Unfortunately, our little friends are not immune to parasites either. Cat worms can come in many forms and can infest both adult cats and young kittens. Let's find out what the main symptoms of worms in cats are, the related causes, what treatment to follow, and how to deworm a kitten.
Worms in cats: symptoms and diagnosis
The worms found in cats can belong to the family of hookworms, strongyles, tapeworms, Giardia, coccidia, and roundworms. The latter, also known as roundworms, can infest both kittens and adult cats. These worms are transmitted from the mother to her kittens at birth, unless the mother cat is dewormed before mating. This is only possible if the birth is planned, but almost no one does this.
Roundworms in cats appear in their adult form as long, thin, white strands resembling spaghetti, and are usually passed through the cat's faeces. However, when an infestation is left untreated and the numbers become very large, they can also be vomited up. Adult cats are not immune either and can come into contact with roundworms by ingesting contaminated soil. The symptoms associated with the presence of roundworms in cats include diarrhoea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
If the cat is not treated, roundworms can cause bronchitis, pneumonia, intestinal blockages, and/or lacerations. The larvae, on the other hand, can cause toxicosis and damage several organs. Early diagnosis is generally made by examining the cat's faeces under a microscope for the presence of eggs and worms.
Hookworms: intestinal parasites in cats
The hookworm is another type of cat worm, rounded in shape. Cats are generally infested with this type of worm by licking infected faeces or through larva migrans syndrome. In other words, the eggs hatch in the soil and the larvae can infest the cat by penetrating through the skin and mucous membranes.
These intestinal worms are highly dangerous; among the symptoms they cause is not only diarrhoea but also anaemia, stunted growth, and chronic dermatitis. Adult hookworms live in the intestine, mate, and produce eggs which, through the faeces, go on to contaminate the soil, ready to infest other cats. These worms are diagnosed by searching for eggs through analysis of the cat's faeces.
Worms in cats: Strongyles
Strongyles do not live in the intestine but rather in the cat's pulmonary artery, causing serious lesions and pneumonia that can even be fatal to our cat's health. A cat can contract a strongyle infection by eating infected snails or mice. After ingestion, the eggs hatch and the larvae first migrate to the intestine, then travel through the lymphatic vessels to the heart, and finally settle in the pulmonary artery where they grow into adults.
At this point they reproduce, and through the pulmonary alveoli the eggs travel back up to the pharynx, where they are swallowed and then expelled in the faeces. It is not easy to identify these types of worms in cats through faecal examination alone. If their presence is suspected, a specific test must be carried out (the Baermann technique), which allows the parasite to be detected.
Tapeworm in cats: symptoms of the solitary worm
The tapeworm is the most common parasite in cats, as it is contracted by ingesting an infected flea. Given that cats frequently groom themselves, it is important that they are always protected with antiparasitic treatments. It is no coincidence, therefore, that when a tapeworm is found in a cat, both a dewormer and a flea treatment are administered. The symptoms of tapeworm in cats include diarrhoea, increased appetite and weight loss, vomiting, itching near the anus, and frequent licking of the perianal area.
It goes without saying that the longer the tapeworm remains in the intestine, the more problems it will cause the cat. Tapeworm is diagnosed by observing whether proglottids are present around the fur near the cat's anus. These are small egg sacs that, when freshly passed, are white and about the size of a grain of rice. They later dry out and turn yellow. Tapeworm is often not detected in faecal tests, as proglottids are not always passed every time the cat defecates. If you therefore have the cat's faeces analysed when proglottids are not yet present, you will receive a false negative result.
Giardia in cats: symptoms and treatment
Strictly speaking, Giardia in cats is not a worm but a protozoan — that is, an extremely tiny cat parasite that is visible only through specific enrichment and flotation tests. Only when Giardia has significantly infested the cat can it be detected through standard faecal analysis. Symptoms always include diarrhoea and weight loss. Be aware that there is a tendency to look for Giardia in dogs, yet it is actually more common in cats.
As far as treatment for worms in cats is concerned, everything depends on the diagnosis that is made. The type of parasite must first be identified so that the most appropriate medication can be administered according to the specific case. Avoid self-treating and ask your veterinarian to recommend the most suitable dewormer for your cat.
