Worms, Part One

One very common and recurring problem for cats is worms. The most common types of wroms that infect cats are tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms. If your cat has problems with fleas, problems gaining weight, or if there are white specks in the feces, then you should have your cat tested for worms by a vet. Worms can be fatal if they are left untreated, but they are easily treated with medicine.

In this article, we’ll talk about how to tell if your cat has Tapeworm, Roundworm or Hookworm, the most common types of worms. The next article will talk about Giardia, Whipworm, and Coccidia, which are not as common, but still can be a problem.

Tapeworm

Few outward signs are attributed to tapeworms and they are not particularly harmful to the cat. The most common reason that vets see cats for tapeworm is the owner’s reaction to the presence of the crawling proglottids. Tapeworms might causeweight loss or debilitation if they are present in large numbers, but this rarely happens. The anal irritation caused by the proglottids might cause a cat to scoot or drag his butt across the ground or carpet. Dogs have this behavior is much more often than cats.

A tapeworm can oocasionally release its attachment in the intestines and move into the stomach. The cat may vomit an adult tapeworm several inches in length when this happens. There is no harm to cat when this happens. You might want to have a vet check them and give them deworming medicine if this happens.

Roundworm

One of the arguments in favor of regular deworming is that it’s hard to tell if roundworm is present in your cat. Cats that hunt and consume the flesh of other animals that might carry worm larvae should be regularly dewormed. Kittens are usually dewormed because they are simply assumed to be infected.

Hookworm

Feline hookworms are considered “tissue feeders” because they tend to “graze” along the lining of the small intestine. An anti-coagulant substance is injected at the feeding site when they suck blood. If a cat ingests a hookworm, it can suffer blood loss or continued bleeding into the bowel. The anemia caused by blood-loss from hookworms is a more of a problem in kittens than in adult cats.

Evidence of hookworm infection includes weight loss, a poor coat, digested blood in the stool, and anemia.