Is your cat a bit wormy?
When it comes to intestinal worming, it’s easy to forget about your cat. Sometimes just the thought of giving your cat a tablet can give you nightmares! Never fear, we are here to help. We can either give your cat their worming tablet (they need to come and visit us but it’s also a good time for a weight and dental check). Or we can provide you with a topical worming treatment so there’s not even a tablet involved!
Don’t ignore intestinal worming – it’s an important part of caring for your pet. You might also want to familiarise yourself with the most common intestinal worms in cats, they are all rather interesting (in our opinion!)
- Roundworms: These are common intestinal parasites and can affect cats of all ages. Eggs from these worms can be passed in the faeces and remain in the environment for several years. A cat may become infected after directly ingesting the eggs or after eating an intermediate host (such as a rat or mouse who has ingested the eggs). Some of these worms can even be passed from mother to kitten via the mother’s milk.
- Tapeworms: These long and flat worms are made up of many segments. These segments contain the tapeworm’s eggs and are passed in the cat’s faeces (they look like little grains of rice!). All tapeworms require an intermediate host (such as a reptile or rodent) to complete their life cycle. Some tapeworms are transmitted by cat fleas and infection can occur when a cat swallows an infected flea during grooming. Did you know that it is assumed any cat infected with fleas also has tapeworm?!
- Hookworms: Hookworms can cause damage to the lining of the intestine and this may result in weight loss, bleeding and anaemia. Cats may become infected by ingesting the eggs from the environment, or from eating an intermediate host. In some cases, the larvae of the hookworm can even burrow through the cat’s skin!
When it comes to protecting your cat against these ghastly intestinal worms, ask us for help, your cat’s health depends on it.