Post tape worm treatment in cats and they are now sick?
5I know there are several of you on here who know a lot about cats. My 17 year old (so going to have to treat the rest of them too) got tape worm from fleas (these are indoor cats only) from when I boarded them at the no kill shelter (free for me since I used to volunteer there) when I had a bunch of out of town dr apts (in the town the no kill shelter is). She is now really lethargic post treatment, not eating, drinking water…
She stopped eating 4 days ago (so syringe fed her after the first day and a half), was distended, constipated, etc. so Monday I took her to the vet. She got an enema, tested pos for tape worm and ended up very dehydrated (so did sub Q fluids using what I have for her litter mate who is in stage 3 kidney failure once I got her home from the vet Monday afternoon - she is far less dehydrated now).
Treated her for the tape worm on Monday afternoon after the vet visit and she got diarrhea, was incredibly lethargic (a bit better today but still not good), not drinking or eating (so continued to syringe feed, sub Q fluids) and she hangs out at the water dish (not drinking so I presume nausea even though I have been giving her cerenia for that).
Called the vet this morning (we don’t really have any good vet care in this town. Good vet care is about 90 miles away, This one is the best of the lot but he prefers farm animals although does dogs, cats, etc. too). He is gone from the office doing farm animals today. I am picking up an appetite stimulant for her today. He said well just leave her (he won’t be there all day) and he’d run some blood work when he got back - at what time he had no idea, he wouldn’t guarantee someone would syringe feed her small amounts multiple times a day (so she keeps it down) which I think is a problem. So I made an apt for tomorrow when he will be back in the office. Any messages today are relayed through the desk clerk, who is not a vet tech, and so not sure the extent to which she relays details. I would prefer to talk to him but that apparently is not possible.
Does anyone know how much of this behavior is normal post tape worm treatment (the pill, not liquid treatment)? How long does this kind of stuff last? The credible sites on the internet are kind of vague although she does not have the “take your cat to the vet now” symptoms, it seems like some cats don’t feel well after being treated (the other times she had been treated she bounced right back, this time she is worse off and isn’t, of course she is 3 years older this time around from the last time).
Thanks.
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It’s probably going to take some money, aint it.
@therealjrn That is what I am worried about too since I already paid well over $100 yesterday. If this is likely to fix itself as it is more or less a “normal” response in some cats then I’ll skip the vet visit tomorrow. If not I need to take her in to be seen regardless of that.
My cat didn’t have any problems with his treatment when he had tapeworms, but he did have a different problem where he stopped eating and drinking. I doubt this is the case for you since it seems like the lethargy and loss of appetite was directly following the treatment, but in our case our cat had found a bit of fishing line, got some of it looped around his tongue, and then swallowed the rest, so he had fishing line tied to his tongue and going down into his stomach. He recovered just fine but it took many dollars and a shaved belly.
I wouldn’t even bring it up except it is apparently a fairly common thing.
@Moose Yarn, string, thread, etc. are also risks to cats for the same reason. In this case my 17 year old is pretty inactive and spends her time sitting on my bed, the cat tree or in the closet on the bed I put in there. She will play with things I dangle in front of her but rarely even investigates anything (including other cat toys). She’s my little old skinny lady slowly on her way out (hopefully not over having tape worms treated).
@Kidsandliz @Moose your little old skinny lady is really lucky she has you. You take really good care of her and she knows it and must love you tons.
@moonhat She was up on my bed last night purring her little heart out (she jumped up and missed so I picked her up and set her next to me) - still not eating so syringe feeding her, and despite cerenia is still hanging out at the water bowl (nausea)… back to the vet at 2:15 this afternoon (wish they accepted monopoly money - that I have a ton of).
Hauling with her Thing who is ripping the shit out of her ear with her hind paw - it is bright red, missing some fur (at first I thought a tussle and then caught her in the act of ear destruction) - and I don’t see a single thing to cause her to tear it up.
I have nothing relevant to add, but the neighbor’s friendly cat stopped by to visit.
/Image
@eonfifty I love cats but I’m not sure I’d want to pass him in a dark alley. Looks like he is quite a bruiser.
@eonfifty He looks like the slimmer twin of my long-gone boy cat. So cute.
@moonhat He is a kitten still. I believe this guy was born feral and the ear was clipped by the vet when he was neutered before being released back into the wild.
@eonfifty sometimes those who started out feral turn into the best cats as they are so grateful.
@eonfifty @moonhat I think he’s awfully cute but I think that about pretty much every cat.
@eonfifty that makes sense about the ear tipping, I forgot about that. He looks pretty comfy though, I am sure I’d try to cuddle him no matter what.
This doesn’t sound good at all. We haven’t had a problem with tapeworms in years.
Hopefully fluids will help flush out the poison.
@lisaviolet I am hoping so too. She was 17 last spring and I know cats don’t live forever… I am not ready for her (and her brother who is also ailing) to die… especially over this.
Please keep us updated! How’s she feeling now? I’ve never dealt with tape worms so i don’t have any input on that
@ivannabc Update down lower in the thread. Thanks.
I don’t know about post tapeworm treatment but my cat has had a few episodes where she just wouldn’t eat at all or drink. Took her to the vet… she was dehydrated (big surprise) but he couldn’t find anything wrong. She was also quite stressed because of a lot of recent changes. We gave her 2.mg of valium and man… that gave her an appetite. She ran thru 3 cans of food that she wouldn’t even touch before. So every time she goes thru this, she gets a bit of valium for the appetite.
@lseeber I’ll ask about that. Thanks.
Going back to the vet today (this afternoon) as she is only a bit more perky but still isn’t eating, pooping normally, clearly is still nauseated despite cerenia… Unfortunately vet care in this town leaves a lot to be desired and so I have my fingers crossed he will call his friend who teaches in the vet school (he has the personality of sandpaper and is touchy as all get out so suggesting that directly will set him off which I don’t want to do as of the choices in town or within a 45 min drive he is the best of the lot). Oh and the appetite stimulant has done nothing.
I know it’s expensive but I found that sometimes jarred baby food will tempt them to eat a little bit. I hope your kitties are feeling better soon.
@cf1 I have used that before too. Currently am using science diet a/d. That she didn’t want to lick my cereal bowl (a usual come running to do) even when I put it under her nose, likely means she won’t eat that yet either. I have also syringe fed with that too (for others reading it has to be just meat or meat and juice/gray and nothing else since onion, garlic, etc is poisonous to cats. Also it isn’t a balanced diet so you can’t feed that forever, but then again the bigger danger is of “fatty liver” and dying from that if they aren’t eating. The goal is to first get them to eat and drink and worry about what they are eating once they are eating again).
@Kidsandliz Exactly. It is such a terrible feeling when they won’t eat or drink. It makes you feel helpless since they usually can’t let you know what is wrong.
@cf1 I am picking up some baby food today to see if she pushes my hand away less when I am syringe feeding her.
So came back from the vet. $157 later and he says, “well she’ll probably die in a month or two” and other than having me increase how much I am doing sub Q fluids, he isn’t doing anything. Her liver function is ok so at least I am getting enough food in her. Her BUN was ever so slightly elevated. Everything else is normal. And he is ignoring an infected scratch on her ear. Fortunately for me I have some antibiotic cream at home left over from another cat and will use that on her ear. Vet care here is beyond horrific.
A different vet (only other choice in town) nearly killed this cat by cutting her hyperthyroid med rather than increasing it. That also raised her blood pressure and she had a small stroke. Switched vets over that. Took several months but with the correct thyroid med dose she gained weight, strength and went back to the cat she was before that catastrophe. (human care isn’t much better here either - I have had some really dumb ass things said to me too that I knew were beyond wrong).
So I called my friend at the no kill shelter (190 miles away) and talked to her about it. She was appalled that he did nothing other than increase her fluids, is not trying to stop her diarrhea… So next Wed when I am back in that town (and she is watching my cats that need meds while I have 2 doctor apts over 2 days) she is taking my cat to the vet she uses (and the shelter uses). I hope to heck she doesn’t get much worse by then.
@Kidsandliz I know that she’s not eating but… if you can syringe some cultured buttermilk into her (if she won’t drink it herself) it might help the diarrhea. I had a cat once that had it for a little over a yr and we could never find a cause. Tried all sorts of meds and nothing worked. Finally the vet said… if she’ll drink it, try that. She did, she liked it and it worked. Worth a shot.
And it does sound like you have sucky vet care. We did too until this one guy came back to town… best vet ever now!
@lseeber Thanks for the suggestion.
My poor kitty is going downhill and is way worse than when I took her to the vet here. I had been encouraged because for the first time in a while left the bedroom and sat in her favorite place in the living room, initiated jumping up on my bed for cuddling and was purring… Now she just lies there and barely lifts her head, isn’t purring, staggers when she walks… I called my friend who runs the no kill shelter to see if I could drive there tomorrow and bring her to that vet. She called me back and said her vet said a 3 hour drive is likely too much stress for her and he thinks that she is likely to die in the next couple of days based on her symptoms. Makes me sad. I am really, really going to miss her.
@Kidsandliz
I’m sure this is so tough and painful.
@Kidsandliz I’m so sorry.
@Kidsandliz I’m so sorry. It’s never easy.
@Shrdlu @lisaviolet @f00l she’s lying in bed next to me like a limp rag purring and weakly for a while was making dough with one paw. I called the vet and got a recording that if we need a vet after hours go to the emergency vet - that is 96 miles away. I HATE THIS FUCKING TOWN. And while I am leaving it will not be in time to save my cat. He is closed on the weekends too. Since they board animals I wonder if I just showed up with her in the morning if they’d call him - and if he’d come.
And thank you all for your thoughts. Good thing my box of klenex is nearly full.
@Kidsandliz
I’m very sorry.
Paige died at about 2:15 am in my arms. She was restless and so I gently groomed her, which caused her to relax and then she died about 10 min later. She was 17.5 years old. She and her brother were strays and I rescued them when they were about 3 months old. He came into the bedroom from the living room as she was taking her last breaths and jumped up on the bed looking very distressed. I am glad, though, that she died at home with me and wasn’t stressed out going to the vet to be euthanized. She was a sweet, gentle, loving cat. I will miss her. A lot.
Paige
In her old age with her brother on the heating pad
And in younger days with her brother
@Kidsandliz Awww. So sorry. Before I read your last post I was about to reply that maybe it really just is her time now. Then I saw this. Sorry to hear and its never easy as you well know. Hopefully other kitties will adjust easily.
@Kidsandliz Tears…oh, I am so sorry for this. It sounds like it was peaceful for her.
Not so much for you, but she passed knowing she was loved and that you were by her side.
http://www.oes.org/page2/8647~You_have_chosen_tears_-_poem.html
@Kidsandliz So, so sorry
Passing loved and cared for, is all a pet will ever ask. You gave her that gift.
@Kidsandliz My eyes are wet.
I’m very sorry again.
@Kidsandliz so sorry.
@Kidsandliz I’m so sorry. I don’t even have words for it. I agree with everyone above that passing in her own home, on her own terms, surrounded by comfort and love, was an amazing gift to her. We should all be so lucky.
@Kidsandliz
@Kidsandliz Condolences
It seems like she let you know it was time. Virtual hugs to you and your fur babies.
@Kidsandliz
She sure was a pretty girl.
@lseeber So far they are adjusting, but then again I made sure they saw her dead. Her brother (littermate) is incredibly clingy though. That I am upset upsets them though.
@lisaviolet @mfladd @narfcake @RiotDemon @mossygreen @f00l @speediedelivery Thank you all. I appreciate it. My cats are an integral part of my life and have helped me keep my sanity raising a troubled kid (due to her trauma prior to me adopting her - there are some things that are really hard to fix and probably can’t be), a bunch of cancers… I really, really miss her.
@f00l Her markings on her face are unusual. She was a really sweet, loving, gentle girl. She didn’t even scratch me when she’d try to push my hand away when I was syringe feeding her, didn’t struggle when I’d put the inhaler on her face for her asthma meds, sat quietly when I did the sub q fluids… I was lucky she and her brother wandered up to my house and into my life. Both are/were such loving cats.
@Kidsandliz
I’m glad you three had the 17 years all together.
@lisaviolet I know you have lost more cats than I have in the last handful of months. I just find this part of their lives so hard. And I have 2 more 17 year olds. Paige’s brother, Max, will be next unless something unexpected happens to Lucky, or to my younger ones…and the one we are trying to find a home for I am trying not to get attached to but that is hard since she is a darling cat too. I have been very lucky in my cats over the years. Every single one of them have been such sweet, gentle souls.
@Kidsandliz I understand completely.
(((((hugs)))))
@Kidsandliz @lisaviolet Like attracts like.
How are you doing?
@lisaviolet I still miss her a lot - and I am sure I will for a while. My cats are an important part of my life -as they are for many of us. Thank you for checking up on me.
@Kidsandliz I know how hard it is.
The grief is like an earthquake, it can hit lightly or hit strong and you never have any warning.
I’m really sorry for how this all happened.