Cat Guy wrote:
Rhonda wrote:


If the worm was longish and thin, it sounds like a roundworm.


The worm looked like this:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images14...rmImg_1395.jpg

but I didn't think it was as white in color as in that picture. It
was mostly flat, and segmented, and tapered at one end.

Roundworms (if I'm not mistaken) are round (not flat) and smooth.

The roundworms our kittens had were sort of a brownish, and long and
skinny. I really didn't get close enough to look for segments! Looking
at your picture though, it didn't look bumpy like that.

I've read on websites, a roundworm infestation can get so bad
that the worms are also in the stomach.


Well, I think this was a tapeworm. Do roundworms shed
rice-grain-sized segments out the annus? Remember, I did see 4 or 5
such dried segments in his bedding.

Here's something I just found on a website:

--------
What are the clinical signs?

Tapeworms are not particularly harmful to the cat and few clinical signs
are attributed to their presence. Usually, the cat is presented because
of the guardian’s reaction to the presence of the crawling proglottids.
Rarely, tapeworms may cause debilitation or weight loss if they are
present in large numbers. Also, a cat will occasionally scoot or drag
his anus across the ground or carpet due to the anal irritation caused
by the proglottids. This behavior is much more common in dogs than cats.

Occasionally, a tapeworm will release its attachment in the intestines
and migrate to the stomach. When this happens, the cat may vomit an
adult tapeworm several inches in length.

Full site: http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/tapeworms.html
-------


If it is a tapeworm, and it does sound more like that, there's a
reminder in the site to treat the environment for fleas since that's how
the whole cycle starts.

I really hope you'll talk this all over with a vet and get a
professional opinion. I'm concerned since your cat was in discomfort.

Rhonda