Various small organisms live on or inside cats. When there are a lot of them, the health of the animal can deteriorate significantly.
They are transmitted for the most part from cat to cat through feces and wool; some can get to kittens with mother's milk.
Roundworm in a cat
Ascaris - thread-like whitish roundworms 5 - 13 cm in length. They live in the intestines of a cat and can come out when coughing or with feces.Symptoms:
● Severe cough
● Bloated belly (especially in kittens)
● Diarrhea
● Dull coat and eyes
● "Wolf" appetite
● Blinking membrane (visible third eyelid)
Cat chains
These tapeworms also live in the intestines, attaching their head end to its inner surface. The end segments of the tapeworm, filled with eggs, fall off and are brought out along with the feces.Symptoms:
Small segments resembling rice grains appear in the hair near the anus, sometimes still moving. They are more visible on dark-colored cats than light-colored ones.
What to do:
The intermediate host of the life cycle of these tapeworms is a flea, therefore, in parallel with the introduction of antihelminthic drugs through the mouth, it is necessary to destroy fleas. Other tapeworms are transmitted through mice, voles and rabbits, which can be fed by free range cats. Therefore, hunting cats should be dewormed regularly. To do this, there are various drugs that allow you to get rid of tapeworms with minimal side effects, but the course of treatment must be repeated due to the risk of re-infection. Your veterinarian will determine the most appropriate dose for your cat.
Brown wingless insects with a hard cover, laterally flattened. Fleas live in wool and feed on the blood of their hosts. They are found only in temperate and tropical climates and are essentially unknown in northern regions such as Scandinavia. Cat fleas may bite dogs or humans, but rarely attack them, preferring cats as hosts. On the body of a cat, they are found mainly in the back and chest. A severe flea infestation can lead to anemia, eczema, and other complications.
Symptoms:
● Dermatitis (eczema)
● Combing
● Anxiety
● Skin grain
Visible manifestations: running and jumping fleas
What to do:
There are many insecticides that are effective against fleas. They are available as powders or aerosols and can be supplemented with a flea collar, although there is conflicting information about the safety of all these products.
In case of very severe infestations, cats should be bathed, although they are particularly sensitive to insecticides in the form of shampoos. Therefore, after the procedure, you need to thoroughly rinse the coat.
Since fleas breed outside the host, special attention must be paid to their destruction in bedding and furniture that the cat regularly comes into contact with. Common household insecticides are fine for this, but don't use them without removing the cat from the room and talking to your veterinarian about precautions.
It is problematic to remove fleas with a flea collar, it is more of a prophylactic than a cure. The disadvantage of the collar is that the cat can take it off. The smell from the collar is unpleasant not only for fleas, but also for the cat itself.
Aerosols- a fairly effective tool. They are toxic, so care must be taken to ensure that the product does not get on the face of the animal during processing.
It is also believed that if the scent of wormwood or pine is sprayed on the wool and indoors, fleas will also subside, as these natural odors scare them away.
Symptoms:
● Persistent periodic diarrhea
● Weight loss, exhaustion
● Blood in faeces
Lice on a cat
Pale gray wingless blood-sucking insects, flattened from top to bottom. They are attached by mouth to the skin of a cat. They lay eggs (nits), gluing them to the hairs. Spend the entire life cycle on one host.Symptoms:
● Combing
● Visible manifestations: lice on the cat's head and nits on individual hairs
What to do:
The treatment is the same as for fleas, but it must be repeated every week, as lice are very difficult to get rid of. Be sure to try to comb out all the nits. You can pick up lice with tweezers for plucking eyebrows and lower them into a disinfectant solution.
Ear mites on a cat
Ear mites live in the ear canal of cats and dogs and can be passed from one animal to another.Symptoms:
● Strong combing
● Shaking your head
● Ears tremble or stick out at an unusual angle
● Head tilted to one side
● Brownish or reddish lumps of earwax on the inside of the shell
What to do:
Ear mites can be detected by wiping the outer ear (its visible part) with a cotton swab and examining the removed plaque under a magnifying glass. The tiny, moving white creatures will be the mites, and the reddish brown coating will be their secretions. In severe cases, the veterinarian will completely rinse the ear and prescribe drops to be instilled daily. The cat will not protest too much if the drops are at room temperature.
Before releasing the cat, massage the ear area so that the liquid penetrates inside; otherwise the cat will shake its head and the liquid will pour out without having time to act.
The treatment should be continued for several weeks, and in the future, if you want to avoid relapses, you need to regularly examine the ears of the animals. In severe cases, warm liquid paraffin can be instilled. This will soften the earwax and help remove it from the ear. If one of the cats or dogs living in the house has ear mites, it is very likely that all animals will have to be treated.
Ixodid ticks on a cat
Ixodid ticks usually infect cats that live in rural areas and roam free. The tick bites into the cat's body and feeds on its blood. Cats rarely feel that ticks are sitting on them.Symptoms:
Ticks hanging on the cat's body are visible. They can be white and flat, if they have just sucked, or gray, swollen, pea-sized, if they have had time to drink blood.
In some parts of the world, especially on the forested east coast of Australia, ticks can infect cats with a fever that can lead to partial hind limb paralysis and, if left untreated, death. The disease is caused by a toxin secreted by the salivary glands of the tick.
What to do:
Avoid pulling out ticks without prior preparation: the head usually remains in the body and causes infection. To avoid this, lightly lubricate the tick with chloroform or alcohol, and then carefully remove it with tweezers. Do not use matches or lighters for this purpose - wool may ignite.
Aerosols are quite effective. They are toxic, so care must be taken to ensure that the product does not get on the face of the animal during processing.
Visual inspection reveals the following picture: when the hair is pulled apart, bites (small dots) are clearly visible on the skin of the animal. When there are too many fleas and the bites are extensive, an animal, especially a small pet, may become anemic. Her treatment requires a blood transfusion.
Cat fleas do not live on the human body, but they can actively bite it. A separate category of people has a pronounced susceptibility to bites that turn red, itch and swell slightly.
Otodectosis or ear mite
Also a very common disease caused by ear mites. The insect eats earwax and drinks the pet's blood. External examination reveals a brown coating on the auricles and numerous bites, which sometimes merge into solid crusts. Signs of otodectosis are so characteristic and pronounced that it is difficult to confuse them with anything else. An untreated ear mite provokes the development of deafness, otitis media, the occurrence of meningitis and other serious complications.
Cats of long-haired breeds can get sick with lice. These insects inhabit the fur of the animal, bite it, which makes the affected areas itchy. The pet loses its appetite, stops drinking water, becomes overly excited. Without treatment, the symptoms of the disease intensify, the ward weakens.
To remove fleas are used:
- Medicated shampoos (they are the most effective and gentle means);
- Drops (applied to the withers, allow you to quickly get rid of insects, but can cause allergies and residual effects);
- Sprays (effective, but sometimes an allergic reaction occurs);
- Collar (active preventive measure).
- After that, the apartment is sanitized.
Lice
Are common:
- Pronounced anxiety;
- Combed and bitten skin;
- Frequent weight loss;
- Signs of dermatitis - redness, crusts;
- Partial baldness;
- sleep disorders;
- Anemia - in severe cases.
Distinguishing Symptoms:
- With fleas, small white grains in the wool (eggs) are noticeable, in addition, fleas, unlike lice, are jumping;
- With lice - visible nits attached to the hairs, and black dots (excrement of individuals);
- With ear mites, a brown liquid sometimes flows out of the combed ear, forming dark lumps in the shell: ear scabies occurs - otodectosis;
- Ixodid ticks that have stuck into the skin are visible to the naked eye.
Causes:
- Interaction with the owner's clothes and shoes, on which he could bring ticks;
- Contact with infected relatives;
- Non-compliance with hygiene;
- Improper vaccination;
- Lack of inspections.
Ascariasis
Tiny, flat, round-shaped worms, whose thickness is up to 5 mmin diameter, and the length can reach half a meter. Most often, small kittens become infected with ascariasis. The larvae are picked up both through dirty paws and through contact with a sick animal.
The ward begins coughing attacks with the urge to burp, vomiting, and increased salivation appears. If, when coughing, the pet coughs up the larvae, and then swallows it, then a new round of helminth travel through the body will begin. If this does not happen, then the lung tissue is dotted with capsule-shaped formations with undeveloped helminth larvae.
Ascariasis may not give any symptoms of the disease. And it can manifest itself as weight loss, refusal of food, blockage of the intestines, etc. In babies, the signs will be especially pronounced, without treatment, the animal dies. Since the symptoms of ascariasis are typical for other diseases, it is not surprising that sometimes treatment does not give the desired result. After all, the diagnosis can be false. Ascariasis is very contagious for people, especially for children.
Nematodes (roundworms)
It is also often an asymptomatic infection that can be transmitted from a sick animal to other pets and people. With abundant distribution in the animal's body, weight loss occurs, intestinal disorders begin, and blood discharge is present in the excrement. Just as in the case of roundworms, young cats are most at risk of infection with nematodes.
Trematodes (flat flukes)
A large accumulation of dead bodies of helminths leads to blockage of the veins and respiratory tract. Ascariasis is very difficult to diagnose, it is confused with lung diseases. Any nematodes are dangerous for humans, since, affecting internal organs, they lead to the development of anemia, severe allergies, and the appearance of granulomas. Tapeworms are very dangerous not only for adults. Often they penetrate into the child's body, causing various deviations in its development. Metabolism is disturbed, and as a result, general weakness and lethargy appear. Anemia often occurs.
At the appearance of the slightest signs of helminthic invasion or establishments of fleas, urgent measures must be taken immediately to detect and eliminate insects. Remember, they are dangerous not only to animals, but also to you and your children.
* Based on the results of our own developments and colleagues from usatiki.ru
Infection of cats can occur at any time. That is why it is very important to identify the disease in a pet in time and carry out high-quality treatment.
- blood streaks in feces;
- diarrhea;
- drastic weight loss.
Show all
Small kittens in advanced cases can develop anemia, which is treated with blood transfusions.
Fleas do not live on the human body, but they can jump onto people and bite them. This causes a specific reaction, manifested by severe itching and redness of the skin.
If fleas are found in a cat or in a cat, the animal must be treated with special means. In the pet store you can buy anti-flea collars for cats, special shampoos, sprays, aerosols, drops and flea tablets.
In addition to the treatment of pets, a necessary measure is the treatment of the apartment. There are special tools for this. One of them is an insecticide, or dust, which is produced in the form of a powder and enters the distribution network in packages under various names. The most popular are Baygon, Tornado, Clean House and Double. Among similar professional anti-flea products, granular preparations are distinguished with the names: Chlorpirimark, Empire, Sinuan, Effective Ultra, Sinuan.
In the room, before processing, wet cleaning should be carried out, all things should be washed, pets should be taken out of the apartment for several hours and act according to the instructions.
When examined on the auricle of a cat, you can find a greasy brown coating and bites. These signs make it easy to identify the disease. Diagnosis can be made by comparing with a photo of a sick animal.
Diagnosis of the disease is carried out by examining secretions taken from the skin of the animal. To do this, a scraping is done on the affected area and sent to the laboratory of the veterinary clinic.
Symptoms of internal damage are hidden. But improper treatment can cause complications. Antifungal and antibacterial drugs for ticks should be selected by a veterinarian.
Subcutaneous mites are difficult to treat. To do this, there are shampoos based on benzoyl peroxide, special oil solutions for external use, ointments and gels. In parallel with this, immunomodulatory drugs and vitamins are taken. In complicated cases, a course of antibiotic therapy is performed.
The elimination of lice is achieved by treating the animal's hair with insecticidal dust or other anti-tick preparations with a similar spectrum of action. The procedure is carried out twice with a two-week interval.
A person can also be a carrier of worms. The second group includes worms, which, in addition to a living organism, may be present in grass, soil, air, poorly processed fish and meat products.
Several types of roundworm are known. Worms less than 12 cm long enter the stomach through the mouth, after which they are transported to the intestinal cavity. From here, along with the bloodstream, the larvae can enter the lungs. Manifestations in animals are accompanied by increased salivation and vomiting. As a result, the larvae are swallowed again and re-enter the intestine. Here they grow and develop, turning into adult worms.
If ingestion does not occur, then this leads to the formation of capsules in the lungs, inside which are undeveloped larvae. The disease may be asymptomatic. Although sometimes in animals the pathology is manifested by blockage of the intestines, weight loss, loss of appetite, up to refusal to eat. If left untreated, the disease can lead to the death of the animal.
Nematodes
Nematodes are a special kind of worms that are transmitted from animals to humans. For a long time after infection, the disease is not accompanied by severe symptoms, but its consequences can be quite serious. Injury can lead to death. The pathology is especially dangerous for kittens.
Signs of helminthiasis:
Treatment
Treatment of helminthiasis in cats can be done at home. In most cases, to remove the worms from the body of an animal, it is enough to give him a pill of Bunamidine, Febantel or Fenasal. To consolidate the result and affect the helminths that are at the time of treatment in the egg stage, after two weeks, the medication should be repeated.
Deworming of cats is desirable to be carried out every 4 months. Prevention of the disease is to exclude raw fish and meat from the animal's diet.
Pet owners should disinfect the premises and strictly adhere to the rules of hygiene.
Adult worms, their eggs and larvae are constantly in the environment: in the grass, in the ground, everywhere on the roads, on the streets, in parks, etc. Even if the cat is kept exclusively at home, this does not guarantee that it will not become infected with helminths. In this case, they will be brought into the house on human clothing and shoe soles.
Harm caused by helminths
The main harm that helminths cause to the body is:
mechanical injuries
Whole body toxicity
Complications of bacterial and viral infections
Worm infestations hit the animal's immunity very hard, thereby complicating the course of viral or bacterial infections. Very often, helminths are the impetus for the exacerbation of various diseases that were in a "dormant" state. Also, microtraumas of the mucous membranes, caused by helminths in the process of fixing and moving, become open gates for pathogens of various infections.
Localization of worms in the body is:
specific
- gastrointestinal tract;
- hepato-biliary system (liver and biliary tract);
- lungs or heart;
- kidneys;
- eyes;
- bladder.
perverted
Most often, the stomach with intestines (roundworms - roundworms and toxocara) and the liver (liver flukes) are affected.
transit
- type of helminths;
- their locations;
- the general health of the animal at the time of infection, its age and size;
- duration of infection.
Common signs that are characteristic of any type of invasion include:
- general depression;
- perversion, significant decrease or complete lack of appetite;
- dull, falling out coat;
- accumulation in the corners of the eyes of dried crusts without signs of inflammation;
- indigestion with signs of diarrhea, constipation and vomiting;
- signs of intestinal obstruction;
- a sharp decrease in immunity;
- bloating and the acquisition of a barrel-shaped form;
- detection of blood in the feces;
- obvious signs of anemia (whitness of the mucous membranes and skin);
- infected kittens from one litter lag behind healthy ones in development and growth;
- convulsions from intoxication of the body;
- detection of worms or their fragments in vomit or feces.
Specific signs of worm infestation:
Roundworm
|
Nematodes
|
Trematodes (or lungworms)
|
Tapeworms
|
Heartworms
|
stomach worms
|
The most striking symptoms of worms are noted in kittens due to a weak immune system and general body resistance. Death from infection with worms is also most often observed in small animals.
Anthelmintic treatment
Anthelmintic therapy consists of:
Anthelmintics are available in several forms:
Many worms in cats are transmitted to humans, therefore, if worms are found in a cat, it is recommended to carry out preventive deworming to all family members who have had contact with a pet.
Anthelmintics
Folk remedies for the fight against worms in cats
There are a lot of folk recipes against worms in cats, but, in addition to the therapeutic effect (not proven), the animal can experience a lot of side effects. This is due to the fact that folk remedies may not kill helminths, but increase their activity due to the discomfort they create. At moments of increased activity, helminths begin to migrate sharply, which creates increased trauma in internal organs and tissues, provokes internal bleeding and blockage of the intestine due to their massive accumulation in one place.
- Infuse the onion cut into four parts in warm boiled water overnight and feed the cat on an empty stomach in the morning for 7-10 days.
- Drink during the day instead of water with a decoction of fennel or pharmacy chamomile.
- Give an aqueous infusion of common tansy twice or thrice a day 30-60 minutes before meals.
- Alcoholic tincture of wormwood is applied twice a day 30-60 minutes before meals.
- Carrot juice enema once a day for a week.
- keep cats in acceptable sanitary conditions with regular washing of dishes for eating and drinking, as well as cleaning the toilet;
- minimize or nullify the communication of pets with street pets;
- exclude feeding the cat with raw meat and fish products, use settled or clean table water for drinking;
- regularly clean the claw point and places of the main stay of the animal using special disinfectants;
- regularly carry out general cleaning in the room / apartment / house where the cat lives.
The first signs of the presence of ascaris in cats are: bloating, lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy. Some of the worms may come out with the vomit. The coat of the animal loses its natural gloss. Kittens may be constipated. Ascaris can move through the circulatory system to the alveoli, which leads to pneumonia of the lungs. To diagnose the disease, it is necessary to take a cat's stool for microscopic examination of its individual fractions.
Infection occurs in many ways. Through the skin, the larva enters the bloodstream, and then sticks to the walls of the intestine, where the cycle of its development ends. Cats can also develop intestinal worms after the animal has ingested contaminated food or water. In this case, the larvae can migrate to various tissues of the cat's body, settling in the trachea and even in muscle tissue. Infection with hookworm through mother's milk is also possible, and intrauterine infection is also possible.
Chain in a cat
