Intestinal parasites, more often referred to simply as "worms", are quite common in adult cats and kittens. The contagion occurs in several ways. Pups can ingest eggs through their mother's milk, juveniles can become infected with hookworms through skin contact, and tapeworms enter the body by ingesting infected fleas, rodents and rabbits. Since worms are so common in cats, it is important to learn to recognize the signs of their presence in order to find the right treatment as soon as possible.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Controlling Physical Symptoms
Step 1. Look at the cat's belly to see if it is swollen
If the cat has a severe worm infestation, it has a swollen belly but very little fat on the spine or pelvis area. The typical "worm belly" appears swollen, rounded, full and often the swelling is greater in the lower abdomen (the animal may also appear "pregnant"). This type of bloating is different from what a fat cat exhibits, because the prominent abdomen accompanies the rest of the lean, gaunt body.
Swollen belly is mainly caused by roundworms, although infestations with other worms can also cause the same symptom
Step 2. Check the cat's body for fat pads
If you run your fingers over the spine of a healthy cat, you should typically feel the protrusions of the vertebrae, but not the prominent, sharp edges. This is because the bones are covered with a layer of fat. In the presence of worms, however, the cat does not have these fat pads and when you touch their back or pelvis you can feel all the sharp bones.
When the condition of the body is checked, the coating of fat over the bones is basically assessed. In this sense, certain points of reference are important, such as the spine, hips and pelvic area
Step 3. Check the condition of your feline friend's coat
Intestinal parasites absorb many nutritional values from the cat's diet. This means that the cat is unable to absorb the vitamins, minerals and proteins it needs to maintain a healthy coat. In particular, pay attention to:
- Dull coat.
- Hair that has lost all its brilliance.
- Tousled coat.
Step 4. Watch out for vomiting or diarrhea
The worms can irritate the walls of the stomach and intestines, resulting in these symptoms. When the infestation is really severe, it can cause intestinal obstruction and cause persistent vomiting, which can even compromise the animal's life. The cat may also throw up a cluster of writhing spaghetti-like worms.
If your four-legged friend starts throwing up uncontrollably, take him to the vet immediately
Step 5. Check the color of your gums
Some types of worms, especially hookworms, can cause intestinal bleeding: it generally consists of a slow but constant loss of blood which in the long run can cause anemia. Consequently, when the problem starts to get quite severe, the cat tends to become sluggish and weak, which can even be deadly in kittens.
You can tell if your cat is anemic by lifting their lips and checking their gums. If they are healthy, they have a pink color; however, if the cat is anemic, these appear whitish, gray or very pale pink
Step 6. Pay attention to the signs of worms in puppies
When puppies are infested they tend to be lethargic and have a hard time developing. This means that they do not grow as well as the other specimens in the litter. They are smaller, less energetic, have a dull coat, a swollen belly, less fat on the ribs and spine.
- If you do not have other kittens to compare your cat with, it is not easy to recognize these anomalies, but usually a healthy cat is lively, playful, chubby, with a soft and shiny coat.
- A severe worm infestation in puppies can have long-lasting consequences, leading to lifelong illnesses.
Step 7. Check for fleas
This is an important aspect to consider, as fleas can carry tapeworm larvae with them. When the cat cleans its fur, it can eat the fleas present on the fur which are in turn infested with worms and their eggs, so in this way they enter the body of the cat.
- It is certainly easier to detect the presence of flea droppings than the fleas themselves. These appear as traces of dried blood excreted by fleas and which often remains on the fur of the infested animal.
- To check for the presence of the parasite's faeces, brush an area of the fur against the hair and pay attention to small dark spots near the base of the fur.
- To make sure these dots are really flea droppings and not general dirt, place one on a damp, white piece of fabric. Since the droppings are nothing more than dried blood, the damp cloth should stain red or orange.
- If you find the actual presence of fleas or their excrements, you should subject the cat and the whole environment in which it lives (the house and its kennel) to a flea treatment, in order to free both the cat and the house from these annoying parasites.
Part 2 of 2: Recognizing the Types of Worms
Step 1. It is important to identify the worm species
If you suspect your cat is infested with intestinal parasites, the first thing to do is figure out which worms they are. This way you can find the type of effective treatment to get rid of the infestation.
Step 2. Check for egg clusters moving away from spawning site
Look under the cat's tail. The "clusters" of tapeworm eggs move from the anus and attach themselves to the hair surrounding the sphincter. These clusters have a creamy white color and can be described as rice grains, cucumber or sesame seeds.
- Eggs can often stick to the cat's bed and wherever they usually sit, so check these areas.
- If you notice these eggs, take your cat to the vet for tapeworm treatment.
Step 3. Check your cat's feces for tapeworms
This task is much easier if the cat uses the litter box. Look at the feces to see if there are any worms; they are sometimes visible on the outer surface of the droppings, but it is more likely that you will need to wear a pair of gloves and a disposable tool to break up the feces and search for them inside.
- Tapeworms are creamy white, flat, segmented and their average length ranges from about 10cm to 70cm when adult.
- Dipylidium caninum: The cat can be infested with this type of tapeworm by eating fleas which are themselves infested with the worm's eggs.
- Taenia taeniaeformis: This type of tapeworm usually affects cats that go hunting and eat rodents that are already infected with the tapeworm.
Step 4. Recognize Roundworms
These worms are widespread and have the appearance of spaghetti. On average they are 5-10 cm long, but they can grow up to about 13 cm. There are two different types of roundworms and both can infest the animal, albeit in different ways:
- Toxocara cati: The cat can contract this worm through its mother's milk and most puppies are infected at birth. This type of roundworm is often responsible for the puppy's swollen belly and causes vomiting and diarrhea.
- Toxascaris leonina: This worm can enter your feline friend's organism through contact with other infected cats or the feces of rodents. Sometimes it is vomited whole or passed out in the stool.
Step 5. Identify hookworms
These really small (0.5-1 cm long) and curled-shaped worms have a hook-like mouth; given their size it is very difficult to identify them with the naked eye. Ancylostoma duodenale can be found in breast milk and is transmitted to the puppy in this way, although sometimes the cat can contract it simply by walking on infected ground or bed.
The "teeth" that are present in the mouth of this parasite attach themselves to the walls of the small intestine and release an anticoagulant which causes blood loss in the intestine. Infected puppies tend to be anemic, low in energy, and grow poorly
Step 6. Ask your vet to check for heartworms
These worms are generally much more prevalent in dogs than cats, although they can also be found in felines. They usually enter the bloodstream rather than the intestine, so it is important to take your cat to the vet so that he can make the necessary checks.
Dirofilaria immitis: This worm infects flies which can transfer the eggs into the cat's blood system. Symptoms are nonspecific, such as energy loss, weight loss, and coughing. Unfortunately, some cats do not experience any symptoms and die suddenly due to an obstruction in the main vein that carries blood to the heart
Step 7. Ask your vet to take a stool sample for analysis
The best way to check for worms (with the exception of heartworm), before it becomes an unmanageable health problem, is to take a stool sample and take it to the vet. Adult worms can deposit eggs along the walls of the cat's intestinal tract. These eggs are very often (although not always) excreted in the feces and can be identified through a specific analysis and the use of a microscope.
- The different types of worms have different-looking eggs, which makes them easier to recognize.
- If the observation of the cat and its feces proves unsuccessful, it does not necessarily mean that the cat does not have worms: it just means that the worms have not exited the body. Some cats can harbor a large amount of parasites within their bodies without them escaping. The only way to be sure of an infestation is to take a stool sample and take it to the vet for analysis.
Advice
- The distinction between the various types of worms is not only an academic exercise for its own sake, but it is an indispensable diagnostic procedure, because each species of parasite must be treated with a particular type of anthelmintics (specific drugs that kill worms). However, knowing how to initially recognize the presence of worms helps you, as the owner of the animal, to realize that there is an infestation going on.
- When trying to figure out which parasite has infested your pet, it is certainly of great help to know if the cat has been exposed to any particular type of worm.
- If your cat has a swollen belly, little fat on the body, and hasn't been wormed in the past six months, there can be a strong chance that it has a severe infestation. However, there are other conditions that also have the same type of physical symptoms, so if in doubt, have your vet see you.
Warnings
- With the exception of heartworm, there are no effective prevention methods against worms other than minimizing the cat's exposure to infections.
- It is important to be able to understand if your cat or puppy has worms and which worms they are, in order to help them live the healthiest life possible. Keep in mind that some types of worms can be transmitted to humans, especially children who are not very hygienic when playing with cats. By paying a little attention to your cat's health, litter box hygiene, and examining the pet's feces once a year, you can keep both your home and pet free from worm infestations.
- Always wash your hands - and make sure children wash them too - after handling puppies and adult cats if you are unsure if they are perfectly healthy and wormed. Although cat worms do not enter the human intestinal tract, they can still enter the subcutaneous layer and cause damage, especially if they reach the eyes.
