Okay, number one:

Over-the-counter deworming medications are useless and can be dangerous to use, so NEVER use any OTC dewomers, flea medications, etc. Never, ever. Your vet needs to determine what type of worm your cat has and prescribe an appropriate dewormer.

PLEASE do NOT use the OTC dewormer your husband bought at Petco.
Take it back, make an appointment for an exam for Lucky and take a stool sample to the vet to be checked for worms and parasites.

More detailed info from an earlier thread:

Reasons for not using OTC dewormers:

A cat that has one kind of worm or parasite can easily have more than one kind.
Each of these worms/parasites require treatment with a different type of medication.

Droncit as well as other dewormers must be prescribed according to weight and general health status. So the only safe thing is to have the cat examined before a dewormer is prescribed. (Normally vets will not prescribe a dewormer without an exam.)

If worm infestation is severe, a cat can become severely ill without proper treatment from the vet.

OTC dewormers can be worthless and ineffective at best and some are potentially dangerous for cats.

Excellent example (and warning) from timskitties:
Quote:
I remember an "Animal Cops" episode where a woman used a dog flea product on a cat and the cat almost died.

You say money is tight, but even so, don't endanger your cat's health and even life by using OTC dewormers.

Here are some suggestions from the Humane Society of the United States
(since treating worms is not one of those situations that involves having to spend a large amount of money, some of the suggestions naturally don't apply):

"Ask your veterinarian if he or she will let you work out a payment plan. Many veterinarians are willing to work out a weekly or monthly payment plan so that you do not have to pay the entire cost of veterinary care up front.

Contact your local shelter. Some shelters operate or know of local subsidized veterinary clinics or veterinary assistance programs. You can find the name and number of your local shelter in the Yellow Pages of your phone book under "animal shelter," "animal control," or "humane society," or by calling Information. You can also go to www.Pets911.com and enter your zip code to find a list of animal shelters, animal control agencies, and other animal care organizations in your community.

If you have a specific breed of dog, contact the National Club for that breed. In some cases, these clubs offer a veterinary financial assistance fund.

Ask your veterinarian to submit an assistance request to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) "Helping Pets Fund." In order to qualify, your animal hospital must be AAHA accredited. To learn more about the program visit the AAHA web site. To find a AAHA accredited hospital in your area, search online at www.Pets911.com.

Use your credit card. Ask for a higher credit limit or a cash advance.

Call your bank. Ask about loan programs, second mortgages, or other options. Consider borrowing from your life insurance policy, vacation savings, kids' education fund, or retirement program.

Ask your employer for a salary advance.

Alert family and friends and ask them each for a $25 loan.

Pawn your stuff. TVs and VCRs can be replaced. Your pet can't.

Consider taking on a part-time job or temping.

Contact the regional office of The HSUS that covers your state. Our regional office staff is often familiar with organizations and personnel within their territory and may be able to direct you to programs in your area.

Remember that a little preventive care can go a long way. Having your pet spayed or neutered, keeping her shots up to date, and keeping your pet safely confined can prevent serious and costly health problems. If you have trouble affording the cost to spay or neuter your pet, contact your local animal shelter. They may operate a clinic or know of a local clinic that offers subsidized services."

Also check out
http://www.carecredit.com/

 

Are OTC dewormers really that bad? And if so, why are they even on the market? I do plan on taking the dewormer back to Petco. I just don't feel comfortable giving Lucky something that safe for both cats and dogs. I mean, how do the makers of this stuff know that it's safe for both? Last time I checked, cats and dogs are two different species.

You say money is tight, but even so, don't endanger your cat's health and even life by using OTC dewormers.

Money is very tight. The vaccination clinic that is going to be at Petco on October 29 is charging $22/kitten and Star and Lucky will need to go four times to be up-to-date. $22 is the cheapest I've seen anywhere and we can't afford it. My husband has so many bills that are due right now that there is no free money. Things are so bad that we're using a credit card to buy groceries. Borrowing money from family isn't an option, either. My side of the family was against us keeping Midnight because "pets are expensive". And his side of the family are not animal lovers. If we borrow money from them, it would have to be because one of our kids needs something, not a cat.

I don't know what to do. I don't want Lucky to suffer.

 

Do you have a regular vet?

 

PS. OTC dewormers are really that bad. I sent you a PM with some info.

 

Just another yes, OTC dewormers are that bad. I don't know why they are still on the market. It really angers me! I used to work at a vet and we saw many cats and kittens come in with severe reactions from OTC flea products and dewormers. Some were never right again and some actually died. I hope you can work out some sort of financial arrangement as your kitties really do need a trip to the vet. Good luck.

 

Update! Lucky has worms.

After much discussion, and my husband witnessing something coming from Lucky's bottom, my husband agreed to taking the cats to the vaccine clinic. The PetCo near us isn't having the clinic until next week, but we need to have the cats being treated now, so we found another PetCo near us that's having the clinic today.

We now know that Lucky has tapeworm. My husband did a Google search for worms in cats and after comparing the thing that came from Lucky to the pictures he was seeing online, he determined it was tapeworm. We will be using the credit card for the treatments.

 

For future reference, De-worming usually costs very little from a vet and should be done every 3 months with cats that go outside. Most treatments cover all forms of worm.

Dylan is wormed yearly generally as he is an indoor cat, we've never needed to do it anymore, but last time the vet gave us a really good worming treatment (looked and tasted like a treat - Dylan wanted more!) and it was very inexpensive... think it cost all of £2 (a few dollars)

Hope that Lucky gets well again soon

Edit: typo

 

cheaper vaccinations

Okay hopefully i don't receive hate mail for this :wink: but i do my own vaccinations. Our local Tractor Supply store ( USA ) sells the shots. The feline 3 way shots are less than 4 $ a piece and my pups shots are less than 5$. It is not hard to do ( u give the shot in the skin at the back of the neck) and my vet said that as long as the shots do NOT GET WARM they are great vaccinations. (the same at 1800petmeds but cheaper) I am serious about the temperature staying cool. The shot will be unaffective if it gets over 45 degrees. ( Keep the AC on in the car on the way home - we do it in the winter)