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I just found a small white worm on my cat, right underneath his tail. Can my dog catch them from my cat?

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The worm looked like a thin maggot. Does anyone know what kind it is? And do I have to take my cat to the vet, or can I get an over the counter med. Can my dog catch it? If I give my dog medication for worms, but doesn’t have worms, will it harm her?
Any info is greatly appreciated.

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This entry was posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:59 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted in FAQ by Allan 23 Comments

23 Responses to "I just found a small white worm on my cat, right underneath his tail. Can my dog catch them from my cat?"

  • rachellram says:
    April 13, 2011 at 10:48 pm

    yes

  • janeannpat says:
    April 13, 2011 at 11:00 pm

    It’s a tapeworm caused from your cat eating fleas. Your dog can get it if he has fleas as well and swallows them or if he gets into the catbox. A liquid wormer will not hurt your dog if you give it to him, but I would get a prescribed wormer from the vet for your cat.

  • Buni says:
    April 13, 2011 at 11:22 pm

    It is a tapeworm..go to the vet to get some droncet. you cant kill that type of worm with OTC meds..only from the vet, and yes your dog can get them too…chances are if your cat has them then so does your doggie…it is caused by fleas.
    edited to say that those liquid wormers ONLY work on round worms not tapeworms….don’t give it to either of them…it can cause neurological damage if you give them too much of it.

  • Chrissi says:
    April 13, 2011 at 11:34 pm

    Your dog might be able to catch that worm from your cat. I would definitely take him/her to the vet, because some worms can be more serious than others. Over the counter meds are great and helpful, but no one knows better than a doctor who majored in that area. Hope this helps!

  • dolly says:
    April 14, 2011 at 12:13 am

    It’s tapeworm, and the way an animal catches it is by ingesting a flea that has tape worm eggs. The eggs then hatch inside the intestines and start the cycle all over again. Yes your dog can catch it and yes you need to take it to the vet to get medicine to take care of it. Make sure you get rid of the fleas too, or they’ll just keep getting tapeworm. Yuck.

  • hoodoowoman says:
    April 14, 2011 at 12:59 am

    Yes, it’s a tapeworm-it’s passed via fleas. In a multi animal household it’s best to treat everyone when someone gets tapes.

  • hawkesnest says:
    April 14, 2011 at 1:30 am

    Get worm meds from the vet and yes your dog can get them from sniffing them. I bought some dewormer from the pet store and it did NOT work that is why I say get it from the Vet. Kitty needs to get them things out of her, or she could become very sick.

  • kissesfromkalin2 says:
    April 14, 2011 at 2:11 am

    Your cat has tapeworms. You can take your cat to the vet if you like and they can run a fecal test, or you can just ask them for some tapeworm medicine called “Praziquantel” or “Drontal” (might be called something diff in your area). Yes, it is possible for your dog to get tapeworms too. You can de-worm your dog without knowing if she is infected. It won’t harm her if she doesn’t have worms. The dog dewormer is called the same as the cat med. Animals get tapeworms either from having fleas or from eating small rodents (mainly mice) that are wormy.

  • Christina A says:
    April 14, 2011 at 2:24 am

    Probaby! I think you can too! Be careful, always wash your hands after touching your cat and give her some Worm tablets, you could ask a vet and/or go and see one(as in take your cat there! Not you go and have a check-up! lol! sorry! It just may-of seeemed a bit like it!)
    Good luck, I hope your Cat gets better soon!!!

    oh, and I dont think it would hurt your dog!- Best to get that checked out though!

  • ihcuids says:
    April 14, 2011 at 2:48 am

    That is a tape worm and you need to buy tape worm medicine from your pet store. Regular dewormer will not kill tapeworms, even if it says it does. You must have a medicine specifically from tape worms. And yes your dog can get it from your cat. Also, dewormer will not hurt your pet even if they don’t have worms.

  • lildixiespitfire says:
    April 14, 2011 at 3:33 am

    Yes to both questions. It’s a tape worm, and your dog can absolutely catch it. They are VERY contagious and can make your pets miserably sick. Do not give the dog the medicine, if she doesn’t have the worms yet it will make her very upset to her stomach. Take your kitty to the vet

  • kyble68 says:
    April 14, 2011 at 4:04 am

    yes it is a tape worm, you cat got it from fleas, yes your dog will get them because your cat has fleas so does your dog. you can only get them if you eat a flea(so don’t lol)and in time (with out fleas they will go away) you can go to your vet 4 a treatment

  • Cammi says:
    April 14, 2011 at 4:29 am

    Yes. Worms are contagious. Get them both treated for worms.

  • JoAnne H says:
    April 14, 2011 at 5:16 am

    yes, id go to your vet and get worm medication for the cat instead of using the stuff for ur dog or at least call to make sure they can use the same medication.

  • anna says:
    April 14, 2011 at 5:23 am

    This is a tapeworm. They look like bits of rice, but then you see them move. They come from the cat ingesting fleas, so you need to put a veterinarian flea killer (such as advantage) on your cat and dog and get pills for tapeworms (antibiotics, I believe). I’d go ahead and treat both pets for worms too.
    Good luck!

  • Tammy C says:
    April 14, 2011 at 6:19 am

    Yes your dog can catch it, and you can catch it to, go to the store and by some dewormer for both of your pets immediately!!!

  • aussie dawgs says:
    April 14, 2011 at 6:53 am

    The worm you’re describing is a tapeworm (I’m a vet tech). Pets get tapeworms through ingesting fleas. Your dogs will not get the worms from the cat directly, but if the dog has also ingested a flea carrying a tapeworm then he could also have them. The dewormer you need to get to take care of tapeworms is called droncit. If you want to give your cat a broad spectrum dewormer and also take care of the tapeworms, you can request a dewormer called drontal. It is available from your vet. If you have a relationship with them and have an accurate weight on your cat, many vets will probably be willing to dispense the dewormer to you without you having to come in for an office visit. Make sure you treat your pets for fleas (advantage, revolution, or frontline would be the best choices – most of the over the counter products contain pyrethrins which can be toxic to cats so avoid them). If you don’t take care of the flea problem, your pets will pick up tapeworms again. I would not recommend using over the counter dewormers for your pets. Most of them are not effective against tapeworms and many are not nearly as safe as those that are available by prescription.

  • safari64014 says:
    April 14, 2011 at 7:37 am

    That sounds like a tape worm and fleas are the vector for them.. Fleas act as their host, the animals scratches and licks at the itchy spot the flea makes and then swallows the flea. The tape worm continues its growth after it is ingested by the animal. Dogs, cats, people are all susceptible and the treatment can be found at any store that sells pet supplies. Walmart, Target, Price Chopper too I think.

  • glendadanc says:
    April 14, 2011 at 8:01 am

    Yes dear, your dog can catch it if he has fleas. Your cat has tapeworm and it is caused by fleas. If left untreated your cat will become very emaciated because the tape worm is getting all the nutrition from it. You need to take the cat to the vet and get it treated. Likewise your dog. If the cat has fleas, so does the dog and therefore will have tape worm also.

  • CrazyForYou says:
    April 14, 2011 at 8:35 am

    Dogs are supposed to have a little “booster” every month against heart worms, ask your vet about that, but as for the contageous-ness of it, that is a very real situation, cats and dogs are very much alike in their imunities and seeinga vet would be a good idea to find out about that worm.

  • tlight says:
    April 14, 2011 at 9:15 am

    More than likely both animals have the worms if they share the same space. I would check with my vet before worming the dog though.

  • michamybelle says:
    April 14, 2011 at 9:38 am

    Unfortuantally..Yes! Especially if your dog has a taste for their (tootsie rolls) sort of speak. Poop to be exact. The worm looking creature are most likely a tape worm. Not to worry..They are so easy to get rid of. One pill from the vet and wala problem solved. Just make sure you clean the litter previously emaculate before the pill given with bleach. You don’t want any eggs hanging around. All your problems should surely be sound. Just make sure you send a sample of your pups poo to make sure it is clear as well.
    I forgot one thing once the worm appears on your pets anal region it will die soon after. So there is no worries if it falls into your carpet. It’s the fleas you need to worry about. Hope this helps ya. Good luck : )
    Ps…The most harm the tape worms will do is to deprive your pets of their food in their nutrition. In other words the worms live in the stomach and eat off of the food that the cat/dog eats depriving your pets of good nutrition. Which isnt good but not life threating at first. Deworming is best. The vet is best. I personally dont trust the pet store wormers. Thay are not strong enough. Shelters will also help if your straped for cash/credit. Believe me I know. I am a vet tech with 10 cats and 4 dogs. I’ve been there. Your problem is not big for now so don’t worry just get your one time wormer from the vet and everything should be ok after that. Like others noted fleas injested eated by your pets DO cause tape worm.
    Also get some flea protection from spring to fall. Fleas are the parents of the tape worm here! If you stop the flea problem you stop the worm problem. The best is frontline or advantage. Also sweep the dogs/cats bedding/carpet for any flea eggs. If you need to bomb your house for a flea problem make sure you remove all of the animals first and wait until the spray cloud clears before returning them as it will be harmful to you and them and especially to pet birds. Best wishes. Happy to help : ) Good Luck : )

  • Megan G says:
    April 14, 2011 at 10:25 am

    My cat had tapeworm too. I didnt even have to take the cat in, I just called the vet and he let me pick up the meds. It was only like $6 so just get some for your dog and your cat and it will be ok.

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