Worms in cats: how to remove parasites

Both indoor and outdoor cats can get worms, which is a problem that many cat owners deal with on a regular basis. These parasites can harm your pet in a number of ways, from minor discomfort to life-threatening disease. Maintaining the health of your pet depends on your ability to identify the symptoms of worms in cats and how to treat them.

Cats can contract worms in a number of ways, including by eating contaminated prey, coming into contact with contaminated soil, or even by flea infestation. Roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms are some of the most prevalent worm species in cats, and they all present with distinct symptoms.

Worm infestations can cause weight loss, digestive problems, and other health problems if they are not treated. Thankfully, there are efficient treatments available, and you can guarantee your cat’s full recovery by taking prompt action. This article will walk you through the process of safely removing these parasites and assist you in recognizing the symptoms of worm infestations.

Problem	Solution
Signs of worms in cats	Look for symptoms like weight loss, vomiting, or diarrhea
How cats get worms	Ingesting infected prey, fleas, or from the environment
Types of worms	Common ones include roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms
Prevention	Regular deworming, keeping the environment clean, flea control
Treatment options	Veterinary-prescribed medications like tablets or spot-on treatments

Worms in cats

Given that the domestic cat never leaves the house, its owners may be taken aback if a veterinarian discovers that the animal has worms throughout its body. However, this frequently occurs because the parasites can be carried home by the owner through his shoes.

The following are the main categories of cat helminths:

• round;
• tape;
• flat.

Roundworms

Roundworms are known scientifically as parasitic nematodes. This is the kind of worm that cats are most likely to have.

Although nematodes are typically tiny, they are incredibly tenacious and nimble. Most frequently found in the small intestine, they can also impact the esophagus and liver. Diseases like toxascariasis and ancylostomiasis develop as a result of them. Given the equal danger these diseases pose to humans and animals, it is important to give them more careful thought.

Hookworm

The nematode known as hookworm has a reddish-white color. Its mouth is a capsule that houses three pairs of symmetrically positioned, inwardly curving teeth. The side teeth are bigger than the other teeth.

Because of its hook-shaped teeth, hookworm is one of the parasites that is firmly established in the intestinal lumen.

Female hookworms can grow to 21 mm in length, while male hookworms can reach up to 12 mm. The eggs that female cats release on a daily basis are expelled from their bodies along with their waste. Almost no one can see them with the unaided eye. The eggs hatch into larvae that emerge into the outside world and spend a very long time in the soil. When the cat licks its paws, it picks them up. The larvae then enter the intestines and start to grow quickly and feed heavily. Within two to three weeks, they develop into a sexually mature person.

In essence, hookworms parasitize on the small intestine’s mucous membrane with little to no negative effects on the body. When they go to blood feeding, it gets worse. Here, the worms introduce an anticoagulant—a material that stops blood clotting—into the microscopic wounds. Since the wounds take a long time to heal, the pet starts to lose blood. While chronic anemia can cause delays in a kitten’s development and interfere with other organs’ ability to function, adult animals are not very affected by it.

However, hookworm poses a threat to animals not only because it can cause anemia but also because the worms discharge toxins into the body. The animal becomes increasingly ill from repeated poisoning, and if the owner ignores potentially dangerous symptoms, there may be irreversible effects.

Toxocariasis

A condition that primarily affects pets. caused by Toxocara cati, also known as cat toxocara, parasites. These roundworms are almost exclusively found in cats; they hardly ever survive in dogs, though they can still harm humans. Male toxocara are no longer than 4-5 cm, while females can grow up to 10 cm in length.

Human infection with Toxocara is dangerous.

Toxocara infections can affect almost any cat in the world because the worms’ eggs are easily carried by dust and dirt and land on the fur of the host. They enter the body when the cat licks itself.

The cat is still at risk even if it does not go outside because its owners may bring Toxocara eggs inside the house on their shoes or clothing. Furthermore, they can get into the body through food, including raw meat, fish, and improperly cleaned veggies.

The primary risk is that these parasites can enter the animal’s body and cause severe illnesses of the heart, kidneys, intestines, and lungs, which can be fatal if treatment is not given to your pet in a timely manner. While this may occur if the pet has had a long-term roundworm infection, keep in mind that the parasites multiply rapidly within the animal’s body, seriously impairing its health.

Toxocara infections do not have any objectively noticeable symptoms; instead, their existence can only be determined through specialized analysis.

Tapeworms

Belong to a broad category of flatworms, or cestodes. Since they cannot survive outside of their host’s body, they have been parasites since the beginning of time. These are the biggest parasitic species; at times, they can grow up to 10 meters in length.

Numerous species are hermaphrodites, with some even capable of producing hundreds of thousands of eggs in a single day.

Fascinating fact: small cestodes are typically of different sexes, whereas larger ones are more likely to be hermaphrodites.

The following is the tapeworm life cycle:

• an adult worm, parasitizing in the small intestine of cats, discards a segment of its body (segment) with eggs, which comes out with feces;
• the eggs that get into the external environment are eaten by an intermediate host (for example, a flea or lice);
• the cat swallows the intermediate host, and the larva develops into an adult worm in its body.

There are two phases in a tapeworm’s life cycle: the intermediate and main

Beef tapeworm

Also known as the pork tapeworm. The intestines are the primary host for this type of tapeworm.

Long-term intestinal parasitization by beef tapeworms is possible.

The life cycle of the beef tapeworm occurs inside the bodies of multiple owners; it is unable to exist outside of the owner. Humans, cats, and other household animals serve as the primary hosts.

There are two larval stages of the beef tapeworm:

• The first occurs in the segments of the helminths, where a spherical larva with a shell and six hooks is formed from the eggs. It is most often localized in muscle tissue.
• The second larval stage occurs in the body of the intermediate host. It looks like a small bubble filled with liquid, which can grow to the size of a pea. At this stage, the head of the parasite is formed, but full development can only occur in the body of the main host.

Cucumber tapeworm

Causes dipylidiosis, a disease that is rife with allergies, digestive issues, and other problems. d.). It is a common infection in cats. Since cucumber tapeworms primarily infect the small intestine, prompt and mandatory treatment is necessary. Although complications from dipylidiasis are rare, it is not a serious or dangerous disease for small kittens or nursing cats.

Although the cucumber tapeworm cannot directly endanger a cat’s life, it can infect humans.

Since insects are the primary hosts of these parasites, the majority of strays are vulnerable to infection. However, a domestic cat is still susceptible to infection.

The cucumber tapeworm appears to be a gray-white or pinkish worm from the outside. Its length ranges from 40 to 70 centimeters. The name comes from the fact that the body segments of an adult parasite resemble cucumber seeds. These helminths can readily adhere to and remain on the intestinal walls because they have four suckers and a proboscis with four rows of spike-like hooks.

Insects, such as fleas, serve as intermediary hosts; domestic animals, particularly cats but also dogs, are the primary host. Humans can occasionally contract the infection as well.

If a cat swallows an infected flea, they contract the infection.

Broad tapeworm

The broad tapeworm, like other tapeworms, parasitizes the small intestine of its primary hosts, which can include humans, dogs, cats, and other domestic animals in addition to numerous wild animals. Although an adult worm can grow up to ten meters in length, it seldom grows longer than 1.5 meters inside the body of a cat.

Since two tapeworms cannot possibly survive in the same body due to their enormous sizes, all tapeworms are hermaphrodites.

The tapeworm parasitizes the body covertly despite their massive size. However, severe anemia is always seen when infection occurs, and this leads to oxygen starvation, weakness, delayed development, and increased susceptibility to infections in the future.

Severe anemia is caused by broad tapeworm parasitization in the small intestine.

Fish and crustaceans are intermediate hosts for tapeworms, and cats contract the infection by consuming tainted food.

Echinococci

Cats can occasionally contract echinococci or other tapeworm infections. They can cause a pet’s death, but they are dangerous because they cannot be identified with the unaided eye. Preventive deworming should ideally be done once every one to two months. Also, remember to practice good hygiene.

Despite its tiny size, echinococcus is fatal to pets.

Flat flukes

A unique class of worms known as trematodes. primarily parasitizes the bile ducts; the pancreas is less frequently affected. Because of their strong suckers, which they use to cling tenaciously to the area of the body where they live, they were given the name flukes.

These worms, which resemble white threads, adhere to the intestinal walls and inflict poisonous and mechanical harm. Although they are far less frequent than other helminth species, they can cause fatal organ damage and tissue destruction. They parasitize the bladder, lungs, liver, and intestines in addition to those organs.

Flukes primarily come in two varieties:

Pulmonary. It reaches 0.3–1 cm in length, parasitizes in the animal’s lungs, forms cysts, and destroys lung cells. This disease is called paragonimiasis.

The respiratory system’s cells are destroyed by the pulmonary fluke.

The gall bladder and liver cells are destroyed by the liver fluke.

Ways of infection with worms

There are numerous ways for a pet to contract worms:

1. Foodborne — the most common type of infection, when worm larvae are transmitted through food consumed, raw, not thoroughly washed.
2. Alimentary — swallowing helminth eggs that come out with the feces of a sick animal (for example, toxocara eggs).
3. Waterborne — occurs through drinking water that contains worm eggs or larvae. For example, liver flukes begin to develop in the bodies of mollusks, from where they then go into the water, in which they can freely swim for several days.
4. Contact-household – larvae enter the body through contact with household items on which there are worm eggs (for example, hookworm).
5. Through mother"s milk – this is possible for toxocara larvae and some other helminths, which migrate in the animal"s body through the bloodstream.
6. Transmissive – some types of worms are carried by certain types of mosquitoes. When a mosquito bites, worm larvae (for example, thread-like nematode) enter the blood. This type of infection is more common in southern countries, but is also possible in the middle zone, for example, in the Moscow and Ryazan regions. This is how filariae are transmitted, including heartworms.

There are multiple ways for a cat to contract worms.

Why are worms dangerous

If a cat has worms, the owner will almost certainly contract the infection later on.

Worms are dangerous because they actively feed on the animal’s tissues and blood while it is inside its body, depleting its vital energy. Any worm can cause allergic reactions and intoxication by putting toxic substances into a person’s or cat’s body. Furthermore, parasites damage organs by rupturing blood vessels with their suckers or hooks.

Because the animal cannot empty itself, a ball of worms can clog the intestine’s lumen and cause obstruction of the digestive tract, which is dangerous.

Cats frequently have worms, which can negatively impact their health and result in symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, or weight loss. Early detection of the symptoms and veterinary consultation are crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment of these parasites. Taking regular deworming medication and maintaining proper hygiene can help keep your cat healthy and free of parasites.

Symptoms and diagnosis of worm infestation

There are two types of worm infestation symptoms: general, which signify a helminthic invasion, and specific, which indicate a particular kind of helminth.

General

Typical signs of a worm infestation consist of:

• bloating;
• loss or increase in appetite;
• the animal rubs its bottom on the floor;
• sharp weight loss, despite an excellent appetite;
• vomiting;
• changes in stool, manifested by both constipation and diarrhea;
• high temperature;
• apathy, lethargy;
• developmental delay in kittens;
• coughing.

When the illness progresses, the following signs and symptoms could manifest:

• convulsions;
• difficulty breathing;
• hair loss;
• premature birth may occur in pregnant cats.

Worm eggs are often microscopic, but occasionally the owner can see them with the naked eye.

Specific

The following symptoms indicate a potential tapeworm infection in the animal:

• deterioration in appetite;
• loss of shine of the coat;
• nausea, vomiting, which may be with blood;
• constipation or loose stools.

Indications of a roundworm invasion:

• loss of appetite;
• high fluid intake;
• anemia;
• diarrhea;
• sharp weight loss;
• vomiting.

In the event that the animal has flat flukes, the owner might observe:

• loss of appetite or sudden satiety;
• vomiting with foam or blood;
• abdominal pain;
• high temperature.

But examining feces is the most reliable method of detecting worm infestation in cats. Diagnostic tests can occasionally yield negative results, but this does not imply that the animal is healthy—rather, it simply indicates that the worm eggs have not yet reached the animal’s feces. Consequently, it becomes necessary to repeat the tests after a certain amount of time.

The animal’s blood is also drawn for analysis in further research.

Video: how to determine that a cat has worms

Animal deworming

A series of procedures known as deworming are intended to destroy parasites and then remove them, restoring organ function, cleaning cavities and tissues, and preventing re-infections. The animal must be shown to the veterinarian as soon as symptoms appear so that he can identify the type of worms present and recommend a therapy that is appropriate for your pet. Only then can the veterinarian correctly diagnose the disease and prescribe a course of treatment.

Broad-spectrum medications are available to treat all varieties of worms:

• Parazitsid – suitable for adult animals, but dangerous for small kittens;
• Profender – a product in the form of drops, suitable for both adults and kittens over one month old;
• Drontal – in the form of tablets, can be used from three weeks and older.

Most medications only affect a single kind of parasite.

Table: Medicines depending on the type of helminthic invasion

A group of drugs	The name of the medication	Method of application
Trematod treatment drug	Hexicol	It is given once at the calculation of 0.2 g per 1 kg of cat mass. For reception should be mixed with food.
	Drontsite	Mixed with food and is used once. Ratio: 5 mg per 11 kg of weight.
	Hexicol s	Mixed with food and accepted once. Ratio: 0.15 g of the drug per 1 kg of animal.
Veterinary equipment for nematodes	Nilverm	1%aqueous solution is used. Ratio: 0.02 g per 1 kg of weight. Accepted twice a day. For kittens, a proportion of 0.01 g per kilogram of weight.
	Naftamon	Added to food, used once. Ratio: 0.2 g per 1 kg. Before the procedure, it is necessary to ensure that the animal fasts for 15 hours.
	Ivomek	Used as injections. Proportions: 0.5 ml per 5 kg.
Medicines for the treatment of cestodes	Phenalidon	Added to food, used once. Proportions: 100 mg per kilogram of weight.
	Phenasal	Added to food, taken once. Ratio: 0.15 g per 1 kg of weight.
	Lopatol	Single dose of 50 mg per 1 kg of animal weight
	Bunamidine	Single dose of 50 mg per 1 kg of animal weight

Video: how to give a pill to a cat

How to remove worms from a kitten

Treatment for parasites in kittens should be done carefully because it is easy to damage a weaker organism. Must closely adhere to all doctor’s instructions and monitor medication dosage.

One medication that experts suggest is appropriate for small pets is Dirofen.

When treating kittens with helminthic invasions, dirofen has shown to be an effective treatment.

Pyrantel and praziquantel are the two ingredients in this anthelmintic medication. The first chemical paralyzes the parasites, while the second one obliterates their intestines and, eventually, the helminth itself. The body of the kitten is softly and gently affected by dirofen.

A kitten’s swollen belly could be a sign of a helminthic invasion.

Human infection with worms from a pet

Humans can contract the following kinds of worms from cats:

• ascarids;
• toxocara;
• echinococci;
• pinworms.

Humans can contract helminths from cats in the following ways:

• direct contact with a pet;
• failure to observe personal hygiene rules;
• through cat feces or saliva.

If a person has worms and doesn’t begin treatment right away, there could be dangerous and unpleasant outcomes:

• development of acute colitis;
• development of ulcers in the small and large intestines;
• constipation, flatulence, intestinal bleeding;
• development of pneumonia, bronchial asthma;
• allergy;
• brain tumor;
• pancreatitis or liver abscess.

Taking care of feline worms is crucial to maintaining the comfort and well-being of your companion. Serious health problems can be avoided by routinely looking for signs of parasites and acting quickly when necessary.

Regardless of whether you would rather use over-the-counter drugs or a veterinarian visit, there are numerous safe and efficient treatments available. Make sure you carefully read the instructions and select the option that best suits your cat.

It’s equally crucial to stop infestations in the future. Parasites can be avoided by feeding your cat a nutritious diet, keeping their environment clean, and taking preventative measures like routine deworming treatments.

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