What kind of worms can my cat have?

There are 4 different groups of worms which most commonly infect cats.   They include: roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms.  All of these worms spend a large part of their lifecycle in the intestinal tract where they feed and grow to adulthood. It is the actual presence of the worm and the consumption of intestinal contents or blood that leads to malnutrition, poor absorption of nutrients and signs of disease.

What are the signs of a worm infestation?

Animals with worms are often thin with a poor haircut and a definite potbellied appearance.  In severe cases the cat can have profuse vomiting and diarrhea.  In the case of the bloodsucking hookworm there can be anemia.

How do cats get worms?

Each group of worms has a distinct lifecycle and therefore gain entrance into the pet through specific routes and at specific times.  Roundworms and hookworms are picked up by kittens from their mother either through the placenta during pregnancy or in the milk during nursing.  The mother acquires these worms from inactive forms in her body that become active at pregnancy.

Roundworms can on rare instances cause disease in children or immunocompromised individuals.  The human is not normally a host for the worm but if it should gain entrance into a person it will migrate through the body and encyst in any soft tissue, causing local inflammation and possible injury to the organ.  The most common site settled is the eye, resulting in blindness.  This stresses the importance of worm control and cleanliness, especially around children, the aged or people with immunosuppressive diseases.

Whipworms are picked up from the environment where infected cats shed the eggs. The worms take up to 12 weeks to develop and are thus seen in older kittens.

Tapeworm infection develops after an animal ingests fleas or rodents carrying the organism.  Tapeworms are found in the intestine.  The worm segments are shed into the stool and often stick to the hair around the anus.  Owners find these segments repulsive and even though this is the least dangerous worm,it is the one that most often causes the owner to seek professional help.

How do I know my cat has worms?

Infection by intestinal worms is diagnosed by examining the cats stool for microscopic worm eggs.  Kittens invariably carry some worms and may be treated without a definite diagnosis.  All of these cats should have a stool exam at some time as the medication may not kill certain worms or the cat may have become reinfected.

Adult cats should also have a stool examined periodically (every 2-3 years) to ensure they have not become infected.  Tapeworms are usually diagnosed when the owner sees the segments on the hair.

How do I get rid of these worms?

Treatment of parasite infections are tailored to the specific parasite lifecycle.  Treatment involves administering medication that will kill the adult worm and also environmental decontamination, that is cleaning up any areas that contain contaminated feces.  Your  veterinarian can discuss with you the specifics of the treatment protocol.

Owners should also be made aware that department or pet store type deworming preparations are usually very ineffective.  They most often just cause the cat to physically expel only some of the worms leaving live healthy worms to carry on the infection.