Probably, for many owners it will be a pleasant message that it is easy enough to understand if a cat has worms, as well as completely eliminate parasites. This article will be devoted to exactly how to identify the presence of helminths in the body of your pet and correctly diagnose this article.
Worms in a cat: signs of infection
Owners need to remember that even an animal that has never been outside can be infected with worms. The condition is most common in cats that are immunocompromised, malnourished, or have chronic illnesses.
Symptoms of the presence of parasites are sometimes mild: the cat is apathetic, moves little, and reacts sluggishly to others. But most often they are noticed by attentive owners quite easily: appetite is disturbed, the animal has chronic diarrhea, purulent discharge from the eyes, constant attempts to scratch the area around the anus, weight loss.
Worms in a cat: signs of roundworms
The most common parasites in cats are roundworms (roundworm). They have a brown or white tint and look like spaghetti. You can find them in the feces of the animal, and sometimes in the vomit.
Take a closer look: if your pet's tummy is rounded, and the appetite increases exorbitantly, this may be a sign of the presence of roundworms. By the way, these parasites are transmitted from animals to humans.
Lethargy, chronic stool disorder, periodic vomiting are also signs that the cat has got uninvited freeloaders.
Worms in a cat: signs of infection with nematodes
Nematodes are invisible to our eyes. They stick to the inner surface of the intestine and drink the blood of the animal. Nematodes, however, are more common in dogs, but cats also become infected with these parasites. Moreover, in kittens, they can even cause death due to blood loss. The main sign that your pet has them is the development of anemia.
Worms in a cat: signs of tapeworm infection
This type of worm is also not very common among cats. Tapeworms are small and white in color. If you look closely, you can see them even under the cat's tail, in the fur. Small, rice grain-like particles of a tapeworm can be seen in the place where your pet likes to sleep. And the infection occurs through fleas that are bitten out of the cat's fur.
When a tapeworm appears in the body of an animal, a decrease in the weight of a cat with a good appetite, disheveled hair and disordered stools are observed.
How to identify worms in a cat
As you already understand, only a veterinarian will help you make an accurate diagnosis by examining the cat's feces. But remember that it is not always possible to detect parasites the first time. It depends on how long ago the infection occurred. After all, if there are parasites in the animal's body that have not yet laid eggs, then the result of the tests may turn out to be incorrect. Therefore, you will have to repeat the tests a couple of times. But thanks to such a study, it will be possible to choose an adequate drug that will deal with the detected type of worms without harming the well-being and he alth of your pet.
