Treating Tapeworms

We have two 10-month-old kittens. They were both treated for tapeworms and while one has gained some weight, the other is still extremely skinny. I've been told that it might be a dominance issue between the two girls. Any other suggestions as to what it might be or how to fatten up my kitten?

First of all, did you know that fleas transmit tapeworms? If your kittens have any fleas on their bodies or if they ever ingest a flea, the tapeworms will probably come back. When treating cats or dogs for tapeworms, it's important to eliminate any fleas on the pet or in their environment, otherwise you will never rid your pet of the worms.

There are various products on the market for treating tapeworms. Whether given by mouth or by injection, the products usually contain the active ingredient praziquantel and are available through your veterinarian. I find the injection to be more effective. Sometimes, if the infestation seems severe, I repeat the treatment in 2 to 3 weeks, although the manufacturers of the drug claim one treatment is sufficient. I have seen no side effects from the drug, although in the shot form, it stings at the injection site.

Unfortunately, there are no reliable tests to verify if your pet still has the worms, but they are usually very visible to the owner. They appear as a grain of rice attached to the feces or around the rectum and move like an inchworm--I like to refer to their movement as the cha-cha. Sometimes, they dry out and resemble a sesame seed, which you may find on your bedding or furniture. Usually they cause an itch, and you will see your dog or cat rubbing his butt along the carpet in an effort to get some relief. Relax, it is not contagious to humans in this form. In fact it is not contagious between animals in this form. It really relies on the flea as the transporter between individuals.

There are many other intestinal parasites that plague kittens--commonly seen are roundworms, hookworms, and coccidia--and it is always a good idea to have their stool analyzed. These parasites are all treatable by a variety of oral medications. Some are contagious to humans, so it is a good idea to keep young children away from a cat's litter. (Hence the advent of the covered sandbox for kids--you wouldn't want your neighbor's cat thinking it was a great big litter box, if you get the picture.)

As far as the dominance issue goes, it may be possible that the more dominant of the two is hogging all of the food, sort of a survival of the fittest in your own home. If you think that this is the case, perhaps you can separate the two at feeding time and give them each their own bowls of food for a 30-minute span twice a day. You may also want to try out different foods on the little one as she may have a preference for dry over canned, ground over flaked, or fish over meat and so on. Cats can be very fussy, even at a very young age. You might want to try a food supplement, which is a high-calorie source in a paste form. Nutrical is one kind that is available at pet shops and through veterinarians. It's a good way to boost a thin cat's weight. Unfortunately, there are some very severe illnesses that could be at play here, such as the feline viral diseases--like leukemia, AIDS, and infectious peritonitis--so a thorough veterinary exam would be a good idea if you can't get the little one to gain weight.

Dr. Peter Kross, DVM, has had his own veterinary practice, the Rivergate Veterinary Clinic in New York City, since 1989. He lives in Manhattan with his three white boxers, Buchanan, Wilhelmina and Laila.