[Tigeress_R2]

Me and my fiance are taking care of a stray kitten until we find it a good home. But in the meantime I want to be sure that he is healthy, especially since I have 4 other cats. This new kitten (now named "Ninja" thanks to my fiance :lol: ) is about 10 weeks old and seems healthy but I am concerned about the possibility of him having worms. I checked his stools and I haven't seen any signs of worms but I still went out to the store and bought him some worm medicine. They are capsules (from Hartz) that you open and pour into their food, you do this for 2 days only once a month. It said that it is safe for kittens but is it safe to give a kitten this medicine if you aren't sure if he has worms? I am only planning to keep him for three weeks at the most so I am unsure what to do. Any advice on whether or not I should give him the wormer medicine?

 

[wookie130]

Hi, I don't mean to scare you, but the safety of Hartz products is seriously questionable. There has been a rather staggering number of incidences of Hartz products poisoning and even killing animals...this stuff is not safe.

If you'd like more information, please visit: http://www.hartzvictims.org/

I will search for another over-the-counter product you may try, and post a link or name of it here for you.

If you want to check and see if he has worms, the best thing to do is to check his stools...worms are usually quite visible in the feces...until then, I would hold off de-worming him. What I would do, is take him to the vet, and have him tested for FIV/FeLV, have his teeth checked, his ears checked for mites, and his skin checked for any parasites or fleas...if you are concerned about worms, the vet may be able to tell you how to obtain a stool sample that can be examined. Please make sure that the kitten is kept away in a separate room from the rest of your cats until his vet appointment. I would also make sure that the little guy gets his first round of kitten shots. All of this sounds rather expensive, especially since you don't plan to keep him, but it really will be worth it in the long-run...and quite honestly, it shouldn't come to much. I believe I paid about $65.00 for all of the above services at my vet office when I first took Fergus in as a kitten. If you do plan to give him away or adopt him out, his new family will know that he has received adequate medical care, and has been thoroughly examined for health issues.

Let us know what you plan to do! Good for you for taking this kitten in and caring for him!

 

[wookie130]

Here is a link to some different worming products that may interest you...however, I still think you should consult a vet on this, and obtain stool samples for examination.

http://www.psol.com.au/aus/Worming.html

 

[wookie130]

Here's an excellent little article on a kitten's first vet-visit, and what to expect.

http://www.petplace.com/Articles/artShow.asp?artID=5034

 

[Tigeress_R2]

Thanks a lot. I hadn't heard about Hartz being questionable. I rarely use over the counter stuff on my cats, I decided not to use the wormer medicine on him. I did look at his stools and I didn't see anything strange. He is a very sweet little guy. I wish I could keep him. But I know that he'll make a family happy soon. Thanks for the advice and all the links.

 

[drjean]

Most over-the-counter dewormers are made with piperazine, which isn't very effective. Strongly recommend you get the correct meds from your vet.

BTW, you would not "see" worms in the stool; they are microscopic. A stool sample to the vet to determine which worms need eliminating is best.

Cheers,
Dr. Jean