Cat Parasites and Tapeworm
The most common intestinal parasites are intestinal worms and tapeworm. The don't suck blood, but consume semi digested food in the stomach and intestines. Cats that hunt or have flees have greater possibilities of getting worms.
Intestinal Worms
Adult intestinal worms are thin and look like white garden worms. There eggs are passed to the feces and then these are eaten by rodent, birds and insects. If a cat eats one of these intermediary hosts, the eggs develop in the intestines and completes the cycle. Kittens can also be infected in the mothers womb or through their milk. Adults rarely show signs of infection.
- Symptoms: dull coat, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea and a bloated belly caused by the parasites and gasses.
- Treatment: cats from six months on should be treated regularly for parasites.
Tapeworm
Tapeworms are found more often in adult cats. The tapeworm's head adheres to the intestine wall. The body is long and flat, consisting of segments filled with eggs, these detach and pass to the feces. Then the segments release the eggs into the environment. Tapeworm isn't spread directly from cat to cat, but through an intermediary host.
The host for a species of tapeworm is the flea, and for others it's rodents or small birds. If a cat eats a prey that is infected of swallows an infected flea during grooming, the cycle starts over.
- Symptoms: cats can have tapeworm and not show any signs, but a large infection can cause weight loss and general discomfort, digestive problems and anal irritation. The segments, which have the aspect of small rice grains, adhere to the fur around the anus.
- Treatment: Infection can be avoided by regularly treating your cat for parasites and keeping it free of fleas.
Other Types of Parasites
The following types of internal parasites are less common:
- Lung parasites: aren't common and the can may not have any symptoms, apart from coughing to expel the parasites.
- Whip parasites: these parasites are minute, thin and live in the cat's large intestine sucking blood.
- Acaridae: live in the small intestine, where they make holes and can cause hemorrhages.
- Hookworms: are blood sucking parasites that live in the small intestine. They are common in Australia and USA.
- Heartworm: are only found in warm, humid countries and are transmitted through mosquitoes. They can block circulation, causing sudden death or circulatory problems.
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