If parasites appear in cats, they can be localized on the skin, under the skin and inside the body. Depending on the location of the development of the pathological process, symptoms are manifested by the appearance of wounds and boils on the skin, itching, intestinal upset, cough, and decreased immunity. Some species can be transmitted to humans, so the owner should take the animal to the veterinarian at the first sign. who will prescribe medications and give preventive recommendations.
According to veterinarians, internal parasites live in 40% of domestic cats.
Ways of infecting cats with worms
Parasites constantly circulate in the environment; larvae and eggs are found in soil, water, dust, in any corner of the territory, regardless of its sanitary conditions. Signs of worms are detected in cats that never go outside; they “receive” helminths in utero or the larvae enter the house on shoes.
The risk of invasion increases with:
- the presence of raw foods (fish, meat) in the diet;
- skin parasites (ticks, fleas);
- contact with infected animals;
- free range.
A cat passes worms to its offspring in utero, so it is important to give deworming tablets for cats before mating.
How to give medicine to a cat
There are several ways to give the pill to your pet:
- add powder from the crushed tablet to liquid food;
- holding the animal's paws, unclench the jaws and put the tablet in the mouth. Then you should pinch your jaws with your fingers and stroke your throat to trigger the swallowing reflex. After swallowing the tablet, release your jaw;
- mix the powder from the crushed tablet with a small amount of water. Pour from a syringe into your pet's mouth. The syringe must be without a needle;
Harm from worms
Worms in a domestic cat negatively affect its health, damaging internal organs. In severe cases, with extensive infection, deformities are possible, leading to death.
What is the harm from worms:
- Mechanical damage.
Injuries to the internal mucous membranes are caused by fixation devices - teeth, hooks, spikes. When parasites migrate, the integrity of organs and tissues is disrupted, and areas of bleeding are formed. Obstruction (blockage) of the intestines and large arteries by balls of worms is dangerous.
- Intoxication.
Signs of general poisoning of the body increase with the increase in the number of worms. Intoxication is caused by tissue breakdown products and the decomposition of dead helminths themselves.
- Complications from secondary infections.
Worms reduce the animal’s immunity, so viral and bacterial infections easily penetrate the body, complicating the course of helminthiasis. Worms contribute to the exacerbation of chronic pathologies; microtraumas on the mucous membranes become gateways for the penetration of bacteria.
How to diagnose parasites at home?
The correct answer is no. There are too many nuances to diagnosing parasites, and some of them are too subtle to detect, especially at first. Therefore, your cat should undergo regular medical examinations at your veterinary clinic, and you should not forget to monitor its health indicators.
Pay close attention to the skin and fur, the condition of the mucous membranes and the quality of your pet’s stool, and if any abnormalities appear, contact a doctor who will be able to correctly diagnose the disease and, if necessary, prescribe treatment.
Where are helminths located?
Symptoms of worms in cats depend on the location. In an animal's body, parasites can be found in any tissue, organ or circulatory system.
- Specific localization.
Parasites of certain species live in clearly defined places. Making a diagnosis with a specific localization is easier than with the “random” movement of worms in the body. Habitats: gastrointestinal tract, liver, biliary tract, heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, bladder, eyes.
- Perverted (non-specific).
The parasite is located in an unusual location, causing atypical symptoms of the disease, which makes diagnosis difficult. Most often, perverted localization is observed in liver flukes and roundworms (Toxocara, Ascaris).
- Transit.
Eggs and larvae of helminths pass through the body without affecting it and without staying for a long time. They are accidentally found during the examination of feces, a complete examination of the animal. There are no clinical symptoms of worms inside the cat.
Parasites in kittens
Due to their weak immunity, kittens are at risk both in terms of the likelihood of infection and the severity of parasitosis. Their body is not adapted to prolonged dehydration, so without outside intervention, many babies die within the first two days.
Another problem concerns treatment. Antiparasitic agents are toxic, so ideally they should only be used for prophylaxis at regular intervals. The first pills are given to babies only 3 weeks after birth, and until this point, veterinarians recommend strict quarantine.
Intoxication is harmful not only for kittens, but also for pregnant cats. For this reason, animals must be dewormed before mating.
Types of worms in cats
Signs of helminthic infestation can be pronounced (vomiting, cough, chronic diarrhea) or latent, occurring with lethargy and apathy. Symptoms depend on the types of worms, divided by shape, method of feeding, and reproduction.
Roundworms
Roundworms are the most common inhabitants of the cat's body. They are white, slightly yellowish in color, up to 10 cm long, reminiscent of thin wire, or spaghetti with tapering at the ends. With a high degree of infestation, worms come from the throat (vomiting) or are found in feces during a routine examination. In kittens, roundworms cause an excessive appetite; visually the pet is very thin, but with a voluminous tummy. In adults, chronic diarrhea, anorexia, lethargy, and apathy are suspected of ascariasis.
In the human body they do not go through a full development cycle, but they reduce immunity and cause an allergic reaction.
Hookworms live in the intestines; larvae and adults feed on blood. Infection of an animal occurs in utero, through food, skin. They enter the human body through the skin, causing skin diseases.
In cats, hookworm infection causes bloody diarrhea, thirst, barking cough, anorexia and lethargy.
Toxocara are long, roundworms reaching 18 cm. Favorite localization sites are the esophagus, liver, gall bladder, and intestines. Kittens are infected in utero, through food; toxocara is transmitted to adult cats through the mouth. Parasitic infestation is accompanied by vomiting, severe exhaustion, and chronic diarrhea. For kittens, mass infection by sexually mature individuals leads to intestinal blockage and rupture.
Tapeworms (flatworms)
Tapeworms parasitize the small intestine, attaching to the walls with the help of the scolex (suction cups, chitinous hooks). A body composed of many segments in which larvae mature. As the segments mature, they break off, come out with feces, and the eggs infect the external environment.
- Cucumber tapeworm.
Difficult to hatch, feels comfortable in cats and humans (reaches up to 1.5 m). In the intestines, it attaches to the wall with the help of hooks, damaging the mucous membrane and feeding at the expense of the body. Carriers of tapeworm are lice eaters and fleas.
- Wide tape.
In a cat’s body it grows up to 1.5 m, in a person – up to 12 meters. This is the largest specimen of any tapeworm. The source of wide tapeworm is raw river fish and small freshwater crustaceans.
- Flukes.
Parasites that destroy the internal organs of cats and humans. They range in length from a few millimeters to 1.5 m. The worms are sucked in using “toothed” suction cups arranged in several rows. They destroy the liver, bladder, intestines, lungs, and are often found in the Eustachian tube and conjunctival sac. A cat becomes infected by eating raw freshwater fish.
- Liver fluke.
Affects the liver, pancreas, and gall bladder. Lungworms are introduced into a cat’s body when it accidentally ingests crustaceans and freshwater mollusks. Parasites provoke cysts in the lungs, gradually destroying the lung tissue. Dangerous for humans.
The smallest parasites are cestodes (tapeworms), reach a length from 5 mm to 1.5 m, the body is flat, chitinous hooks or suckers are located on the head. The body is segmented, eggs mature in each segment. The source of cestodes is rodents (mice, rats). The parasite is dangerous for humans; the disease ends in a malignant neoplasm of the liver with metastasis throughout the body. Cats can carry the infection within them for years without clinical signs of cestodosis.
Pathogens
Dogs are most often parasitized by canine, cat and human fleas. Adult insects are wingless, the body is strongly compressed laterally, the legs are strong, long, with numerous spines, the antennae are short, club-shaped, hidden at rest in recesses on the sides of the head. The mouthparts are adapted for piercing the skin and sucking blood. Fleas are small insects with a body usually not exceeding 2-4 mm in length.
The pathogen has ctenidia on the lower edge of the head and on the posterior edge of the anterior thoracic segment (a row of spines in the form of a comb-like formation with points directed backwards), consisting of 7-9 spines, with the first spine in the head row and the lower spine in the thoracic row of the ctenidium being shorter than the others .
Biology
Fleas are temporary parasites. Female fleas lay very small, oval, whitish eggs, dropping them (non-sticky eggs) onto the host, from where they can roll onto the litter, ground, or floor. After 1-2 weeks, under favorable conditions, larvae with a thin worm-like body emerge from the eggs, leading a free lifestyle and feeding on decaying organic matter and food residues. After a few days, the larvae pupate in a cocoon. After 12 days, an adult flea emerges from the pupa, leading a parasitic lifestyle.
Males and females suck blood. Capable of long-term fasting (up to 18 months) outside the host’s body.
Worms: clinical signs
Does the cat have worms? The severity of symptoms depends on the type of helminth, its location, size, number of parasitic individuals, the age of the animal and its state of health.
Common symptoms of helminthic infestation include:
- depression, appetite distortion or anorexia;
- bad coat, heavy shedding;
- dried crusts in the corners of the eyes without inflammation;
- disruption of the gastrointestinal tract (constipation, diarrhea, vomiting);
- intestinal obstruction;
- swollen, barrel-shaped belly;
- anemia, a sharp decrease in immunity;
There may be blood in the stool, kittens are stunted, and convulsions may occur during intoxication. Whole mature worms, sometimes segments, and often fragments of cucumber tapeworm come out of the anus and “hang on the fur” are found in feces or vomit.
Symptoms of parasite infestation
Infection with each group of parasites has its own special symptoms. For ectoparasites this is:
- the appearance of small red spots on the cat’s skin (reaction to flea bites);
- formation of scratches - the cat constantly itches and tries to gnaw insects out of its fur;
- skin diseases (dermatitis) develop;
- the occurrence of baldness;
- the development of anemia (anemia) - occurs especially quickly in kittens, this can be understood by looking at the oral mucosa (it turns pale);
- change in behavior - the cat becomes irritable and aggressive;
- decreased appetite;
- deterioration in wool quality;
- in the presence of ear mites, the appearance of greenish tubercles and severe dirt in the cat’s ear.
You have to look for ixodid ticks on a cat's skin manually, carefully examining and feeling it.
External parasites can lead to dire consequences
Symptoms of internal parasite infestation:
- general cat malaise;
- dulling of fur;
- alternating constipation and bloody diarrhea;
- accumulation of dry crusts in the eyes of the animal;
- loss of appetite;
- weight loss or exhaustion;
- vomit;
- anemia;
- increased body temperature;
- the appearance of convulsions caused by intoxication from the decaying bodies of dead worms and their waste products;
- developmental delay in kittens;
- bloating and tightness of the abdomen;
- development of wheezing and coughing, asthmatic attacks in the presence of pulmonary and heartworms;
- the appearance of worm bodies in feces.
If any of these signs are present, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Often, when infected with parasites, apathy and malaise are observed.
How to treat worms in cats?
Therapy consists of the destruction of adults and larvae, symptomatic treatment, and elimination of intoxication. Anti-worm medications are available in the form of a suspension, tablets (Milbemax), paste (Dirofen), and drops on the withers.
Cats are not given medications for humans; medications are purchased at a veterinary pharmacy after the doctor makes a diagnosis and gives the appropriate prescriptions.
Rules for giving deworming medications to cats:
- Once, in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Repeated appointment on 10-14 days.
- Together with deworming, external parasites (fleas, ticks, etc.) are destroyed.
- Mandatory provision of funds 10 days before vaccination, before mating.
- Do not give medications to kittens under 3 weeks of age, sick or weakened animals.
It is recommended that the cat owner and family members carry out preventive deworming; many parasites are dangerous to humans.
Treatment for parasites
Read about how to treat a cat for internal parasites here: Preparations for deworming cats
In this article we will focus on what to do if your pet has external parasites (fleas, lice, lice). Please note that a veterinarian must make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe a course of treatment, even if it seems to you that the presence of certain parasites is obvious. You can even correctly identify their type, but the effectiveness of treatment depends on other factors: the age of the animal, its characteristics, the presence or absence of other diseases.
After prescribing therapy, the main condition that is important to observe is to use the chosen remedy strictly according to the instructions. This will effectively remove parasites without harming the cat.
Medicinal shampoos. As a rule, these funds are used first. They have an insecticidal effect, inhibiting the activity of insects. After applying shampoo to your pet’s fur and foaming, you should definitely wait a few minutes, usually 5 to 10 (it’s better to time the time by clock), and only then rinse off the shampoo. It should be borne in mind that different shampoos have different effects: some eliminate existing parasites, and some only repel insects (that is, they are used as a preventive measure).
Sprays. They also contain insecticides that effectively fight the disease. The spray can be used to treat not only the cat itself, but also its things (toys, beds, etc.). But be sure to make sure that she does not lick the preparation from the fur (until it dries completely)!
Drops on the withers. Can be used both for direct treatment and for preventive purposes. There is no need to be afraid that the cat will lick the drug. The effect of the drops lasts about 1-2 months when applied correctly: on dry, clean skin in the area between the shoulder blades or on the withers. Manufacturers recommend not bathing your cat a few days before applying the drug and a few days after.
Collars. This is the most durable and safest way to rid a kitten of parasites. It acts as gently as drops and shampoos. When choosing, pay special attention to the size and stiffness of the collar so that your pet feels comfortable in it.
Folk remedies and prevention
Traditional remedies for deworming in cats have side effects, but folk remedies are not welcomed by veterinarians. This is explained by the lack of evidence of the therapeutic effect and increased activity of parasites. As a result, worms begin to migrate throughout the body, creating discomfort and increased trauma to internal organs.
Prevention at home consists of giving anthelmintic drugs to adults once every 3-4 months, with mandatory flea treatment. In cats under one year of age, the frequency of drug administration is associated with vaccination. Your veterinarian will tell you what to give cats for worms! Feeding raw meat and fish is not prohibited, but with this type of feeding, worm prevention is mandatory.
Lice
One type of lice parasitizes dogs. These are small (1.6-2.4 mm) wingless insects with a body flattened in the dorsoventral direction. The width of the head is 2-3 times less than the width of the chest. One five-segmented antenna extends from each side of the head. The mouthparts are piercing-sucking type. There are no eyes. The free ends of three pairs of legs, attached to the chest, end in powerful claws, with which the insects cover the hair, firmly fixing themselves on the host. The abdomen, consisting of 8-9 segments, is rounded in males, and with a triangular notch in females.
Lice are permanent ectoparasites. Development according to the type of incomplete transformation (no pupal stage). Females lay eggs (nits), gluing them to the root part of the hair with uterine secretions. The eggs are oblong-oval, white-yellow, shiny. After 1.5-2 weeks, the eggs hatch into larvae similar to the mothers, but smaller in size and light in color. After 20-30 minutes, the larvae begin to suck blood. After three molts (after 14-21 days), the larvae become sexually mature. Lice parasitize only on specific hosts; males and females, as well as their larvae, suck blood.
