<9/13/98 From Kristy T.  Re: Tapeworms>

~~does anyone know the "scientific" name for tapeworms?  ~~

Cestodes is the catagory of parasites that tapeworms fall into.  There are several different causative organisms responsible for tapeworm infection, as well as different means of transmission to animals / humans.

• Taenia mulitceps is carried by canids, sheep and other herbivores.
• Diphyllobothrium latum /  Dibothriocephalus latus  / Diphyllobothrium pacificum  : is transmitted by eating raw or partially cooked fish infected with the  specific tapeworm. It affects humans, dogs, fish eating animals, and freshwater fish.
• Dipylidium caninum  is the common dog tapeworm infection spread to dogs and cats from ingestion of fleas
• Echinococcus granulosus  is spread through the ingestion of tapeworm eggs from / to dogs, sheep, cattle, *rodents, and deer.
• Spirometra  is spread through the ingestion of infected cyclops or raw infected flesh from / to monkeys, cats, pigs, dogs, weasels, rats, chickens, snakes, frogs, and mice.

I have had good luck with using ground raw pumkin seeds in the diet for two to three days,  repeated every 6-7 weeks.

Finely chopped carrots with some salt is another method. Garlic does not kill worms, but is cleanses the intestinal tract.  Worms
thrive in a "dirty" intestinal tract.  Add a fresh finely chopped clove of garlic to the food, or put into a capsule for the pet.

A mineral rich environment is also a place where worms cannot thrive.

Natural Animal makes a product called Gentle Dragon that is said to be very effective in eliminating worms and parasites in dogs and cats.

I also use a product called Flea Terminator that is specifically for fleas, but also helps eliminate other problems caused by external biting insects.  It may also help prevent the need for heartworm meds by keeping the mosquitos at bay.  I personally feel it's helped my dogs with intestinal parasite problems, even though it doesn't make the claim to help them also.  (I get my Flea Terminator from Darleen Rudnick at Purely Pets www.purelypets.com )

I hope this helps.
Release.....
Kristy
Taylors Muddy Paw Dog Training (member APDT)

In a message dated 1/7/99 2:32:06 PM Pacific Standard Time, mhajek@writes:
<< Does anyone out there know of a natural remedy to treat internal worms such as tapeworm, hookworm, roundworm and cocidea?  Thanks.   >>

I have always used black walnut, in extract form.  Takes care of the problem very quickly.  Occasionally, I add several capsules to the general food for everyone, just to make sure.  There are several things which will get parasites, but I have always had good luck with the black walnut.

Elaine Crews, N.D.

<<And also, from what I know, wormwood should *not* be given to cats. Never, no how, no way, not. I'll also find the source for that info, but feel free to post references if anyone finds them before I do.>>

As has been pointed out in the past, it's a good idea to consult several sources/references.  Oddly enough, in Anitra Frazier's book, she has an herbal worming procedure that mentions using wormwood powder.  It's based  on the information in Juliette de Bairacli Levy's book "The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat".   Although I love that book and use some of
the information in there from time to time on my pets, Levy does have some precautionary advice in regards to wormwood (and potent herbs in general) towards the end of her book:  "My basic advice for home-made remedies is not to use the very potent herbs, even though I recommend them in my books: they are for the experienced.  Sustitute milder herbs instead.  Rue and wormwood are both very potent herbs - *leave them out* " (*my emphasis) She goes on to say you can substitue southernwood for wormwood.

Leah (anxiously awaiting publication of more herbal books for animals!)

For young animals, Pitcairn recommends cina 3x 3 times a day for at least 3 weeks (?) for roundworms. Add roughage to the
meal, and garlic. Oh, interesting. Pitcairn says that tapeworms cannot be passed from one animal to another even if the feces are eaten. They must be ingested from the host (fleas, rodents, etc). He suggests 1/4 tsp wheat germ oil, 1/4-1 tsp pumpkin seeds, ground, Vegetable enzymes, dried figs, or papaya enzymes, 1/4-1 tsp. These are all to be added to each meal, and he
says to continue this for a long time, eventually the worms will give up, and that tapeworms pose no serious threat to the animal's health if you're following this program (the worms are continually weakening this way, he says). Homeopathically, felix mas 3x, 3 times a day. He says at the end of treatment, for an adult cat you can give up to 1 tsp castor oil to flush out
the remaining weakened worms, for a small kitten 1/4 tsp.

Have a good day everyone!
Take care
Kathy and the miserable ones
kashmir@

I just received this message on my other list and am passing it along with permission:)

Since we have been discussing Advantage and flea control I feel it is pertinent.

"Just saw a news flash on TV that you might want to pass on to the list. There is an over-the-counter 'look-alike' product called Control One Spot that is killing cats in Florida by the hundreds. It's very similar to Advantage but contains pyrethrins which a cat's skin absorbs and it then poisons them.

The resulting symptoms can include extreme salivation, dizziness, difficulty breathing and, if not treated, death.

Please caution anyone considering any flea control for cats to PLEASE read the labels. If the product contains pyrethrins (considered a natural pest control as it comes from a variety of daisy) DO NOT use it on cats under any circumstances."

Cheers! Marnie:)

_____________

If this was already posted, sorry about that. Dr. Deb sent me the ingredient list of product in question.
Active Ingredient: Pyrethrin [(3-phenoxyphenyl) methyl (±)-cis, trans-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane
carboxylate]*...45%

INERT INGREDIENTS:....55%
*cis/trans ratio: Max 55% (±)cis and min 45% (±) trans.
Now [(3-phenoxyphenyl) methyl (±)-cis, trans-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylate]*

This is not Pyrethrin per se. I think it is man made chemical called Permethrin.

-- Yumi

<<Sadly though, they still have the tapeworms. Does anyone else know of another tapeworm remedy?  It would be much
appreciated.  Thanx!>>

On another list that I'm on, Mary Wulff-Tilford, whom I think is off list right now, had the following recommendations:  grated carrots (helps keep the buggers from clinging), raw garlic, digestive enzymes and Zymex II. Another person posted immediately following her post and said she had experienced success with Zymex II also, but added that she also recommended adding some flax oil as it helped the animal rid itself of the worms.

The Zymex II is made by Standard Process and breaks down the chitin (outer coating) of the worms and helps eliminate them.  I've posted Standard Process' web site in the past, but if you don't have it, I can do so again.  If this is like Renafood, Hepatrophin and Thyrotrophin, it will need to be purchased through a "practitioner of the healing arts", whether that be an
M.D., a chiropractor, a vet or a massage therapist. The method listed above would probably take about 3-4 weeks also.

Leah

Melissa,

First, change vets.  You don't need that kind of cr*p.

Now, according to Dr. Pitcairn, try adding about 2 teaspoons of wheat or oatbran to your cat's food each day.  See if you can get that much grated carrot or beet into him.  These act as roughage to move the worms out. His poop will be a weird color if you give beets.

Or, you can try 1/2 to 2 cloves of fresh, chopped garlic mixed into his food.  Worms don't like garlic, get mad, and leave.

Or, try diatomaceous earth, from the health food store.  Add 1/4 to 1 teaspoon, depending on his size, to each meal.  The DE will scratch the outer shell of the worm, breaking its hold on the intestinal wall, and be flushed out in the litter box.

These are from Dr. Pitcairn's book.  I suggest an alternative treatment, as your cats have had a lot of chemicals, and would be hesitant to use those drugs on my cats again, so close to the the last time.

Debbie

HRosdol@wrote:
<<You may remember that I have adopted a cat that my neighbors abandoned.  I  have named him Max, previously referred to as Cat.  >>

Max is a fine name.  I have a black cat who is a terror, but terribly cute and sweet named Max.

<<Anyone have any  suggestions on what to treat him with while he is being dewormed and what  kind of allopathic meds are least harmful to him in treating the worms?>>

Dr.Goldstein in his bookThe Nature of Animal Healing recommends conventional ingested de-wormers.  He feels they treat effectively and without undue toxicity.  The one herbal brand he mentions is Wormafuge, but he says the taste is vile (pg. 248 of the book).

<<The litter I am using is Swheat Scoop.>>

I used to use Swheat Scoop litter and my previous cat had no problems with it.  I also liked it because of it being made from a renewable resource.  However, my next cat, a stray I found, didn't like it, and was very, very reluctant to use it.  I switched to pestel scoop litter, and he liked that much better.  I was concerned about pestel because it does not identify its ingredients on the bags, but the petstore owner (and it is a healthy foods petstore) called the company and they said the only ingredient is clay.

Good luck with little Max.  He is a very lucky boy to have found you.

Mary Ann

<<The soapy water is viscous and the ticks can't crawl out, they drown first.   Applying that principle to spraying the yard doesn't seem to be logical.>>

That's what I would have thought also - that it might not be logical, until I began to think about how insecticidal soaps used for spraying garden pests work and consulted an organic gardening insect control book.  The salts of the fatty acids in the soaps act as selective insecticides - penetrating their cuticles, causing collapse, resulting in dehydration for the insects.  (The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control).  I've also heard of someone using an herbal shampoo that they use for pets in a hose end sprayer and spraying the yard with that. The only problem with these methods is that if you have animals that eat the grass (as I do), they're ingesting this also - that would concern me.

Leah

<<What is the dosage of this stuff to treat for tapes? This is for some adult cats, and also for 6 week old kittens. How much, how often?>>

Megan, I can't find a dosage schedule for this particular herb in this  particular case except where it is used with parsley water and wormwood, but wormwood is a definite no-no for kits (too potent an herb, best left to the experienced herbalist).
In the Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, CJ Puotinen  outlines Dr Hulda Clark's program for tapeworms, p 269 (partially paraphrased)

When black walnut hulls extract is used with parsley water, it is given at one drop per 10 lbs body weight twice weekly for cats.  Parsley water is made by cooking a large bunch  of parsley in a quart of water for three minutes and then straining.  Add one teaspoon of parsley water  per 10 lbs body weight daily to cats' food.  During the first week, just add the parsley water to your
cats' food.  During the second week, continue the parsley water and add the BWH tincture as instructed above.  In the third week, you are supposed to add the wormwood, but since you can't do that perhaps you can substitute a milder vermifuge herb -- I think Leah pointed out that Frazier mentions southernwood as an acceptable substitute for wormwood.  (1 00 cap daily per 10 lbs body weight).  In the fourth week,  to the  above regimen you add 1 clove capsule per 10 pounds body weight per day.

Continue these dosages indefinitely.

Knine Kountry sells BWH pills and here is what they say about them, and the dosage to use--Commonly ass'c with killing & expelling parasites.  Effective on external & internal parasites.  Daily dosage prevents flea and tick infestation...Prevents flies from biting...Contains natural flouride, helps build & maintain tooth enamel.  Capsules may be opened & powdered herb  added to food, has no taste.  Normal daily dosage:  0-40lb  1 capsule.

I would add a half capsule just to be on the safe side.

Hope this helps!

Bonnie W