How to determine if a cat has worms. Worms in cats: causes, signs and methods of treatment. Specific signs of the presence of helminths

Classification of pathogenic effects

The presence of worms in cats, symptoms of an invasive disease, can be classified according to several species characteristics:

In pathological inflammatory process gastrointestinal tract many microcomponents are involved in the pet, which significantly reduces the quality of life of the animal’s body.

Types of invasive pathogens: causes, symptoms and treatment

hexychol;
hexachloroethane;
hexachloroparaxylene;
polytreme;
dronzite.

Important! IN for preventive purposes Cats should not be fed raw river fish. All fish must undergo appropriate heat treatment before eating.

On a note! A preventive action will be compliance with veterinary and sanitary standards for keeping the animal. It is necessary to change the bedding or rug more often, and also periodically scald them with boiling water.

Hydatigerosis in cats is another type of invasive disease, which is caused by infection with tapeworms of the Taeniidae family. Slim department The intestines are the main place of concentration of cestodes in hydatigerosis. Tapeworms, entering the intestines of a cat, reach sexual maturity after 35-90 days and are able to comfortably exist in the animal’s body from six months to two years, causing to a pet mass discomfort, which manifest themselves in the following:

work is disrupted digestive system;
intestinal obstruction is noted;
the animal has no appetite.

As a result of metabolism, the invasive lesion has a toxic and allergic effect on vital organs, which manifests itself in the following symptomatic signs:

the psycho-emotional state of the pet is disturbed;
there is constipation or diarrhea;
interest in food decreases.

Diarrhea in cats is a symptom of worms

Conclusion

General signs of the appearance of helminths (worms) in cats:

digestive system disorder, expressed in diarrhea or constipation;
intestinal obstruction, which can cause vomiting reflex in an animal, often accompanied by bleeding;
in the feces of a pet you can see individual fragments or fully formed helminths;
severe itching in anus, which causes discomfort to the cat;
increased fatigue;
perversion of appetite;
hair loss;
weight loss.

How to recognize that a cat has worms: symptoms was last modified: September 7th, 2016 by Ekaterina Efimova

It is so arranged by nature that cats are clean animals who happily lick their fur, thereby cleansing themselves of dust and dirt. Unfortunately, this is the most common cause of worm infection, especially in long-haired dogs. fluffy breeds. Another route of infection can be rodents that animals hunt.

As a rule, worms in cats are treated quite easily if the form of the disease is not advanced. In particular severe cases a seemingly harmless disease can lead to internal bleeding and even the death of an animal.

There is also a huge risk of worm infection for domestic cats. The reasons may be:

Raw foods nutrition. It is meat and fish that can contain worm larvae. To avoid infection, it is enough to heat-treat the products (cook, fry) or give them to the animal frozen.

Insects. Flies and fleas can also be carriers of worms. In this case, the animal must wear a flea collar. And in the case of flies, you should not allow the cat to eat the insect.

Having discovered worms in a cat, the signs of which are usually noticeable, it is necessary to immediately do a stool test and consult a doctor in order to get rid of the worms. This must be done in a timely manner so that the disease does not become severe, running stage. In this case, cope without the help of a doctor and expensive medicines will not work.

Worms in cats: signs and symptoms of the disease

Pet's round belly, diarrhea, rare cases vomit.

Sudden weight loss.

Increased appetite (the animal cannot get enough).

Cats feel discomfort in the anus area, so they try in every way to reduce the itching, rubbing their butts on the floor and furniture.

Discharge in the form of pus from the eyes of the animal.

Larvae and helminths are present in the feces.

If you find something similar to worms in your cat (signs of infection are given above), you need to start treatment immediately. After all, if the disease is neglected, the animal may die.

Having discovered the first symptoms of worms in cats, it is necessary to begin treatment immediately. Ideally, you should have your feces analyzed to determine what type of helminths your animal has. Depending on this, the veterinarian will recommend the right remedy from worms.

If it is not possible to visit a veterinarian, just go to a pet store, where they will offer you an anthelmintic drug. It can be in the form of a suspension, tablets or powder.

In any case, you should not self-medicate; a doctor should prescribe a deworming remedy for cats.

Warn in advance

In order not to spend extra money on visiting a veterinarian and diagnostics, it is better to prevent the disease in advance by taking preventive measures:

don't feed the cat raw meat and fish;

when returning from the street, immediately put your shoes in a closed closet;

Wash the door mat in soapy water at least 2-3 times a week;

Be sure to wash your hands after going outside hot water with soap before petting your beloved pet;

When identifying fleas, be sure to give deworming medication for cats.

All these methods cannot protect the animal 100% from helminths, but they provide an excellent opportunity to reduce the risk of infection.

What tablets are best to buy to remove worms from a cat?

If you think that a disease such as worms in cats, the symptoms of which can be sluggish and unnoticeable, is harmless to the animal, this is not so. In some cases, helminths are deadly, so treatment must be started immediately.

Deworming tablets for cats are quite popular and are easy to administer to your animal. Simply crush the pills and add them to water or food. The most popular medicine is Prazicide. The cost of this drug is low, and the result completely satisfies veterinarians.

"Drontal" - tablets that do not have side effects, they can be used for both kittens and adults.

Before purchasing any deworming tablets for cats, you should consult with your veterinarian. There are situations in which the use of drugs is unacceptable.

Once worms in cats are diagnosed, treatment should be given immediately to avoid wasting valuable time.

The only rule: such anti-worm drops for cats must be carefully applied to the neck area (withers) or between the shoulder blades. If the animal licks the suspension, it will begin allergic reaction in the form of vomiting and mucus secretion.

When is medication contraindicated?

There are cases when taking medications for animals is contraindicated:

Pet's age. As a rule, these are kittens that have not reached 3 weeks of age.

Sick animal. Do not overload your pet and him immune system if additional diseases are identified.

Pregnant or lactating individuals.

The doctor can also identify individual cases when deworming is not recommended.

Traditional methods of treatment

Many pet owners are interested in the question of how to remove worms from cats. And having heard the doctor’s advice about drops or tablets in response, they begin to sound the alarm, considering the use of medications as something dangerous and harmful to the pet. Of course there are traditional methods getting rid of helminths. But they must be used with extreme caution and after mandatory consultation with a doctor.

A decoction of such medicinal herbs, like fennel and chamomile, is an excellent anthelmintic. It is better to give the tincture instead of water so that the pet is sure to drink the solution.

Coarsely chop the onion into several pieces, pour a glass of boiling water, let it brew for a couple of hours. Give the cat a drink on an empty stomach for no more than 7 days.

Buy at a pharmacy alcohol tincture wormwood, give 10 drops several times a day. After this, do not feed the animal for about an hour.

A good way is a carrot juice enema. The volume is calculated by the doctor individually, depending on the weight of the pet. This procedure is done every day for a week.

Before trying and testing such treatment methods on cats, you should consult a veterinarian, and only use them if there are no contraindications.

Cats are most often affected by round and tapeworms. Round ones live in small intestine, feeding on blood, which can lead to anemia. Their eggs can already be found in the animal’s feces two weeks after infection. Cestodes (tapeworms) reach 70 cm and live in the small intestine, causing vomiting in kittens and cats, and often cause weight loss in the animal.

It’s worth paying attention to your pet’s health if you notice:

Diarrhea or constipation;
vomiting (in vomit blood and worms may be seen);
The presence of worms or their larvae resembling grains of rice around the anus of the animal;
The cat rubs its butt on the floor;
Bloody and mucous stools;
The animal has noticeably lost weight;
Cat cough;
Hard breath;
Hair falls out;
Retarded development of the kitten;
Fatigue;
Convulsions;
Premature birth.

If there are a lot of worms in the body, then their segments even appear on the fur, in stool, which is mixed with mucus and blood.

You should pay attention to the fact that the symptoms of worm infection resemble manifestations of other diseases. Therefore, without waiting for a diagnosis, do not rush to self-medicate.

In very severe cases, convulsions appear and paralysis of the limbs occurs. And to prevent this from happening, you must treat the animal very carefully and periodically give anthelmintic drugs, and for any symptoms indicating a disease, contact a veterinarian.

Characteristics and types of worms that a cat may have

Worm eggs are found in ponds, sand, on the ground, grass, in raw meat, fish, on unwashed vegetables, and greens. The owner can carry them into the apartment on his shoes. Worms affect the liver, heart, gallbladder, intestines, lungs.

There are several types of worms:

round,
tape (cestodes),
flat flukes (trematodes).

Each type has its own characteristics. So to round type There are many varieties of worms and most often cats are infected with roundworms, which in appearance resemble spaghetti up to 50 mm in size. They are transmitted to kittens through the milk of an infected mother.

Worms infect the intestines, accumulating in it, damaging the gastric mucosa and gall bladder, causing a strong toxic effect. An animal can also become infected with hookworms, which are up to 2 mm long and infect the blood. Toxascariasis affects the liver, lungs, and heart (their length is from 30 to 50 mm). The helminths are inactive for some time, so symptoms do not always appear.

The disease is easily detected, since very often the larvae can be seen near the anus, in the feces. The class of cestodes includes tapeworms up to 1500 mm long, as well as alveococcus no more than 4 mm long, affecting the intestines. All of them have a toxic effect and cause a number of diseases.

TO flatworms refers to a pulmonary fluke up to 10 mm long, which infects and destroys the lungs and forms cysts. Trematodes, whose body resembles a white thread, have suckers. With their help, the worm attaches to the intestinal walls, thereby damaging its mucous surface and poisoning the body. This type very dangerous as it can even cause death.

Treatment of worms in cats

Before starting treatment, it is advisable to determine what type of worms the animal is infected with. If you start giving your cat medication for a tapeworm and it is infected with a roundworm, the treatment will not bring the desired result. Drugs that destroy all types of worms are very harmful to the body, as they cause intoxication.

The drugs Polyvercan, Dirofen, Febtal, Profender, Panacur, often prescribed by veterinarians, are used once for helminthiasis. To avoid poisoning your animal, purchase medications from pharmacies. Considering the fact that all medications for worms are toxic, do not overdo it with the dosage.

Kittens and older cats should not be treated in the same way as adult animals because they may be harmed by the strong medication. It is better to give kittens suspensions instead of tablets. These are Pyrantel, Milbemax, Praciside, Dirofen, Kanikquantel.

treat kittens anthelmintics follows from two months. Pregnant and lactating cats are not prescribed anthelmintic treatment. Do not forget to carefully read the instructions for the drug!

Treatment of an animal for complications

If your cat does become intoxicated during anthelmintic treatment, contact your veterinarian.

What can be done to alleviate the animal's suffering:

Inject Gamavit into the withers;
Inject saline solution subcutaneously;
Give a sorbent (Enterosgel, Polisbor, activated carbon);
An hour after taking the sorbent, give the cat Detoxify;
If there is no vomiting, give the cat plenty of water;
After the animal's condition improves, give the cat Linex.

Prevention

Check your cat for fleas;
Don't feed the animal raw fish and meat;
Don't leave it untidy for too long cat litter box, disinfect it periodically;
Don't leave your shoes in plain sight;
Do not neglect personal hygiene, wash your hands after interacting with the cat, do not bring the animal close to your face;
If the animal visits the street, deworm it once a month;
Carry out prophylaxis 14 days before mating or vaccination.

If there are several cats and kittens in the house, give the deworming drug to all animals.

All cat owners should periodically carry out antihelminthic prophylaxis, and if there are obvious signs of the disease, it is required necessary therapy. Below we will consider in detail the types of worms and the symptoms of the disease. Will be given detailed recommendation on the treatment and prevention of helminthiasis.

In veterinary medicine, helminthiasis is quite known disease, often found in pets. Helminths (worms) that infect a cat’s body come in several varieties. The most common types of worms in cats:

Roundworms usually have small size, but can cause serious harm to the animal, since they are in the body in large quantities, and affect not only the intestines, but also the liver and esophagus.

Types of worms dangerous to humans

Worms found in cats can also cause serious trouble for owners, as they can cause serious harm to human health. Infestation is especially dangerous for children.

The danger of opisthorchiasis is that it affects the digestive organs: liver, pancreas, gall bladder.
Diphyllobothriasis resides in the small intestine and is sometimes about 10 meters long.
Echinococcosis and alveococcosis are extremely dangerous for people, as their larvae can cause serious harm to internal organs.
Roundworms via skin covering enter the body and affect the human blood and liver.

The larvae of alveococcosis can remain in a pet for years without causing much harm to it, but a person faces deadly danger in the form of: liver tumors, lung or brain metastases.

Tapeworms can enter through fleas on the fur of a sick animal. Thus, it is necessary to begin treatment for worms in cats as soon as possible.

Ways of infecting cats with worms

Of course, cats that walk on their own can become infected anywhere and anytime. But often those pets who have never left the house in their lives become infected with a similar disease. Main sources of infection:

Products. Raw meat and fish are especially dangerous for animals.
The trash can is a big danger in summer, as flies can land on it. They are the main carriers of helminth eggs.
Human clothes and shoes. A person, without knowing it, can bring worm eggs into an apartment on the soles of shoes with the remains of cat and dog feces.

Kittens have the only way infection is from an infected cat, which can infect them both in utero and through breast milk.

Symptoms of animal infection

You cannot engage in self-diagnosis, since it is quite problematic to determine the type of worms yourself.

Poor appetite. Sometimes, on the contrary, there is an increase in appetite.
Loose stools, which at times alternate with constipation.
Vomit. Vomiting with worms or blood occurs.
There are worms in the stool.
There is blood or mucus in the stool.
Itching that irritates the anal area. Cats seem to “ride” with their tails on the floor.
Periodic bloating.
Cough, sometimes difficulty breathing.
Kittens lag behind their peers in growth.
The animal becomes lethargic, weak, devoid of playfulness, and lies down more.
Dull, lacking shine wool.
Losing weight of an animal.
Yellowness appears on the mucous membranes of the eyes.
Fluid comes out of the eyes.
IN extreme cases paralysis of the limbs occurs.
Premature labor often occurs in pregnant cats.

Treatment

Usually the veterinarian prescribes:

After 14 days, the cat needs to be given the medicine prescribed by the veterinarian again.

Folk remedies

The question of how to rid a cat of worms using folk remedies is asked by many owners. In addition to medications, worms can be removed from a cat using folk remedies. If the recipes accumulated by the people help, then worms can be found in feces.

Required before use folk recipes Be sure to consult your veterinarian.

Garlic tincture enema

Worms in cats can be expelled by cleansing the intestines.

Finely chop 6 cloves of garlic.
Pour 250 ml. water at room temperature.
Leave for 2 hours.
Give an enema.

Pumpkin seed infusion

300 grams pumpkin seeds peel, while preserving the green shell.
Grind.
Gradually pour in 50 ml of water at room temperature.
Add 15 grams of honey.
Mix.
Give the resulting infusion to the cat for 1 hour.
After 30 minutes, do an enema using warm water.

Herbal collection

Worms in cats can be expelled with the following herbal mixture.

Take 20 grams:

Tansy flowers.
Peppermint.
Buckthorn bark.
Wormwood.
Wild carrot seeds.
2 tablespoons herbal collection Brew a glass of boiling water.
Give 3 tablespoons in the morning for 3 days.

Carrot juice enemas

Squeeze approximately 20 ml of juice from fresh carrots.
Do it once a day for 7 days.

Onion infusion

Cut a small onion into 4 parts.
Pour 1 glass boiled water, but not boiling water.
Give to your pet in the morning for a week.

Prevention

As you know, it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it later. If you follow some rules, you can protect not only the cat, but also yourself from these troubles, which are sometimes very difficult to deal with.

If you do not give your cat raw meat or fish, you can avoid such a problem as worms in your cat. Raw foods must first be boiled and then fed to your pet.
To prevent cats from getting worms, they need to be treated with anthelmintic medications once every 3 months.
In order to avoid this problem, you need to keep your cat's litter box clean and disinfect it regularly.
If you regularly treat your animal with a flea solution, your cat may not develop worms at all.
Outdoor shoes should be stored in a special closet, away from the pet.
It is necessary to do regular cleaning of the door mat.
Do not pet the cat immediately after going outside; you need to wash your hands first.
A bell on the animal's neck will prevent it from catching a mouse or bird, which could become a source of disease.

Prevention of the disease has important. If the pet is healthy, then the owner’s risk of helminth disease will significantly decrease, and a healthy animal will delight you with its playfulness and beauty. appearance.

When you have a cat in the house, and your love and care for it knows no bounds, then it is very important for every owner to maintain the health of the pet. Worms in cats, symptoms and signs of infection are some of the critical issues on the agenda.

Every cat owner should not only be prepared for this problem to arise, but also be savvy with information, and know absolutely exactly what to do if such “uninvited guests” come to your home. What are helminths and how to deal with this phenomenon - today we will look at it.

Infection occurs in everyday life.

A cat is a predator. Due to their nature, these furry, purring creatures will never refuse a fish or a piece of meat, which are quite often infected with helminths.

Due to its playful nature, a cat’s tooth can get caught by a bug, a spider, or anyone else that flies through the window on a sunny day, which can infect the cat. In the same way, a pet can become infected by drinking raw water, or walking on the street with infected ghetto residents.

And what's so dangerous about that?

Worms in cats pose a danger not only to animals, but also to humans. With prolonged contact with an infected animal in an apartment, the possibility of human infection becomes almost one hundred percent.

Helminths are organisms that ingest nutrients from the host organism, thereby causing serious violations in the functioning of the host organism. Worms feed mainly on lymph and healthy tissue. internal organs. So, over time, the body begins to deplete and noticeable weight loss occurs, with an absolutely normal appetite.

In addition to this, nematodes, throughout their entire life cycle, release toxic substances into the body. This leads to additional tissue damage and poisoning.

Many may be surprised, but the signs of worms in the body in cats and kittens can be different.

IN initial stage If an enemy invades the territory of your pet’s body, the cat may not at all show by its appearance that something is wrong with it. But already from the first meter of territory capture, helminths begin to multiply at an amazing speed.

Among the main symptoms of cat infestation with worms are the following:

fatigue and lethargy;
the presence of worms in feces;
intestinal disorder, which alternates with constipation;
rapid weight loss;
noticeable bloating and thickening of the abdomen;
refusal to eat;
vomit;
loss of wool and general deterioration in its quality;
rubbing anus about the floor;
nervousness and restless behavior.

Do not forget that the signs of worms in cats or kittens resemble the signs of other diseases, which are also no less dangerous. Based on this, until it is definitely established that the cat is infected with helminths, anthelmintics It’s too early to enter into battle.

This can cause a complication of another disease with similar symptoms and worsen general state animal, which may negatively affect the determination accurate diagnosis veterinarian

Let's take the cat and identify it!

How can you tell if your cat has worms? To understand that we are definitely dealing with worms, we need to conduct a detailed veterinary examination and be sure to carry out deworming.

Announce the whole list please

Few people might be interested in what worms look like in cats? You need to be able to recognize the enemy in your cat before treating the problem. Absolutely all worms in cats, the symptoms of which are described above, are worms, usually white. Dimensions can vary from 1 millimeter to one and a half to two meters.

They can be divided into 3 types:

Tapeworms.
Roundworms.
Flat flukes.

Each of the above species poses a potential danger not only to the animal, but also to the entire family with whom the infected cat comes into contact.

Tapeworms

When infected, a cat may experience the following symptoms:

anemia;
drowsiness;
diarrhea;
constipation;
loss of appetite;
The natural shine of the coat disappears.

Roundworms

Main symptoms of infection:

frequent vomiting;
diarrhea;
lethargy;
prostration;
loss of appetite;
increased thirst.

flat flukes

This variety is extremely rare in cats, but still poses a considerable danger to them. These comrades enter the body after eating shellfish or river fish. They can provoke opisthorchiasis or paragonimiasis in the carrier.

Symptoms of infection:

persistent severe cough;
loss of appetite;
decreased activity;
temperature increase;
vomiting with white foam;
diarrhea.

After being infected with flukes, the animal begins to behave aggressively and anxiously. Because of unbearable pain in the stomach, the animal will break out of the hands, and in every possible way will avoid contact with the owner. Ignoring this disease can have a lethal effect on your pet.

Will the good doctor heal everyone... or the evil one?

Many owners, having read the names of drugs on the Internet, begin self-treatment from worms.

Drugs that can be used to treat cats for worms:

Profender.
Pirantel.
Prazitel.
Polyverkan.
Febtal.
Panacur.
Dirofen.

You should not be led by the temptation to save money on the drug. Remember - a fake, or a cheap and obviously low-quality drug can not only not help, but also harm your cat, dooming it to torment and suffering.

Deworming adult cat and a kitten needs different things. An adult should be treated with tablets that are intended for one-time use, or liquid solutions, which should be applied to the animal’s withers. Medicines should be used only after an accurate diagnosis has been established and its subsequent confirmation.

This means responding promptly and purposefully. There are a number of drugs that are produced specifically for kittens, and they cause much less harm to the kitten’s digestive system.

Such drugs include:

Dirofen (suspension).
Milbemax.
Polyverkan.
Pirantel.
Prazicide.

Sometimes cats may experience individual intolerance to the drug or one of its components. That is why a specialist should prescribe the drug and its dosage.