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If you're cat isn't thriving it may have worms. It's important to understand what kind of worms can attack a cat, what the symptoms of worms are and how often to deworm your cat. Talk to your vet, especially if you're introducing a new cat into your household, and especially if you've rescued that cat from a public agency. Worms are common in cats.
Virtually all kittens are born infected with some form of a worm. These worms can be and generally are transmitted via the mother's milk or while the same time the kittens are still inside the mother's womb. Unless the mother lives in pristine conditions (think sterile clean rooms), look for your newborn kitten will have worms. The same goes for an aged feline as well. It takes a lot of effort to keep cats worm-free. For the most part, veterinarians will advise deworming your cat, as needed. But how do you determine exactly what "as needed" means? There are a few indicators which will help you in deciding when the deworming practice is needed.
If your kitten was found as a stray, don't assume anything. If you resolve to keep the kitten, certain that a veterinarian visit is on your list of priorities. Deworming will be a given. If your cat is a pet that likes to prowl, catch mice or other small animals, it is more likely than not highly susceptible to worms. Wild animals are the ideal hosts for carrying worm larvae and if your cat consumes it, they will develop a worm problem.
Suppose your cat is predominantly an indoor pet. They can still develop worms but the problem could be harder to find. If your cat develops a heaving problem or occasionally has retching episodes, these behaviors are a prime indicator that your cat is trying to rid itself of worms. Also, vomiting the worms up is, of course, a definite indication that your cat needs to be dewormed immediately. More than likely, the worms vomited up are roundworms and resemble spaghetti in appearance. Occasionally, tapeworms are a culprit. Tapeworms are flat and segmented.
To make matters more confusing, tests can give a false negative. Vets test cat feces when looking for worms, and sometimes, even though worms are present in the cat's body, they don't show up in the feces because they're essentially dormant. Worms can remain dormant for long periods of time and then become suddenly active if your cat undergoes some type of stress, like a pregnancy or an injury.
If your cat's appetite changes or it develops diarrhea, those are some possible indicators of a worm problem. A dull coat of fur or the growth of a pot-belly are other indicators. In addition, if you ever see your cat feed on the dung of another animal, you might as well be ready to go through a deworming of your cat.
For the most part, testing of your cat's dung is the best bet to conclude what category of worm illness your cat may have. Barring a proper worm diagnosis, your cat cannot receive the correct medication. This means that medication for roundworms sometimes does not work for tapeworms or other species like the hookworm or whipworm. By determining the correct species, you can be ensured of a successful deworming.
It is important to note that commonly medications come in liquid or in some type of pill. Since cats can be a bit ornery, you have to ensure that they actually take their medicine and swallow it. Disguising the deworming medication in their cat food or other treat is the simplest method. Another thing to be aware of is that it may take numerous treatments of deworming medication to totally rid your cat of worms. The reason for the chance of multiple treatments is that the worms may be in varied stages of development and not all stages are susceptible to the treatments. However, multiple treatments will ensure a worm-free kitty. |