Are There Different Types of Internal Parasites in Cats?
These internal parasites can cause problems for cats. These include roundworms, heartworms, tapeworms, and hookworms.
Roundworm: Roundworm is a zoonotic disease and one of cats’ most common internal parasites. There are two main infection routes: female cats transmit roundworms to their kittens through placenta or milk infection. The other is that if kittens live in a polluted environment and accidentally eat roundworm eggs or roundworms, they will also be infected.
Roundworms often cause an increase in the abdominal circumference of kittens, a sticky and pale abdomen, progressive weight loss, loss of appetite, vomiting, and constipation after diarrhea. Severe roundworm infection can lead to malnutrition and death in kittens. Parents should not take this lightly.
Hookworms: Hookworms are also a common internal parasite in cats. It is a zoonotic disease. The most common hookworm infection in cats is Ancylostoma angustiformis, which can be found anywhere around the world where cat odor occurs. Hookworms are mainly infected through the oral cavity and skin penetration. The adult worms bite the intestinal mucosa with the hook teeth in the oral sac and feed on the cat’s blood, tissue fluid, and intestinal mucosa. This causes gastrointestinal dysfunction, weight loss, and loss of appetite in cats.， Anemia and other symptoms.
Tapeworm: Tapeworm is a giant intestinal parasite. Cats infected with tapeworms will show mild digestive disease or malnutrition; severe cases may show neurological symptoms. Suppose parents find that “rice grains”-shaped milky white objects appear in the cat’s stool. In that case, the segments of adult tapeworms can determine that the cat has been infected with tapeworms and needs to seek medical treatment in time.
Tapeworms are not contagious and are mainly accomplished by fleas. When cats lick their fur, they can quickly ingest fleas carrying tapeworm eggs, causing infection. A two-pronged approach of external and internal deworming is the most effective way to prevent various cat parasites.
Heartworms: Heartworms are filamentous parasites that live in the right ventricle and pulmonary arteries. The number of heartworms parasitizing cats is usually tiny, no more than 6. They can live for about two years. Although cats are relatively resistant hosts and the number of heartworm-infected worms parasitizing in cats is relatively small, the degree of damage caused by cats is moderately increased due to their small size. This may cause the cat to die suddenly and acutely without warning.
Cats infected with heartworms generally do not show obvious clinical symptoms, but heartworms can hinder blood circulation and seriously damage the heart, lungs, and liver functions. Mosquito bites can transmit heartworms to healthy cats through the blood, so whether indoors or outdoors, cats may be infected with heartworms.
The treatment of heartworms is mainly prevention. Once a cat is infected with heartworm, treating it with current treatment methods is very difficult. Drugs will kill the adult heartworms, block the pulmonary arteries, and cause the cat to die suddenly. Surgery is the treatment. The risks are higher, and the fees are relatively higher.
How Can I Prevent or Treat These Parasites?
When any intestinal parasite is detected, treatment should be started immediately. Prevention should be the priority regarding heartworms. Regular deworming and proper parasite control are the key to a healthy cat.