worms" infect humans? The most common intestinal roundworm of dogs, and probably the most common parasite of dogs, is Toxocara canis. It takes approximately two weeks after being passed in a dog's feces for the eggs of this parasite to become infective. If humans accidentally ingest infective eggs of this parasite, the eggs hatch in the human's intestinal tract, and the immature roundworms (called larvae or juveniles) contained within the eggs migrate into the tissues of the body (they do not mature into adult worms as they would in a dog). Such an infection is called visceral larval migrans (or VLM). Once in the body, the larvae (juveniles) can migrate almost anywhere, including the eye and the brain, and the infection is difficult to diagnose and treat. Thus, visceral larval migrans (VLM) is a potentially serious infection. A vast majority of the cases of VLM in humans are probably caused by the larvae (juveniles) of the common canine intestinal roundworm (Toxocara canis). Cats can harbor a related species of intestinal roundworm, Toxocara cati. This parasite can also cause VLM in humans, but this species is probably responsible for only a small percentage of the cases of VLM in humans.

what the fuck
why isn't this general knowledge?
i've been freaking and washing my hands and everything before i knew this.
what the fuck

 

The ASPCA'S Complete Guide To Cats.........great book. a must for any cat parent. i refer to mine quite a bit.

 

We recently had a worm episode and with 4 cats OTC wormer was my best option. My friend who is a vet tech recommended this one. I went to Petsmart (can't remember the name exactley) and bought a wormer for round worms, whip worms, tape worms ect. I paid like 30 dollars for it but had enough to treat the infected cats and have some for the next time it happens. Ours get worms from eating fleas we live in a warm climate with year round bugs so we fight them pretty bad. Any way the wormer worked great no more little rice looking worms comming out of anyone's butt now!

 

are they on flea prevention? if not frontline plus is a godsend.

 

yeah but here it's kinda of a losing battle. We have such a year round flea issue it seems like every 2 weeks they need the treatment again gets kinda $$$!

 

I know what you mean, I grew up in south fla and now still live in the south. in my experiance frontline plus works extremely well........yeah sometimes after three weeks ill see a flea or two but it is supposed to be reapplied every four weeks and sometimes you *can* get away with eight weeks. even if you only do it once a month (a box of 3 is only like $30-35) its better than nothing. its more than miserable to have little bugs crawling all over your body and not being able to do anything about it! thats why they rely on us so much. plus as long as they have fleas then they will continue to get worms and that will end up costing you a bunch not to mention making the poor baby miserable. fleas are a real pain the ass!

 

so, if anyone's still interested in this stuff...

a guy i work with told me about diatomaceous earth feed grade quality (the "feed grade" is important for ingestion. it could also be called medical grade or food grade)

"...Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is totally organic and safe. It contains less than 1% percent of Crystal & Silicon. Some of the uses for Diatomaceous Earth include; household pets, gardens, flower beds, field crops, grain storage, and livestock feeding. Diatomaceous Earth is Mother Nature's product with no harm to the environment, pets or to people. Diatomaceous Earth is not an earth, it is the fossilized remains of microscopic shells created by one celled plants called DIATOMS. Diatomaceous Earth kills by physical action, not chemical, by puncturing the insect’s exoskeleton and absorbing its body fluids, thus posing no harm to warm-blooded life. Moreover, on any surface, these natural pesticide products have a remarkable repellency factor. As long as it is present, insects tend to stay away, making a serious infestation unlikely. Also, the more it is used, the more an environment is created that tends to make insects feel unwelcome.

Household:
Use Diatomaceous Earth for control of roaches, silverfish, ants, bedbugs, flies, fleas, box elder bugs, scorpions, crickets, and many others. Diatomaceous Earth can be used in and around the home, yard, animal housing, etc.

Pets:
Our best friends come in all shapes and sizes. Protect them with Diatomaceous Earth. When lightly rubbed into their coats it is very effective against fleas, ticks, lice, and other pests on pet dogs, cats, and their premises. It can also be used as an organic wormer and will kill any worms or parasites the pets may have. When using as a de-wormer, mix the Diatomaceous Earth into their food. Ask your vet how much for your size pet. ..."

http://www.dirtworks.net/DiatomaceousEarth.html

http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html

 

I'm not sure if this is true, but my vet told me that you can't get rid of worms in cats...only prevent it. If cats get it...you can't cure it. Medications only prevent it...not cure it.

I'm not sure if that's true, but that's what my vet told me...I think it was his way of trying to give him yet some MORE money, but I don't know.

 

yea i dunno about that either... i wouldn't think it's true. i had pinworms when i was little and the doctor said something like once you get them, you can get them easier again. but i dont know if that's just cuz now you know you're suseptiable or what.

but here... i'll google it.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=never+get+rid+of+worms&btnG=Search

i dunno, that's the best search i could think of. i couldn't find anything about not being able to truely get rid of 'em.

there's a link that goes to this person, who's dog keeps getting infested, asking a question in some FAQ and the answer is that it's pretty strange and rare that they're having such a problem with reinfestation.

so.. the impression i get is that your vet tried to feed you bunk. stupid bunk feeding vets.

 

worms in cats can be killed off and if you take away the source of them (fleas, mostly) you will rarely see your cat with worms. my cat is three years old and has never had them but he also has always been on flea prevention. my other cat had them once but once we put him on frontline he never got them again.

heart worms are what dogs can get and for some reason cats arent very suseptable but heart worms are VERY hard and costly to treat and alot of times prove fatal.

 

howdy i know many that read these threads dont agree with me on my views about owning animals, and the commercial value of animals. but hopefully a couple of these links will help some people out.

cheap animal meds or atleast cheaper than most vets offices will charge

revival animal health. they have a vet on staff to help you find the correct meds when you need them,
phone is 1/800/786/4751 call for a catalog
web site www.revivalanimal.com
but use for looking around and order after you get the catalog you are given a customer number with the catalog that locks prices.

jeffers supply
phone 1/800/jeffers
web www.jefferslivestock.com
this place has many many items and different catalogs to request depending on type of animal you have. so if you get the small animal catalog you wont be loaded down with a bunch of equine products

and their was another decent one but i dont at current have anypaper work from them because they do no ship to puerto rico it was
wholesale vet supply

anyways hope this will help even one person. and if it does it will be worth all the hassles i get from people like elle LOL

 

Please be sure to shell out the extra few bucks and get a respectable brand. Hartz sucks and PLEASE do not give cats dog medicine. They can die from it.