TYPES OF WORMS INFESTATION IN CATS
1- Hookworms:
Is a type of parasitic worms and was named by the name of the hook in the mouth, which thanks to the adhesion of the intestines from the inside are small worms and the length of the adult 4 mm and can not be seen with the naked eye but very difficult, but with small size has disastrous effects as it absorbs Excessive quantities of blood are carried in the blood vessels of the intestines so their spread may cause anemia which is a permanent problem in small cats and gets intermittently in older cats.
How do cats get hookworms?
The hookworms bleach a large number of microscopic eggs that come out with the feces of the cats and see only the microscope and then hatch the eggs producing small larvae that remain in place for several months and when they reach the fur or the feet of cats waiting for the opportunity to cat licking their fur or feet and spread in the body of the cat
From the mouth and sometimes the larvae enter through the skin of cats to reach the intestines and there grow up and complete its life cycle.
Symptoms of the disease and problems facing the cat?
One of the biggest problems you get is anemia or poor weight gain. Because the absorption of worms to large amounts of blood causes stress to cats and significantly affect the health and activity and at times may require the transfer of blood to the cat in advanced stages of infection these worms
Symptoms Of the disease
symptoms of the disease change the color of the gums to light or pale color, Problems with defecation Feces may be incoherent and in advanced cases there is chronic diarrhea of the cat. General weakness and lack of cat. There is a marked lack of weight in the cat and a buzzer in her body. Smelly from the mouth of the cat. Also read (bad breath in cats) Sometimes there may be itching and irritation in the skin due to the larval penetration of the skin.
Diagnosis of infection ?
So far, the best way to diagnose hookworm infection is to cross-examine a sample of stool where it produces its eggs significantly and comes out significantly with stool.
How is hookworm treated?
Hookworms are treated through the use of medicines and medical preparations and are regular oral injections or medications in the form of capsules and have no side effects. Also as cylindrical worms in cats, treatment continues for about 4 weeks because the drug affects the adult worm and is taken out with the stool and return to take a dose after waiting for the larvae and also repeat the process to make sure the problem is over The owner of the cat must also treat the environment around the cat, as the spread of this type of worms is very easy and may remain in a state of stagnation for months before finding a host and return to life inside his body. There are several medicines and pesticides safe on the cat is preferred to be used to sterilize the soil, soil and grass and can be easily obtained from veterinary shops and agricultural tools
Can the infection be transmitted to humans?
Fortunately, hookworms that infect cats never affect humans. In rare cases, worms may try to penetrate human skin, but they can not adapt. This occurs when touching soil or surfaces infected with worms. There is only a slight feeling of itching, and no traces or damage.
How to prevent these worms?
Maintaining cleanliness is the basis of prevention.
Clean the litter box periodically using sterilizers and rinse thoroughly.
In the case of any symptoms, the examination should be done quickly to cure the disease before it is spread in other cats
Isolation of the suspected cat. The more you avoid the cat, the lower your injury rate.
2- Cylindrical Worms
Definition of Cylindrical Worms?
As it seems or comes to your mind .. Cylindrical worms named on the so-called bodies have a round and length in the middle case is 19 centimeters and live in the intestines and feed on the diet of the cat digested .. Unlike hookworms it does not adhere to the wall of the bowel, but crawl or swim in the food and bleaching on Cat stools which helps diagnose the disease by microscope.
Causes and methods of infection of the cat with cylindrical worms?
The first source of infection is through milk, where the larvae multiply in the mother's glands and spread to the offspring through the milk during breast feeding. The larvae or eggs of the worms are also spread on the surfaces and are picked up by other cats through hair or legs or even when using the Litter Box of infected cats, which contains the larvae of this worm, which helps spread the infection quickly and the larvae reach the intestine through the muscle tissue and digestive system Until she grows up there and who has been laying the eggs and the larvae that come out with the feces and so be her life cycle. There is also a possibility that the infection from other animals where the discovery of the presence of larvae and eggs in some species of birds, poultry, rodents, rabbits and even the worm earth.
Diagnosis of cylindrical worms?
The worm disease is diagnosed by examining the cat's feces with the microscope with the assurance that the worms produce a good number of eggs in the stool so the detection is easy and for sure more than one sample is examined. In the case of the development of the case only finds the owner of the cat worms large size such as threads with cat feces or vomiting.
Treating a Cat from Cylindrical Worms?
With the development of science has become a cat on the worms cylindrical easy and not impossible, there are many medicines and medical solutions that help to end the problem. Some drugs infect worms with a kind of paralysis, which prevents them from holding onto the intestinal wall and then facilitates their descent with feces. Cats find worms with feces repeatedly until the intestines are cleaned with frequent ejaculation. This type of treatment requires several doses of treatment, estimated at 3 to 5 doses over 4 weeks. For this purpose, it eliminates adult worms but does not affect migratory worms or eggs or larvae. Fine and transient disease Also, as a precaution against not infecting the cat again, the litter box should be washed with the household bleach fluid and then rinsed thoroughly and the sand completely changed.
Are catworm worms infectious to humans?
There have been thousands of infections from cats to humans, especially young people, who always complain with the cat directly and neglect handwashing and sometimes the cat has been cured of the disease for months but we note here that the eggs worms cylindrical may remain in a state of dormancy for months and in the appropriate places for years and activates Then as soon as there is a host.
How to avoid cylindrical worms?
The only and always preferable solution is prevention. Cat litter should be disposed of permanently and a veterinarian should be checked regularly to ensure the safety of the cats. The discovery of the disease in its early stages contributes to better elimination and avoids infection of other cats or humans living in the same house. It is also preferred to purify the litter box periodically using bleach solution as it has an effective effect on the elimination of worms, eggs and larvae.
3- Heart worms
Definition of Worms?
It is one of the most serious diseases for the ability to eliminate the life of the cat as soon as possible by the invasion of the worm heart of the cat from the inside and then move to the lungs to destroy both completely stop the body from work and then stop life and for science this disease has no cure clearly once the penetration of the heart worm cat hard Heartworms are a concern for many dog breeders more than cats breeders, as many do not realize that cats are also prone to infections such as dogs, which go out into the open air in particular.
Causes of heartworms?
The disease spreads through mosquito bites and is transmitted in the body of cats in a different way from the way in the body of dogs. Where the larva is located in the place of sting and then spread worms and spread in the blood vessels of the lungs and die there, causing significant damage to breathing and known disease of the device Cardiac Respiratory System
What the worm does in the heart of the cat?
Live in the blood vessels of the lungs and heart and cause irritation leads to damage and obstruction of blood vessels due to the death of immature and then destructive health damage .. may reach the length of the dogs to 12 inches, but do not connect to this length in the heart of cats and multiply by the vaccination of mosquitoes and and then put the larvae in the blood streams by the bite (microflora) cats are rarely infected as the cats produce a strong immune response prevents most of the microflora to grow and because it is not the only host of microflora where growing in relatively warm areas to complete the stages of development .. But you can get it Domestic cats singled out In the seasons of mosquitoes
What are the symptoms of the disease ?
Cough Vomiting Difficult breathing or rapid breathing significantly Anorexia Depression Laziness - permanent slumber Accumulation of gases and fluid in the abdomen Sudden fainting Sudden death (very advanced cases)
Diagnosis?
Depends entirely on the blood test to see if there is an infection or not .. and the detection of proteins produced by the worms in the blood. But the presence of a few worms makes this test is not accurate, but the tests available to detect the disease in cats are much less accurate than available to dogs, but it is impossible for tests to produce results proving the presence of worms in the heart ..
Diagnosis: Depends entirely on the blood test to determine whether there is an infection or not. The detection of proteins produced by the worms in the blood. But the presence of a few worms make this test is uncertain, but the tests available to detect the disease in cats are much less accurate than available to dogs But it is impossible for tests to produce results that prove the presence of worms in the heart .. Chest radiography and echocardiography are also used to examine cats for heartworm disease, and can sometimes be useful in diagnosis. Also, using x-rays that impregnate lung changes can detect the presence of worms on ultrasound and usually use a combination of these tests to reach the most accurate possible result Proving the existence of the disease ..
The Treatment ?
There are currently no medicines that can kill the adult worms safely and also appropriate medicines for dogs not suitable for cats, but the mainstay of the treatment of the heart of the worms are products containing corticosteroid such as rednizolone.
Because of their anti-inflammatory effects caused by dead worms and also by the immune response by the body of the cat inside the lungs .. Dosage: (Rednizolone) This oral treatment is given 2 mg / kg of cat weight Then gradually reduced to 0.5 mg per kg of cat weight For two consecutive weeks and then stopped and returned after another two weeks The dosage should not be increased because it can cause poisoning
All this is given only after consultation with your veterinarian. There are treatments used originally in the treatment of asthma and works to expand the bronchial such as :: Albuterol, terbutaline or theophylline
Helping the affected cat to breathe easier and more comfortable
The cat needs intensive care including (oxygen therapy - anti-inflammatory fluids - intravenous fluids for trauma - catheterization in the nose - Intravenous corticosteroids, - tracheal extenders - analgesics) None of these treatments should be used without consulting a specialist.
DE-WORMING :
This method can succeed in some cases, taking into consideration the complete removal of the worm using the alligator forceps by making a hole in one of the ventricles to extract the worms and that cutting any worm during extraction can cause a severe collapse of the blood cycle and death immediately .. Therefore, the surgery is difficult In very late cases .. But de-worming is better than eliminating it and is inside the heart. Crocodile cats can catch the worms that are present in both ventricles, larynx and some arteries. This process is considered one of the most difficult operations of the heart.
Take Care please :
The treatment should be followed by a specialist and periodically given to the cat Keeping the cat alive at its best helps to improve and heal with God 's permission
Is there a way to protect your cat from heartworm exposure?
Yes sure !! Remember that cats are smart and have a tremendous ability to hide the disease resulting in delayed diagnosis and disease detection Doctors are therefore advised to periodically check the heart and lungs for safety or injury There are preventive pills given monthly
The most common: heartgard
