Conference misery::feline

    What kind of worms can cats get? I know they can get tapeworm, ringworm
    and round worm. Yesterday my dog was diagnosed with whip worm, but I
    was told cats do not get whip worm. We've had quite the flea
    infestation this year, should I get a stool sample done for the cats
    to check for parasites?

    I have never heard of whip worms in cats...but you might want to
    ask your vet if it is possible.   If you do have a infestation of
    fleas this year....your kitty possibly might have tapeworms.
    
    What is a whip worm???  Does it live in a dogs intestines???   How
    do you kill them???
    
    Sandy

    Whip worm does not exsist in cats, only dogs. It is in the intestines.
    Panacur is used to kill it. It is very resilant so you often have to
    give the dog two treatments three months apart.

    Generally, if you have fleas, you have worms.  Especially tapeworms.  
    (worm lays egg, flea eats worm egg, cat ingests flea, worm hatches,
    worm exits via poop, worm lays egg...and so on).
    
    Annnnyway, your basic cat tapeworm (forget the nifty scientific name)
    is pretty easy and cheap to get rid of, just a pill from the vet.  The
    problem is, you get rid of them, but not the fleas, back come the
    worms.
    
    Ringworm, I believe, it not really a worm, but a fungus (doesn't
    ringworm cause hairloss in circular patterns?).  
    
    From my Cornell book o' cats, there's a few variations of tapeworms and
    round worms.  I think they can also get flatworms.  Only a few of the
    worms were something people could get.  
    
    If you don't already know, checking for your basic tapeworm is kinda
    easy, but gross.  Look in the poops for things that look like rice. 
    Check the fur around your cat's behind (especially after a recent trip
    to the litter box), you'll often see motiles (the rice-shaped bits of
    the worm).  Also, where cats lay, you often find the dried out motiles,
    which are somewhat yellow-orangish in color and hard like rice.  
    
    Not for the squeamish.  I have managed to become somewhat wormed-out.
    They don't get me going "ooooo! gross!" like they used to. :)
    
    
    kim

    I should add, even if you find the motiles, you'll still wanna bring a
    poop sample to the vet to get the prescription.  Most, if not all vets,
    require a sample anyway.
    
    
    kim

    Folks,
    
    reply .5 was actually the base note in this string. I was asked to move
    a different note, and I accidently moved this one by mistake due to a
    typo. Notes will not let me move a note into a base note with replies,
    so I am putting am putting it at the end of the string. Sorry for any
    inconvienence this may cause. 
    
    Deb
    co-moderator.