Should I Give My Cat Dewormer
Yes, you should give your cat a dewormer to help prevent them from getting worms and get rid of worms if they have any.
Worms are parasites that can infect a kitten through the mothers milk and an adult cat with flea eggs or other animals. The most common types of worms in cats are roundworms and tapeworms.
Because it cant absorb all of the required nutrients from its food, an infected kitten may have growth retardation and immune system damage. Humans are also infected with worms. Deworming your cat is therefore critical.
How Does An Indoor Cat Get Worms
So how do indoor cats get infected with worms? Indoor cats will hunt just about anything in your home. Rodents, insects, and other household pests harbor worm eggs, which are passed on to your cat when he devours them. Mice and the common house fly are just two of the many critters that can carry roundworms eggs.
How To Prevent Worms
In many cases, cats have this worm infestation in them without showing any symptoms. You cannot tell whats the actual matter without visiting the vet. But, you dont want to face the worm issue in your cat whatsoever. So, here are some useful suggestions to prevent worms from getting in your cat in the first place
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Ugh Parasites: Inside Or Out Lets Get Rid Of Them
Parasites are free-loaders. They can be merely a nuisance, but all too often, they are harmful. Whether inside your cat or on their skin, they affect your cats health, and some can affect the people they live with: you! Roundworms can cause blindness, and bacteria carried by fleas can make people very sick. So lets protect everyone by providing parasite prevention year-round.
Deworming Of Cats And Kittens
How often you need to deworm your cat depends on whether its an adult or a kitten and whether its an indoor cat or an outdoor cat. The recommendation is to only deworm your cat if it shows symptoms and you suspect its actually been infected with a worm.
The most common worms affecting cats are roundworms and tapeworms.
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How Do I Reduce The Risk To My Family And My Kitten
The good news is that kittens can easily be treated for Toxocara cati. There are a wide range of products available, and your vet can help you to choose whats best for your pet. You may find a tablet easiest to administer. Alternatively, you may prefer a liquid spot on treatment to apply to the skin. Your vet or veterinary nurse will be able to show you how to administer the treatment, or even do it for you. Its recommended that kittens are treated for Toxocara cati every two weeks until theyre three months old, then monthly until six months. This is to ensure each new lifecycle of the parasite is killed as the adults emerge.
Eggs passed in your kitten or cats stool arent a danger straight away. It takes at least two weeks of incubation in the environment for eggs to become infective. This means that regularly cleaning the litter tray, so eggs dont get the chance to become infective, is an important step in breaking the lifecycle. General hygiene measures such as washing hands after handling the kitten are also important, as eggs from the stool can become attached to the fur. Ensure fruit and vegetables are washed before eating as they can become contaminated whilst growing. Encourage children to wash their hands after playing outdoors, especially before eating.
How Do Intestinal Parasites Impact The Health And Wellbeing Of Your Cat
I call them passengers, and the reason for that is because they’re hanging out in there, and they’re eating the nutrition that your cat is supposed to be getting. We can see some weight loss because they’re not getting all of their nutrition. But these parasites can also cause irritation and inflammation of that gastrointestinal tract, so we see many gastrointestinal signs, too, like vomiting, upset stomach, unwillingness to eat, and even things like loose or runny stool leading to diarrhea. Sometimes it even has blood in it.
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Get A Proper Diagnosis
When your kitten has persistent diarrhea or other GI distress, you will need to talk to a veterinarian about fecal testing in order to determine the culprit. Different parasites require different kinds of medication, and you cant know what to use until you know what you are trying to treat!
You can request a simple ova & parasites fecal test from your vet, which is quite affordable and can help identify parasites such as giardia, coccidia, and common worms. For more extensive diagnostic information, you can request a fecal PCR test, which also provides information about bacterial infections, viruses, and more. When doing a fecal test, you will simply bring a small stool sample to your veterinarian, who will send it to a laboratory for analysis.
If you run a rescue, you can also set up your own account with a laboratory with the help of your organizations veterinarian.
Treatments For Deworming Cats:
Worms are not a significant cause of concern unless you leave them untreated for an extended period. Most adult cats have a robust immune system that can protect them from infections caused by worms. However, in the case of kittens, worms might be dangerous. So it is essential to treat the problem as soon as possible.
You should always consult a vet first if you think your cat has a medical problem.
Medicinal treatments:
Certain medicines can treat worms. These function by breaking down the worm or directly killing them and releasing them through the excretory system.
These medicines are generally harmless to your cat but may cause specific side effects like vomiting or diarrhea, which is related to their working mechanism. Your vet might even suggest anti-fungal medicine for different types of worms.
Coconut oil:
Coconut oil is a pretty good treatment for worms in cats. It is readily available and is mostly harmless to cats. Monolaurin is highly effective against parasites. Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which, when given to cats, is converted into Monoaluric. This reaction is the basis of this treatment.
However, you shouldnt do anything before consulting a vet, even if the treatment is potentially harmless. Your cat may be allergic to specific stuff, including coconut oil, so its better to consult a vet before trying out any treatment.
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What Are Intestinal Parasites
They are parasites that live in the gastrointestinal tract. The most common thing that people think of is worms. And they are parasites that we can sometimes find on a fecal flotation, or we can send them off to the lab for some enzyme or PCR testing. But they’re just those nasty boogers that live in that gastrointestinal tract.
Can Human Catch Worms From Cats
If my dog or cat has intestinal worms, how can these parasites infect humans? Roundworms are the most common intestinal parasite of pets and the most likely to be transmitted to humans. Humans can accidentally ingest infective worm eggs that have been passed through the pet’s feces and left in the environment.
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Design Setting And Sample
An online survey was conducted in the UK from the 3rd July 2017 to the 14th July 2017 targeting pet owners who own at least one dog and/or cat and were responsible for product purchase, the pets health care and veterinary visits.
A custom online panel of pet owners was used to recruit a target sample of n = 500 cat owners and n = 500 dog owners. The survey was confidential and anonymous, with respondents being offered a small incentive for completion.
Respondents had to own at least one dog and/or cat and be at least 18 years of age in order to participate. If the household contained both cats and dogs, participants were assigned randomly to either the dog or the cat group. Owners had to be responsible for veterinary visits, product purchases and the pets health and share or have sole responsibility for the dog or cat. Both cats and dogs had to have been seen once a year by a veterinary surgeon. Owners with more than 10 cats or dogs, breeders and traders were excluded. UK demographic statistics using data from the Office for National Statistics and proprietary research data as described in about UK dog and cat owners were used to set quotas. These quotas related to region, age and sex, employment status, household size .
The main survey contained nine questions about the current deworming protocol and the cats and dogs lifestyle. Differing questions were utilized for dog and cat owners to align with the ESCCAP guidelines.
Table 1 Dog risk group definitions
How Often Should You Deworm A Cat
Adult outdoor cats are dewormed more often than indoor cats because they catch mice and other small animals that can be hosts to various parasites. Indoor cats are normally not affected by worms as they dont catch and eat small animals. There is a risk however, that they may get infected by other cats at cat litter boxes.
The Swedish Medical Product Agency recommends you only deworm your cat if your suspect it to be infected and not for preventive purposes. If you deworm your cat too often, you risk it becoming resistant to the deworming medication, meaning it may become difficult to treat the cat against worms in the future. If you are in doubt, contact your vet for an examination or a stool sample.
More information
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Do Worms In Cats Come From Insects
Yes. As mentioned above insects act as a carrier and transmitter of worms. The worst culprits are fleas. It is suggested that any cat with fleas also has worms, and visa-Versa, so care and attention should be given to these kinds of situations. If your cat has access to a lot of bugs or insects they should be dewormed regularly.
Why Is Cat Deworming Important
Just the thought of your cat having worms is gross and disconcerting. No one wants their cuddly fur-baby – that sleeps where they sleep – to have worms. Most importantly, deworming your cat is important because of the negative health impact an infestation can have on your cat. Having worms can vary from just being annoying to life-threatening. Kittens and cats that are medically compromised or fragile with age are vulnerable to health issues from worms. They can get anemia or become severely dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhea. Kittens can have so many worms that they can not pass them through the GI tract, and that can cause an intestinal blockage, a fatal condition. Infected kittens that are not dewormed can also have their growth and development negatively impacted. Healthy adult cats rarely have significant health issues from having worms, but they are at risk enough to say they need to be dewormed.
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How Often To Deworm Kittens
Kitten are just so cute and playful right? However, deworming them at the right time retains their playfulness and keeps them safe as well. If you have a newborn kitten or you do not know when was your kitten dewormed the last time, you should deworm them immediately.
After this, you must deworm them every 2 weeks until he is 8 weeks. Once your kitten is 8 weeks, you just need to get him/her dewormed once a month for the next 6 months. And thereafter, you can just follow the deworming schedule of an adult cat mentioned above.
What Kind Of Cat Wormer Should I Use
It is important you know the weight of your cat, to make sure you give them the correct dose of wormer.
Worming products for cats come in several main forms:
- Spot on products applied to the back of the neck, such as Profender, Advocate, and Revolution Plus. Giving some cats a tablet can be tricky, and spot on products can be much easier to use. Applying Advocate or Revolution Plus monthly can be easy to remember too, as you can treat your cat on the same day each month. Revolution Plus has the added benefit that it will protect your cat against paralysis ticks, which is critical if you live in a tick area. Profender is the only spot on which will treat mature tapeworms.
- Worming tablets such as Milbemax and Drontal. These cover all the intestinal worms, while Milbemax also protects against heartworm, if given monthly. Both come in conveniently small sized tablets.
- Worming pastes. Pastes can be particularly useful for dosing small kittens. Also pastes can sometimes be mixed with food. It is important the cat eats the whole dose, if you are mixing the paste with food.
If you’re unsure about your chosen parasite control strategy, be sure to discuss it with a vet.
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Fact Checked By A Hello Ralphie Expert Veterinarian
Your veterinarian will recommend regular deworming for your cat depending on its risk level for contracting intestinal parasites. The number of times youll need to deworm your feline friend will depend on the cats particular lifestyle, as well as the area in which you live.
Climate, temperature, and local wildlife also play a role in determining your cats risk level. Cats that spend a significant amount of time outdoors, or those that tend to prey on animals such as rodents, have a higher risk level for contracting an intestinal parasite. The likelihood that your cat will develop intestinal worms if it strictly lives indoors is low, but its not impossible.
How Often Should I Worm My Cat
- Because kittens are particularly susceptible to worms they need worming more frequently than adult cats.
- It is generally recommended to worm kittens every two weeks from two weeks old to twelve weeks old, then monthly to six months old.
- Adult cats should then be given an intestinal wormer at least every three months.
- If you’re using a product that combines deworming and flea prevention, such as Advocate, or Revolution Plus, you may choose to continue using these products monthly. These do not cover adult tapeworm, so you should periodically also use Profender or a worming tablet, especially if your cat is a hunter, to ensure your cat remains tapeworm free.
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Can Cat Worms Be Transmitted To Humans
Although it is doubtful, you can still get worms from your cat, so be careful. The effects of worms on humans are very mild compared to cats because of the solid human immunity system, but that doesnt mean its harmless. It still can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Moreover, it is incredibly uncomfortable to have worms in your system.
This can easily be prevented by exercising personal hygiene and keeping yourself clean. Make sure to wash your hands after interacting with your cat regularly. The most important thing is deworming your cat on time so it doesnt risk transferring it over to your kids or even yourself.
Keeping your cat safe:
The first and significant step in keeping your cat safe is regular deworming visits to the vet. These visits prevent the condition of your cat from developing into a serious problem as the vet can tackle the problems early on.
Moreover these may clear your cat of any risk of having worms, and even if it did have worms, this process would remove most of them.
Keep your cat clean and regularly groom it with a brush. It may come as a surprise but your cat probably has fleas on its fur. Cats are efficient are grooming themselves, but their only tool is their tongue which is not the ideal tool for grooming since it paves the way for many diseases.
Always keep an eye on your cats behavior as it can sometimes indicate the presence of worms. You can also inspect its feces to determine if worms infect your cat.
About Dr Pete Wedderburn Dvm
Dr Pete Wedderburn qualified as a vet from Edinburgh in 1985 and has run his own 4-veterinarian companion animal practice in County Wicklow, Ireland, since 1991. Pete is well known as a media veterinarian with regular national tv, radio and newspaper slots, including a weekly column in the Daily Telegraph since 2007. Pete is known as “Pete the Vet” on his busy Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages, regularly posting information on topical subjects and real-life cases from his clinic. He also write a regular blog at www.petethevet.com. His latest book: Pet Subjects, was published by Aurum Press in 2017.
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Can You See Worms In Your Cat Stool
When a cat with tapeworms passes a stool, the tapeworm segment adheres to the stool, and you can see. It’s about the size of rice, and it’ll be moving. Roundworms can also be passed if the cat has a pretty high load, and some of the other parasites can also be passed if there’s a high enough load of them. However, you generally don’t see the worms in the stool. We need to collect a fecal sample and send it off to the lab and have a microscopic exam to identify what type of parasites, so we make sure we’re choosing the proper antiparasitic medication.
Do I Need To Deworm An Indoor Cat
In short, yes: All cats should be regularly dewormed. Fleas carrying tapeworms can easily get into homes, hitching a ride on clothes and bags, other pets or visitors. Indoor cats can easily ingest fleas and potentially tapeworms when theyre grooming themselves.
Regularly treating your cat with a flea preventive can also help reduce the risk of them contracting tapeworms. Speak to your vet about the best flea treatment and worming products for your cat.
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