Instructions
Monitor your cat's eating habits. If your cat eats more than usual but gains no weight, or even loses weight, it might have a tapeworm infestation. A loss of appetite also indicates a possible tapeworm infection due to a large number of the worms in the intestine causing the cat to feel nauseous or debilitated.
Inspect your cat's anus and genitals for tapeworm segments that break off from the main worm inside the intestines. The small segments appear as rice-like granules around the cat's anus and in the fur around this area. Fresh segments look like cooked rice, while dried ones appear like sesame seeds or uncooked rice grains. These worm segments, also called "proglottids," cause this area to itch and your cat will lick the area incessantly to relieve the itching. It may also scoot along the floor, dragging its hind area, to relieve this irritation, according to the Pawprints &Purrs website.
Examine your cat's stool after it uses its litter box. If you see tapeworm segments crawling on the surface of the stool that look like flat, white, cooked particles of rice, your cat has a tapeworm infection. The stool may also appear loose or contain blood.
Observe your cat's behavior, to see if it shows signs of illness or vomits. Inspect the vomit to see if any tapeworm segments are present in the contents. Sometimes the tapeworm migrates from the intestine to the stomach and when your cat vomits, it may vomit up a full tapeworm, a flat worm with many segments, several inches in length.
Watch your cat for signs of illness. Tapeworm infestations cause abdominal discomfort, nausea and nervousness. Your cat may also become lethargic or develop a bloated stomach.
Bring your cat's stool to a veterinarian for a fecal exam, if you suspect your cat may suffer from a tapeworm infection. Sometimes the tapeworm segments, each containing up to 20 eggs, break open before passing into the feces of the cat. If a veterinarian performs a microscopic fecal examination of your cat's stool, he can see the microscopic eggs in it, according to Holly Nash, DVM of PetEducation.com.
How to Tell If Your Cat Has a Tapeworm
If your cat ingests a flea infected with tapeworms, it will also become infected. These flat, white, segmented parasites attach themselves to the lining of your cat's small intestines and grow 4 to 28 inches long, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Once infected, your cat begins to show signs of illness, since these parasites drain your cat of the nutrients it needs when it eats. Observe your cat carefully for signs of a tapeworm infection to prevent serious health issues from developing. Take swift action to rid your cat of the parasite.