Roundworms, and Hookworms, and Tapeworms Oh My!

Worms the very word sends shivers through most pet owners. Its hardly better to call them by their more accurate name intestinal parasites. There are three types of intestinal parasites commonly found in cats roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms. Learning to recognize the signs and symptoms of these pests may save your cats life.

Parasitic worms live primarily in the cat's digestive system, where they cant be seen. When worms are seen in a cat's feces or when the material a cat throws up contains worms, your cat already has a serious infestation.

Roundworms, aptly named, look a bit like cooked spaghetti. Youll find the adult worms in your cat's small intestine. Millions of eggs may be shed in your cat's feces, and eggs can survive for about 14 days. A cat usually becomes infected by ingesting a roundworm egg. Once the egg hatches, the larvae migrate from the small intestine to the circulatory system and beyond. If a larva finds its way into the respiratory system, it is coughed up and swallowed.

The larva then matures in the digestive system there, the mature adult produces eggs and the cycle begins again. This process takes about one month. Mother cats can also pass larvae to their kittens in their breast milk. Symptoms of a roundworm infestation may be anemia, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, malnutrition often evidenced by a thin, dull coat and weight loss and a distinctive round, pot belly appearance.

In humans, roundworms can cause serious inflammation, organ damage and even blindness. Good hygiene, particularly for children, can help prevent roundworm infections in humans.

Rather than living off the nutrition to be found in your cat's digestive system, hookworms live off your cat's blood supply. They also live in the small intestines, and common symptoms are diarrhea, weight loss and bloody feces. In young or weak animals, hookworms can cause serious illness, even death. As with roundworms, eggs from adult hookworms are passed in a cat's feces. However, unlike with roundworms, the eggs hatch outside the body and the larvae are released.

The larvae may be swallowed by a cat, or may enter through the skin. Like roundworms, the larvae burrow their way into the lungs, are coughed up, swallowed, attach to the intestinal wall, and the process begins again. As with roundworm larvae, larvae that dont find their way into the lungs form cysts they can migrate to a pregnant female's kittens by way of her uterus, or through her mammary glands and infect her kittens as they nurse. Symptoms of a hookworm infection include anemia, weakness, pale mucous membranes, and black, tarry stools. Your cat may become thin, and her coat dull if shes infected with roundworms.

In humans, hookworms usually enter through bare feet, causing lesions and severe itching. If the larvae burrow further into the body, they can cause muscle pain and lung disease. Prevention includes good hygiene and not going barefoot in areas where animal feces may be present.

Finally, if your cat has ever had fleas, chances are youre familiar with tapeworms. While youll seldom see an adult tapeworm, youll often see the small segments of its body shed in your cats' feces. They sometimes look like grains of rice when they stick to your cat's fur or bedding. Each segment has its own set of reproductive organs, although much of the reproductive life cycle takes place in an intermediate host, such as a flea. Unfortunately, tapeworms produce few symptoms of illness in cats, which can make them hard to catch.

Human infections with tapeworms in the United States are, fortunately, very rare.

To treat or prevent worm infestations in your cat, follow a regular de-worming schedule. Most de-worming medications will kill a number of different types of worms, so you wont need to include multiple medicines for each type of worm. However, most de-worming medicines require multiple doses in order to kill both adult worms and emerging larvae.