Worms in cats

Causes of worms in cats and cats

The main reason for the appearance of worms in whiskered pets is the ingestion of parasite eggs into the body of cats. This can happen in such ways:

• eating fish and meat products without pre-heat treatment;
• communication with other representatives of the feline (as well as canine) family – carriers of worms;
• by means of insects – fleas, flies, mosquitoes;
• through rodents (helminth eggs may be on their skins);
• quenching thirst from a dirty pond;
• through the owner's shoes;
• "picking up" eggs from grass, earth and other surfaces.

Note: kittens can get infected with helminths from their mother through milk or even in utero, so it is important to carry out deworming in cats in a timely manner before pregnancy.

What are worms dangerous for cats

Developing in the cat's body, worms cause great harm to the animal's body. Firstly, they injure the mucous membrane of the digestive tract mechanically – they gnaw and pierce the intestinal walls with their thorns and teeth. Penetrating into organs, they disrupt the structure of tissues and cells, limiting their functional activity. Sometimes worms multiply to such an amount that they block the lumen of the small intestine, causing its obstruction.

Damaged tissues of organs inhabited by parasites gradually decompose. The released toxic compounds are carried by the blood current, leading to poisoning of the entire animal body. In addition, the worms themselves secrete toxins during vital activity and during decomposition after death within the body.

In the presence of worms, the cat's immune system suffers greatly. A weakened pet is unable to fight other infections, which causes the development of various bacterial, viral and fungal diseases.

In the case of abundant reproduction of worms, the animal's psyche also undergoes significant changes. Constant itching, pain and other sensations lead to the fact that the cat becomes nervous and irritable, her sleep is disturbed and her appetite disappears.

Symptoms of worms in cats

By what signs can one suspect the presence of worms in cats? First of all, the owner should pay attention to the following symptoms:

• change in eating behavior – the cat begins to eat more than usual, without gaining weight, or, on the contrary, refuses even his favorite food;
• disorders of the digestive tract – obstructed defecation alternates with diarrhea, there are pieces of undigested food in the feces, which indicates a malfunction in the enzyme system;
• anemia, weakness;
• the animal often licks the area of the anus due to itching;
• the hairline fades, the wool falls out, becomes tousled;
• mucous membranes turn yellow due to damage to the liver and gallbladder;
• the belly noticeably increases in volume;
• sometimes there is a cough (a sign of worms entering the respiratory tract);
• blood and mucus may be present in the feces.

Attention: the owner should remember that similar symptoms may occur in other diseases. If you give a cat an anthelmintic without laboratory confirmation of helminthiasis, this can lead to a deterioration of its condition.

Types of worms in cats and their symptoms

Many types of worms can parasitize in the body of cats. What the most common feline helminths look like, their symptoms and ways of infection are shown in the table below.

Diagnosis of worm infestations

It is not difficult to guess that a domestic cat has worms if they (or their particles) came out with feces or vomit. Otherwise, if the above symptoms appear, as well as periodically as a preventive measure, you should contact a veterinary clinic for diagnosis. It is better if the owner brings the animal directly to the veterinarian, because feces alone in most cases is not enough to detect parasites. This may be due to both the localization of helminths and their insufficient sexual maturity, when worms are not yet able to lay eggs.

Blood will be taken from the pet for laboratory testing, if necessary, sputum analysis will be prescribed. In some cases, the doctor may refer the cat for an X-ray examination of the lungs or ultrasound examination of the liver and heart. In the process of detecting helminthiasis, they are differentiated from diseases of internal organs, poisoning, colds.

Treatment of worms in cats

Treatment of worms in representatives of the feline family is carried out comprehensively and consists in solving several tasks:

• destroy parasites;
• ensure their rapid removal from the animal;
• to detoxify the body;
• restore immunity and functional activity of damaged organs.

For this purpose, anthelmintic drugs are used, which can be intended for both internal and external use. The products are produced in various forms: tablets from worms, suspension, injections, drops.

Anthelmintic agents for cats for oral administration

Medicines for worms in cats, intended for internal use, have different effects on parasites. Some destroy the integumentary tissues and egg shells, others negatively affect the nervous structures, leading to the paralysis of the helminth, and others disrupt metabolism. In addition, some drugs act only against adults, while others destroy larvae and eggs.

In accordance with the components that make up the medicines for worms, they are divided into drugs of a wide spectrum and aimed at the extermination of only one type of helminths. The latter can be used only after a well-established diagnosis.

Among the most common complex preparations for worms in cats are:

• Milbemax;
• Prazintel;
• Drontal;
• Prazicide;
• Fenasal.

During the disposal of the pet from worms, you need to carefully monitor its condition. Mass death of parasites can lead to severe intoxication of the cat, especially with their significant number. An animal weakened by helminths may experience vomiting and diarrhea. You can help your pet with absorbent means: it is necessary to give activated charcoal, enterosgel or others.

Remedies for worms for external use

External preparations for helminths in cats are presented in the form of drops that are applied to the withers. These are: Leopard, Profender, Droncid and others. Such means have both pros and cons. The first can be attributed to the convenience of use, the main thing is that the animal could not lick the place of application of drops. In addition, such a medicine destroys not only internal, but also external parasites – fleas and ticks, and also serves as a prevention of their appearance.

Among the disadvantages, the insufficiently strong effect of the drug is noted, especially with a significant number of helminths. Drops are absolutely useless to use for helminthiasis caused by trematodes, the greatest effect is achieved if the cat's disease is provoked by nematodes.

Injections from worms

In difficult cases, the veterinarian will prescribe injections from worms to the cat – Ivomek or Ivermek. The procedures will need to be carried out in a clinic, since self-preparation of the solution can lead to errors in dosage and death of the animal.

Attention: the injectable form of the drug is not a preventive measure.

Prevention of helminthiasis

To prevent the appearance of worms in cats, it is enough to adhere to the following preventive rules.

• Exclude pet contact with unfamiliar or infected animals.
• On arrival from the street, put shoes in a separate closed place, not letting the cat sniff it. Wipe the hallway floor several times a day using disinfectants.
• Regardless of whether the cat goes outside or not, treat it with external remedies for fleas and other parasites.
• Exclude raw fish from the diet of a mustachioed friend.
• Wash the tray and food bowl thoroughly and regularly.

Which cat worms can be transmitted to humans

Although cats can be the owners of many types of helminths, not all of them are able to settle in the human body. The threat to the health of the host is carried, for example, by flukes: hepatic, pulmonary and other species. These worms "settle down" in the internal organs of a person (liver, lungs), leading to a violation of their functions, tissue decay, hemorrhages, up to a fatal outcome.

Tapeworms, such as alveococcus, cucumber tapeworm and others, can also lead to the death of the host. Anemia, allergies, blindness, death – the consequences of human infection from a cat with roundworms, nematodes.

Prevention of infection of children in families with cats is especially important. It is necessary to explain to the child why it is impossible to kiss an animal, that after contact with it you need to wash your hands with soap, that stray kittens should not be stroked on the street, and so on.

How to give a cat a cure for worms

Many owners face the problem of how to give a pill to a cat. Pets strongly resist the attempts of their owners to open their mouths and push an incomprehensible bitter thing into it. To prevent physical and moral injuries on both sides, you can use a number of proven techniques:

• crush the tablet into powder and fall asleep in the mouth;
• dissolve the tablet in a small volume of water, type it into a syringe and pour it into the cat's mouth;
• apply tablet reader.

See also: How to give a cat a pill to a cat .

How to properly rid a cat of worms

In order to treat a pet from helminths with the greatest efficiency, first, you should carefully study the instructions for the drug. It is important to strictly follow the dosage recommended by a veterinarian or an annotation (in the case of self-therapy). Before starting treatment of helminthic invasion, the animal needs to be treated from external parasites.

Some cats manage to hold the pill in their mouth and then spit it out, so the owner must not only put the medicine in the pet's mouth, but also make sure that it is swallowed.

In most cases, the medicine for worms is given to the cat twice with an interval of two weeks. This is due to the life cycle of parasites. With an advanced disease, the doctor may prescribe longer therapy.

After deworming, it is necessary to make sure that the events were successful. This will require repeated, control delivery of tests.

When it is impossible to carry out deworming

There are several situations when it is necessary to wait for the treatment of cats from worms:

• serious condition of the pet;
• exacerbation of infectious diseases;
• pregnancy of a cat;
• lactation period;
• newborn kittens (usually age restrictions are indicated in the annotation to the drug).

Difficulties may arise with the deworming of an aging cat. At this age, the animal should be treated for worms only in consultation with a specialist.

Is it possible to use folk remedies for worms in cats

Some owners – opponents of synthetic medicines – prefer to treat their pets from worms with folk remedies. For treatment, broths of wormwood, tansy, carrot juice in the form of enemas are usually used. Nevertheless, such measures are not very effective compared to pharmacological agents, and are quite acceptable as a preventive measure, as well as at the beginning of the disease, when there are not too many parasite individuals.

When to start fighting worms

Fighting worms in cats should begin when the kittens are 3 weeks old. In the future, it is recommended to give anthelmintic drugs at least once every six months (preferably once a quarter). Be sure to carry out deworming if pregnancy or vaccinations are planned.