If you’re like any cat owner, when it comes to your furry friend’s health, you want to be thorough. If your cat is acting lethargic, ill or seemingly unable to put on any weight despite how much it eats, then there may be a larger problem at play. At any time, most cats end up with some form of intestinal parasite. Normally, this takes the form of worms. Most pet owners are familiar with worms, particularly in younger cats and dogs. If you’re worried about deworming your cat, here is what you need to know about treatment and the types of worms you need to think about.
Worm Treatment
You’re worried that your cat has worms. Don’t worry yet, this is a very common parasite that most cats end up with. Usually, kittens carry worms but it can happen to any cat at any age. The best way to fight against worms is to shop with Vet Products Direct for cat worming products. In order to get the right product, however, you need to know which type of worm your cat has. While many products will fight against several types, it’s important to have knowledge about the different kinds of parasites cats may suffer from. In fact, about 45 percent of all cats have an intestinal parasite at any time.
Hookworms
Hookworms are a type of small roundworm. These types of worms cause damage to the lining of the intestine where they attach. This might result in weight loss, anemia and bleeding. The cats are infected through eating eggs from the environment or eating an intermediate host. Sometimes, the larvae will burrow through the cat’s skin.
Roundworms
Roundworms are the most common of the parasites that cats may end up with. These parasites occur in cats at a variety of ages. Cats will either ingest eggs from a contaminated environment or they will eat a mouse or other rodent that ingested the eggs. The cat then winds up infected with roundworms. In addition, roundworms may be passed from a mother cat to her kittens through the milk she produces. This is one of the most common ways that it is passed and a reason why many kittens should be dewormed.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms are long and flat, composed of several segments. The mature segments contain eggs that are released from the end of the worm. These segments resemble grains of rice. In order to complete their life cycle, a tapeworm requires a host to eat the eggs. This is known as the intermediary host. The most common tapeworm in cats is passed through fleas. The flea ingests the larvae and then passes it onto the cat when it swallows an infected flea. Another form of tapeworm is passed through rodents. Normally, a tapeworm in a cat will be asymptomatic.
Worm Symptoms
Sometimes a cat with a worm infestation will not show any symptoms. Over time, symptoms will develop. Most of the symptoms involve weight loss, vomiting and lethargic behavior. Worms are an extreme burden on cats and need to be treated as soon as you have any idea that the cat may have a problem. In many cases, the worms will show up in your cat’s litter and so it is important to check regularly for worms. Also, pay attention to your cat’s behavior to catch worms in advance.
If you spot worms, then you need to act right away. If you’re suspicious about worms, then you can always plan a vet visit for your cat to be checked out. A vet can say for sure what kind of worm your furry family member has. When it comes to parasites, you don’t want to wait around. You want your cat to stay as comfortable as possible. It’s important to find medicine for your cat right away.
