Worms And Parasites - Diseases In Cats

It is the responsibility of every cat owner to take good care of his/her cat. It is especially important that they be protected from worms and parasites. Infection caused from these can be very painful and dangerous as well. Some commonly occurring diseases are:

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal disease in cats that is the result of mutated coronavirus. The disease spreads slowly. A relatively harmless coronavirus is present in some breeds of cats. However, in certain cats the virus will cause further diseases leading to FIP. Since the mutation of the coronavirus is different from cat to cat, it is unlikely to become a transmitted disease.

The infection can be contracted through fecal material. But the mutation of the virus will depend on the cat's physiological structure. It will commonly occur in young cats and those that are regularly infected with feline leukemia (FeLV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). The infection is lethal if FIP is effusive (wet) or non-effusive (dry) or a combination of both.

Symptoms of FIP are:

• Vomiting
• Pale gums
• Eye abnormalities
• Fever
• Distended abdomen (effusive FIP)
• Jaundice
• Weight loss
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhea
• Seizures or paralysis with nervous system involvement
• Difficulty breathing (from fluid accumulation in the chest)

Ringworm In Cats

Medical term for the disease is Dermatophytosis. Among worms and parasites that might infect a cat, ringworm is a parasite that causes fungal infection of the skin. It is a transmitted disease that spreads from one to another. It can also result from contact with contaminated soil or infected objects. Ringworm infects the scalp, body and nails since it is mainly a disease of the skin.

Young cats, cats with long hair and those that have previously suffered from skin diseases are more likely to fall prey to the microorganisms causing ringworms. Cats that suffer from stress or cancer, have poor eating habits or are under medication that decreases the immune response of the body, are also easy targets for the microbes. Kittens do not have a well developed immune system. Hence they can easily catch the infection.