Dealing with Cat Worms

"Cat worms" articles may not make for an amusing or an attractive lecture but, for your cat’s well being, you should have some information about these unwanted guests. The most common types of worms that affect cats are the roundworms, the tapeworms and the hookworms. They are very dangerous for a cat’s health and therefore, infestations should never be left untreated.

Signs and symptoms
Among the symptoms one needs to pay attention to are diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, as well as weight loss, general lethargy, and pale gums. When a cat has intestinal worms, its coat loses its usual shine and smoothness. Segments of worms may be discovered in the infested cat’s droppings. When you are not sure, a microscopic exam will tell you if your little friend has parasites or not.

Cat worm prevention
Cat worms will not be a problem if your pet does not enjoy wandering through the neighborhood. Worm infestation usually occurs if the animal comes into contact with alley cats that are already sick, if the cat eats infested prey or even has contact with infested soil and vegetation. Also, an infected mother may pass the worms to the nursing kittens and when they affect such young creatures, worms are even more dangerous, affecting growth and even causing the death of the small animal.

So, keeping your cat inside could be the best prevention measure you can take. And if you know that, from cats, humans may get infested with cat worms as well, you will probably become even more eager to keep your pet far and safe from these microscopic monsters.

Small children are the most threatened to come in contact with worm eggs while playing in the garden, or in a park, especially if they are eating with dirty hands or taking objects to their mouths. However, if you own a cat and have a small child in your care, do not worry too much: statistics say that children are less likely to get worms from the family cat than from other children.

Treatment
Even though there are many “naturist” treatments for cat worms that may be tried, the wisest thing to do when you are suspecting that your cat might be sick is taking it to the veterinarian as quick as possible. They will give you the right treatment, according to the type of infestation your pet has. Also, given the wide spread of worm infestations, the veterinarian might recommend a preventive treatment for your cat, every few months, depending on its style of life. Veterinarians strongly advice cat owners to take worm infestations seriously and not to let them untreated. Even though they are rarely deadly to adult animals, worms are sure to have a great impact on the general health of your pet; they affect the cat's quality of life to a great extent and may lead to other sicknesses as a result of the weakening of the immune system. Certainly, cat lovers must not allow cat worms to affect their four-legged companions.

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