Do vets check and treat kittens for worms during standard exams?

Many times you will not see intestinal parasites until the animals are critically sick. It's recommended to deworm young puppies and kittens every two weeks for at least three cycles, due to the lifecycle of the parasites. I would recommend getting a product labeled for kittens such as pyrantel pamoate. Make sure you weigh them and get accurate weights to dose the medication. As soon as you are able I do still recommend a veterinary exam as they will need vaccines, feline leukemia testing and there are other parasites that the pyrantel may not address. Look in your area as there are often low cost vaccination clinics available through pet stores or feed stores if a full service clinic is not possible. Also check with your local veterinarian as many times they may offer a rate for a litter of kittens versus charging each animal individually. Best of luck and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like Boots may have intestinal parasites. There are many different kinds, but we usually lump them into 3 groups: round/hook/whip worms look like spaghetti, tapeworms look like flat noodles or small grains of rice, and coccidia or giardia are other types that are not visibly seen. You can try an OTC dewormer that treats the specific type of worm you are seeing and make sure it is repeated in a few weeks as directed on the label, but I recommend that Boots go to a vet. She is way overdue for kitten vaccines and a rabies shot (which is required in all cats and dogs by law - even if they will never ever step foot outside). There are many nasty cat viruses that can cause illness and even death. Your vet can also test a fecal sample to determine the most appropriate treatment timeline for her individual parasite(s).

Great question! When kittens have worms, it typically takes two deworming treatments given two weeks apart to kill all the worms. The first kills the adults already present, which the second kills the adults who had not yet hatched from the eggs at the time of the first deworming treatment. I would give you kittens another deworming treatment now, a second two weeks after the first, and then they should be dewormed every three months regularly. If deworming them again doesn't help with the scooting behavior, then I would take them back into the vet. Good luck, I hope this helps :-)

I would recommend rechecking a stool sample. Parasites are not consistent shedders so he may also had a different intestinal parasites that the dewormer didn't cover and may need something else. I would recommend another visit to your veterinarian to have them perform a stool sample. I would also recommend a prescription bland diet. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

They may or may not be related to the deworming today, but either way they definitely roundworms! Call your vet to let them know what you saw. Chances are that the dewormer they used today will be enough to treat them. Make sure to repeat the deworming in 3-4 weeks to make sure the infection is completely taken care of!

While there are different types of deworming medications available over the counter you would need to know what type of intestinal parasites your kitten has to choose the appropriate one, and that would most likely require a fecal analysis with your veterinarian. If your kitten is eating and drinking normally and seems active I would wait until your appointment. Your kitten has probably had the worms since birth! Most intestinal parasites are transmitted through stool so you should isolate the new kitten from the adult cat and give them separate litter pans.

I am concerned as well. While a kitten can have some lethargy after receiving vaccines and deworming treatments, it's not normal for that to last more than a day or two. If she is eating and drinking normally, then you can wait until the morning to have her seen by a vet by a health check. Should she not be eating or drinking normally, then I would have her seen by an ER vet tonight.