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Archive for the ‘Anemia’ Category

At some point, your cat will encounter a parasite of some sort. One such parasite is the cat hookworm. Actually, there are four types of hookworm that may infect your cat.

Ancylostoma tubaeforme, or the feline hookworm, Ancylostoma braziliense, or the canine and feline hookworm, Uncinaria stenocephala, known as the northern canine hookworm, and Ancylostoma caninum, or the canine hookworm (some authoritative sources state that this form of the worm only infects dogs, foxes, and possibly humans, but not cats).

Hookworm risks —

As with other parasites, environment and hygiene are critical risk factors, and indoor cats are far less likely than outdoor cats to contract the worm. Cats that are regularly allowed to hunt or roam are at higher risk for infection. Overcrowding and poor sanitation in shelters may contribute to the spread of the worm as well. Hookworms tend to thrive in warm, moist environments, so incidents may be higher in warmer climates. The exception to this might be U. stenocephala, which is more commonly seen in colder climates.

What they do to your cat —

In contrast to roundworm, which swim freely in the cat’s intestines, the hookworm will anchor itself to the cat’s intestinal wall and suck blood from the tissue. In order to ensure a constant supply of blood flow and nutrients, they inject an anti-coagulant at the feeding site to keep the blood from clotting. Clever, huh? One of the problems that can occur is that if the hookworm moves its feeding location, the old location may continue to bleed into the bowel. All this blood loss results in anemia.

Signs and symptoms of cat hookworms —

In kittens or cats in ill health, the anemia caused by the blood loss is usually more serious than in otherwise healthy adults. In rare, but severe cases, a blood transfusion may be required, and there may be a risk of death. Hookworms in your cat may cause any of the following symptoms: anemia, weakness, pale gums, poor coat, black tarry stools, bloody diarrhea, and weight loss. Infected kittens may also exhibit stunted growth.

Methods of transmission and life cycle —

An animal can become infected by ingestion of larvae. This can be through contaminated water or soil, or by eating an infected transport host (such as when a cat eats a rodent). Larvae can also infect your cat by penetrating the skin (usually the feet). In addition, infected mothers may pass the disease on in their milk.

You will note that in contrast to some parasites, hookworms have a direct life cycle. In other words, they don’t necessarily need a host in order to be transmitted.

Adult hookworms hook themselves to the intestinal wall and begin feeding. They pass microscopic eggs into the bowel of the cat, which ultimately end up in the cat’s stool. The eggs hatch and develop into larvae (immature worms). The Centers for Disease Control state that under the right conditions of moisture and temperature, eggs can develop into the infective larvae stage in as few as five days. Time varies, though, and this process may take up to three weeks or so. According to most sources, the larvae can exist in the soil and remain infective for many months.

When infection starts via skin penetration, the larvae will migrate via the circulatory system to the lungs. They will then make their way up to the throat, where they are swallowed. Once in the intestine, they may mature and begin producing eggs, and the cycle begins again.

In cats, prenatal infection (infection through transplacental blood flow prior to birth) has not been established to occur, as it does in dogs. Kittens, according to some sources, can become infected as well through ingesting the milk of an infected queen (transmammary), but others state otherwise, or that it has not been established.

Cat hookworm diagnosis and treatment —

Yearly testing for cat parasites, especially worms, is important, as it’s possible that healthy cats may show few symptoms until infection becomes severe. Hookworm eggs cannot be detected with the naked eye, but infection is fairly easy for your vet to diagnose through examination of the cat’s stool under a microscope. At least two treatments of deworming medication are needed in order to completely rid your cat of hookworm. Typically, treatments are administered at 2 – 3 week intervals. Kittens should be, and typically are, treated for hookworm during their kitten vaccination series.

Tapeworms are segmented white worms that can grow to enormous lengths in the host’s intestines. The tapeworm begins its development in an intermediate host, and your cat must eat the intermediate host along with the worm larvae it harbors.

The larvae then mature in their new host i.e. your cat. Common intermediate hosts include fleas, mice, rabbits, and other animals. Tapeworms do not normally show up in feces, making them more difficult to diagnose than most other worms.

But they do shed small, white, rice like body segments that are passed in bowel movements and that often stick to the fur around the anus. If you see tapeworm segments on your cat, talk to your vet.

A special dewormer is needed to eliminate tapeworms. A number of parasites also can take up residence in your cat. Aside from direct residence, signs of intestinal parasites may include weight loss, anemia, respiratory infection, and diarrhea.

If your cat has these symptoms, see your vet, and take a fecal specimen along. Even if your cat has no symptoms of worms, it is a good idea to include a fecal exam as part of her routine examination.

Some signs of illness require a quicker response than others, especially when observed in an older cat. If your cat has one or more of the following symptoms, contact your veterinarian.

* Abnormal aggression
* Bleeding or discharge
* Blisters or ulcers on the tongue
* Continual sneezing
* Coughing
* Dehydration
* Depression
* Diarrhea
* Difficulty breathing or breathing through the mouth
* Difficulty urinating or defecating
* Fever
* Frequent urinary accidents or a change in the color, odor, or amount of urine
* Discharge from nose and eyes
* Lameness or stiffness that lasts more than a day or two
* Listlessness
* Loss of appetite or difficulty eating, drinking or swallowing
* Lumps or swellings that persist or grow larger
* Paralysis
* Reduced stamina
* Sores that do not heal
* Unexplained weight loss or gain
* Vomiting
* Watery eyes
* Weakness

There are three common feline worms that affects cats. They include hookworms, tapeworms, and roundworms. These worms multiply as they live inside your cat. If there get to be too many, it can be life-threatening for your cat. Let’s take a look at these feline worms.

Roundworms

Roundworms live in the same intestine and can reach up to five inches in length. Most cats become infected by coming into contact with feces or food. Queens can also pass them to their kittens through their milk.

These worms are relatively large, so they can easily cause an intestinal blockage as they multiply. An infestation can quickly become serious for kittens. Your veterinarian can determine if your cat has these feline worms by examining his stool. An infestation is easily treated through use of a deworming medication.

Hookworms

Hookworms are much smaller than roundworms, as they only measure half an inch. Your cat can swallow them in his food and become infected. Sometimes, the worms are able to penetrate the cat’s skin. Like roundworms, hookworms infect the intestines also, but only after passing through the lungs.

An infestation of hookworms can also be life-threatening. They cause blood loss when they attach themselves to your cat’s intestines. If they get to be too numerous, your cat can develop anemia. Fortunately, hookworms can be detected through a stool sample and treated with deworming medications.

Tapeworms

Unlike the two previous species, tapeworms rarely cause serious damage to your cat. These feline worms infect cats when they ingest contaminated rodents or fleas. The adults mature in the small intestine. They also shed segments that pass from the cat’s body through his stool. You can easily spot the segments by looking at your cat’s feces closely. Tapeworms are also easy to treat through use of deworming medications. However, you need to adopt a flea control program if you want to prevent your cat from getting infected again.

Cats are generally healthy creatures. But even so, almost every cat will at some point be bothered by worms, bugs, infections and other cat ailments. Usually such problems do not develop into serious health threats. But nonetheless, prompt cat care is the best and safest way to return your cat to good health.

When needed, will you be able to provide proper cat care? Sure you will, if you learn more about the worms, bugs, infections and other cat ailments common to cats. Let’s take a closer look, starting with worms.

Hookworms, roundworms and tapeworms cause an assortment of symptoms and problems. These parasites live in a cat’s intestines and, depending on the type, feed off the cat’s blood supply or the nutrients it gets from food. Vomiting, anemia, a dull coat, and sluggishness are symptoms your cat might experience. If you notice any of these, have a stool sample (fecal float) ready for your vet to analyze. That is the only way to confirm a worm infestation and appropriate treatment regimen.

You probably already know about fleas, the bugs that bug cats most. Keeping these bugs under control can be a constant battle requiring determination and patience. In this case, prevention is the best cure. And it is also part of responsible cat care.

If not treated promptly, bites, excessive scratching, and other skin abrasions can cause infections. At-home first aid is usually a sufficient first course of treatment. However, if the wound is not healing properly, contact your cat’s vet to increase your chances of warding off infections.

Many other cat ailments exist and it is difficult to be an expert in all of them. Luckily, plenty of cat resources exist to help you learn more about worms, bugs, infections and other cat ailments as the need arises. So use them. You and your cat will be glad you did!

There are some human foods that are highly toxic to cats and kittens. As you may well know, kittens and cats are super curious and can get in quite a lot of trouble. They also have a very slow metabolism, which makes some foods more toxic to them than other pets such as dogs. Make sure to keep the following seven foods away from your kitten.

1. Chocolate. Most people know that chocolate is toxic to dogs, but don’t know that it is toxic to cats and kittens too. Chocolate contains theobromine which kittens tend to metabolize very slowly. Humans can metabolize it just fine, but in kittens it is toxic and will affect the nervous system.

2. Caffeine/coffee/tea. Caffeine is toxic to cats and kittens and can cause death. It only takes a few teaspoons of caffeine to fatally poison a kitten. be very careful leaving these drinks out where they can get into them.

3. Grapes and Raisins. There is an unknown toxin in these foods that can damage a kitten’s kidneys.

4.Macadamia nuts. These nuts also contain a toxin which affects nervous and digestive systems.

5.Mushrooms. These contain a toxin that cause shock and death in kittens.

6. Onions and garlic. These are dangerous raw, cooked or in a powder form .These foods contain sulfoxides which cause anemia by damaging red blood cells.

7. Fat trimmings from meat. This can cause pancreatitis in kittens.

This is by no means a full list of foods that are toxic to cats and kittens. There are also many other harmful materials that your kitten needs to stay away from such as nicotine. Any kind of raw meat or eggs can carry salmonella which is bad for humans and kittens alike. With kittens having a slow metabolism many things are more harmful to them. If you think your kitten has ingested something potentially harmful, please consult your veterinarian

Read this guide and your cat will thank you for recognizing cat worm symptoms before these parasites do her long term harm. There are several types of parasitic worms that can infest your cat like: lungworms, hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms and cat heartworm. There’s plenty of synthetic parasiticides on the market, but you can opt for a natural approach to treating cat worms.

Some cat worm symptoms can be pretty darn obvious, like when kitty vomits an enormous load of half digested breakfast along with something that looks like short spaghetti. Chances are you’re looking at roundworms.

Other times, the problems caused by cat worms aren’t as obvious. Perhaps your cat is wheezing – you may think she has asthma or a cold. Every year veterinarians are presented with thousands of cats showing all the signs of a respiratory illness. In fact, a microscopic exam of your cat’s feces may indicate the presence of lungworms in her respiratory tract. The presence of lungworms will cause her to exhibit symptoms similar to asthma, but the proper remedy is much different than the treatment for asthma.

If you just adopted a kitten or an adult cat, its a pretty sure bet she came pre-loaded with cat worms. If you haven’t made it to the vet for a final diagnosis, monitor her stools in the litter box. A black, tarry or even bloody stool is a sure sign of a hookworm infection. Take her in to your vet for a reliable diagnosis.

Cats that have an advanced case of roundworms may exhibit cat worm symptoms including serious diarrhea, frequent vomiting or both. Blood may be present in the the diarrhea and vomit. The poor creature is trying to expel these bloodsuckers naturally. Unfortunately, the persistent diarrhea dehydrates her. When she vomits she ends up swallowing some of the regurgitated roundworms.

All cat worms are parasites; they suck blood. Cats and kittens are candidates for anemia. The most tragic health threat is an impacted intestinal tract – your kitten’s intestines packed with a mass of roundworms. Young cats are particularly susceptible to an intestinal perforation when this mass moves about.

Tapeworms aren’t as devastating to your cat’s health as some of the other parasites. You can recognize these cat worm symptoms too. Take a look at her anal area. She’s probably showing it to you 2 or 3 times a day during your petting sessions. Seize the moment. Do you see small, white, rice-like segments? Well, its not rice – its a segment of tapeworm.


A cat infected by a cat heartworm may be gagging, coughing, have difficult breathing or vomiting. Or she may show no signs of cat worms – she may suddenly drop dead.

So here’s your “I’m Not An Idiot Guide To Recognizing To Recognizing Cat Worm Symptoms”

Your cat is exhibiting one or more of these symptoms…

Coughing, wheezing or problems breathing; Vomiting a batch of white, short spaghetti-like casings; Gagging; Frequent bouts of vomiting; Diarrhea; Black, tarry stools; White, rice-like casings sticking around her anal area

Its likely your vet will suggest a topical or oral synthetic treatment for purging cat worms. However, many cat owners are opting for more natural treatments using herbal remedies like Artemisia absinthinium (also called Wormwood). This herb is widely used in homeopathic practices to treat cat parasites. Consider it as a viable option to rid your cat’s parasites and free her of debilitating cat worm symptoms.