How Long Can Parasites Live in Liter Box

Worms in Cats: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Caring for the health and well-being of your feline family unit member is ane of the nigh important parts of pet parenthood.

 Cat parents demand to stay upwards to date with vaccination schedules, learn to read a cat's cues and torso language, and make sure their cats stay clean and well-groomed. Additionally, pet parents demand to foreclose parasitic infections.

 Gastrointestinal parasites, or worms, in cats are a common trouble for our feline friends, and true cat parents should understand how these parasites infect cats, forth with prevention and treatment.

Table of Contents

• How do cats get worms?
• Tapeworms
• Hookworms
• Roundworms
• Can all cats become worms?
• Symptoms of worms in cats
• How to treat worms in cats
• How to foreclose worms in cats
• Related manufactures

How do cats get worms?

In social club to sympathise how cats go worms, information technology's important to know the types of worms that generally infect cats.

 The most common worms in cats, says Dr. Travis Arndt, director of the Animate being Medical Eye of Mid-America, are:

• Tapeworms
• Hookworms
• Roundworms

Tapeworms

Tapeworms have long, apartment bodies that comprise pocket-size, white-colored segments. Cats usually contract tapeworms from ingesting a flea, says Arndt. This can happen during a true cat'south regular grooming and cleaning routine or by eating a rodent with fleas.

 "The tapeworm hatches when the flea is in the cat's stomach," he adds. "If your cat has tapeworms, you may see tiny white worms near their bottom and on the cat'due south tail that resemble a grain of rice."

Hookworms

Hookworms adhere to the lining of a cat'southward intestinal tract. Hookworm eggs motion through a true cat's digestive tract and are excreted through cat carrion. These eggs then develop into larvae. "Considering the larvae live in the soil," says Arndt, "they tin be ingested during grooming or they can enter your cat through the bottom of their feet."

 Dr. Bruce Kornreich, associate director of the Cornell Feline Wellness Center, says that adult hookworms are less than a one-half-inch long and are slender and thread-similar, making them difficult to come across.

 "Lesions where the larvae have penetrated the skin may exist seen on the paws," he adds. Because of the risk of infection, information technology is typically recommended that you keep your true cat inside to avoid any unnecessary exposure.

Dr. Whitney Miller, Director of Veterinarian Medicine for Petco, adds that heavy hookworm infestations can exist life threatening due to secondary anemia, especially in kittens, so prevention and veterinary checks are essential.

Roundworms

Roundworms are common in cats, and Kornreich explains that kittens often become infected with roundworms through ingesting their mother's milk. Adult roundworms are iii to 5 inches long and are unremarkably visible in a cat'south feces. Cats tin also contract roundworms by ingesting roundworm eggs or eating rodents with larvae nowadays in their tissues.

Similar to hookworms, roundworms can not only pose a threat to your true cat, but to yous also. Since both types of worms are zoonotic, they can infect humans equally well as your pets.

Can all cats get worms?

Although all cats tin become infected with worms, there are sure subgroups that may be more susceptible, says Kornreich. These include very immature kittens who can contract worms through a mother's milk, outdoor cats who regularly come in contact with rodents, cats that live in crowded conditions and cats that life with dogs or other animals that can increase their gamble of exposure.

 Arndt likewise explains that cats can become infected if pet parents don't keep upwards with litter box maintenance and take precautions when calculation a new true cat to the domicile.

 "Often, cats will become infected with worms when the family unit adds a new kitten to the household," he says. "If the new kitten has roundworms or hookworms, parasites are transmitted through the shared utilise of the litter box."

Because of the range of exposure risks to both pets and people, Miller strongly recommends that all cats be on year round prevention, for both your cat's health and considering of risks to human health.

Symptoms of worms in cats

All of these worms affect the digestive and intestinal tract in cats. Some are visible in a true cat's feces or around a true cat'due south tail, and cat parents should be on the lookout man for visible signs of worms.

 Other symptoms of worms in cats include:

• Bloated tummy
• Weight loss
• Coarse fur
• Diarrhea
• Airsickness
• Lethargy
• Dragging their bottoms on the ground

If you discover any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian and make an appointment to have your cat examined.

How to treat worms in cats

Worms in cats are oftentimes treated with prescription medication that is available through your veterinarian and administered co-ordinate to the type of worms diagnosed. Nevertheless, there are besides several over the counter medications and dewormers available which are often recommended by veterinarians.

 "Dewormers are normally a liquid oral medication, though your veterinary may recommend a small pill, injection or topical medicine applied directly on your cat'due south skin," says Arndt.

 Always follow your veterinarian'due south instructions when administering medication to your true cat.

How to prevent worms in cats

If your cat already has contracted worms, veterinarian diagnosis and a treatment plan are the only way to deworm your cat. But if you desire to preclude your cat from getting worms, at that place are some guidelines to follow.

 Kornreich says that pet parents should practice expert sanitation including cleaning litter boxes on a daily basis and disinfecting them weekly, avoiding overcrowding of cats and litter boxes, and asking your veterinarian to perform regular stool analysis as role of your cat's routine wellness exams.

 Additionally, in that location are prescription and over the counter preventive worm medications that go along cats protected. "Twelvemonth-round preventative is the best way to protect your cat from worms," says Arndt. "Fifty-fifty cats that stay inside are at risk of getting worms. Cat parents should talk with their veterinarian each visit about the best products to go along cats protected."

Related Articles

• How to Become Rid of Fleas on Cats
• Common Parasites in Dogs
• Rabbit Parasites

Worms in Cats: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

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Source: https://www.petco.com/content/petco/PetcoStore/en_US/pet-services/resource-center/health-wellness/Worms-in-Cats-Causes-Symptoms-Treatment.html

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