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Cats and tapeworm? Help!!!?

Our indoor cat somehow ended up getting fleas. Anyways, now the fleas are gone but he has tapeworm from eating an infected flea. Has anyone else ever had this happen? Also, from reading up on it online, I learned that the only treatment is to take him to the vet for medicine. Any thoughts as to how much this would cost? Please, any advice or feedback would totally be appreciated!!

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It's a simple injection from the vet that will kill the worm. Costs under $20. Tapeworm is actually ONE worm that grows segments (proglottids) that each have male and female sex organs and therefore can reproduce. Do not hesitate to take this cat in. Having a tapeworm deprives the cat of nutrients and it can get very, very emaciated. To prevent this in the future get your cat on a monthly spot treatment for fleas like Advantage or Frontline. Indoor cats can get fleas if you have animals that come into your yard or if you go into a friends home with fleas. One flea can hitchhike on your pant leg into your home then start laying eggs and soon your home is infested.
yes my cat who is also indoor just got it. she has to be treated for the fleas and tape worm by a vet.
You don't need to go to the vet. You can buy Tape Worm Tabs from PetCo, PetSmart, or Amazon.com. They generally run $20 for 3 tabs and the dosage is based on the size of the cat. The tabs work great, but I don't advise mixing them with food (my cats would eat around the tablets if I left them in pieces and not enough food if I crushed them to powder). Best bet is to just make the cat swallow the pills. What works best for me is to sit on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you. Place the cat on his back between your legs with his head close to your body. You can use your legs to help hold the cat secure while you open the mouth, tip back, the head, drop the pill to the back of the throat, and make sure it is swallowed.
Buy worming tablets from the pet store or supermarket, job done. Having said that, the ease of administering the worming tablet depends on the nature of your cat. Some cats (most, actually) can't stand being force-fed a tablet. You have to gently pry their jaws open, put the tablet on their tongue, close their mouth and massage under their chin until they swallow it. Sometimes, the just wait until you let go and spit it out. You could crush the tablet and add it to their food. Our matriarch cat would just eat them from your hand, however. I think you can get liquid wormer, which is a lot easier to administer.
Hi, as the first answer said, take kitty to the vet and get the treatment, then get the monthly treatment. i used to use prevention? can't remember the name, but it also guards against heartworm and does a good job with fleas and making their eggs infertile, as well as tapeworm. maybe it is advantage - ask your vet for the most comprehensive medicine and they'll hook you up with the right one. it couldn't be easier to apply, costs about $10 per month, or less. it's been a couple of years since i used it and the guy who is taking care of my cat also has his medical records so i can't look it up right now. i live in a city now and on the 22nd floor, with no dirt to be found in the area so i take the chance that kitty won't get fleas. yes, it's expensive, but, your kitty is worth it, yes? and, compared to the vet visits... tapeworms are very bad for kitty. and, you could also get them. make sure you wash your hands after touching your kitty. get the treatment and put kitty on the medicine. it is worth it. the tapeworm treatment is pretty cheap, say less than $30. it may require two treatments, like 3 weeks apart. that's the worst part of it. living with those worms for 3 weeks - UGH! do NOT try any treatments from the grocery store, go to the vet. kitty will be fine, spend the cash to get him all fixed up and get your peace of mind for all of you. Best Wishes
Yup, if he in fact ingested a flea it's most likely tapeworm. Does the worm look like a flat piece fo white rice? We have a winner LOL! Anyway, if you need to save money you can buy worming medications over the counter at Pet Co, Pet Smart, maybe even Wall Mart. I used to work for a company called Southern States, and we sold it there as well. However, any animal owner will tell you it's not easy giving a cat or dog a pill. Some medications though you can crush into a fine powder and put it in their food. So on that note, even though it may not be cheap, you can take the cat to the vet and have them do it themselves. When one of mine has the same worm problem, I'm there at the vet for maybe 15 minutes and it costs about $45.00 Of the over the counter tablets I've used on my cats, none of them have worked, and so many tablets are for other worms except Tape Worms. One brand we sold was Tape Worm Tabs. It's packaging contained a white kitten on the background. Another thing to consider once springtime gets closer, start fighting fleas before they have a chance. This battle won't be easy, but it can be won. Keep in mind sweetheart that even YOU can bring fleas inside. They can get on your clothing even from a trip to the mailbox or from unloading your car. They will seem to get worse as the weather turns colder with winter approaching - they need body heat. There are all kinds of household sprays you an use. I don't mean Raid or Hot Shot either. They may work, but to cover a larger area like an entire floor of your home you will need something different; something along the lines of a 1 or 2 gallon READY TO USE spray. There are many brands, to many to list on here. The next tme you are out shopping, stop in at Pet Smart or Petco, or even Wall Mart to see what you can find. If there are any stores in your area that deal with farm and home things, you can check there as well - Southern States sold flea sprays as well. Whatever spray you decide on (if any) make sure it is compatible for inside the home and around pets and children. Something else to consider, Frontline Plus for Cats. It works. One thing to remember, the cat over time can build up an immunity to it. My vet told me this one day and I didn't believe him. I found out the hard way this summer and fall that he was right. I switched brands and now use Advantage. It seems to have picked up where Frontline left off and I have seen a difference in the infestation. Another method to consider, periodically use flea bombs throughout your home. The next time you go shopping, you can probably find them in the household items of your local grocery store. If not, HI HO, HI HO, IT'S OFF TO WALL MART YOU GO! HAHA! Anyway, majority of them can be purchased in a twin pack box. Try them in the room where the infestation was first noticed. It may be a good idea to do other rooms even if you have not noticed any fleas in them. This summer, before leaving for work I would set a bomb off in each of the bedrooms just to be safe, and would then close the doors to keep kitties out.
if you have not been to a vet, how do you know he has a tape worm? there are many different types of worms a cat can get, the vet needs to examine the cat and test a stool sample. my cats are indoor/outdoor and dewormed at almost every visit. the vet treats the most likely type of worm, which i believe is the one from rodents. if the test comes back with a different type of worm, i go back for a another worming with a different med. deworming is cheap, just bring the cat in for an exam, bring a stool sample, and discuss it with the vet.
pop to the vets without the cat and buy a drontel worming tablet this will do both worms roundworms and tapeworm if your cat wont take tablet they now do a spot on, problem solved in a jiffy. i would frontline her again just to make sure she is clear of fleas they can be buggers to get rid of. i would steer clear of the supermarket brands they not really very effective, and they tend to be more expencive, a pill from the vets will be about 4 pound uk, I tend to take mine to the vet nurse to get them wormed there the only charge is for the pill and they get a free check up as well i would check with the vet some do some dont.
This has happened to a lot of people. My dog once had a tapeworm. How do you know the cat has a tapeworm? Did you see wiggly rice grains around his butt, or did you get an actual diagnosis? Tapeworm medicine is inexpensive, as I recall.