Roundworm infections in cats can cause serious health threats, including diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal obstruction and pneumonia. Cats can become infected with roundworms in three ways: by consuming worm eggs from soil, by nursing from a mother cat that was infected in late pregnancy, or by consuming a prey animal that is carrying developing worms, according to the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. Identifying and properly treating a roundworm infection in your cat is important to its health and welfare.
Things You'll Need
- Deworming medication
Instructions
5 Steps to Combat Roundworm Infection in Your Cat
Determine if your cat is infected with roundworms. Roundworms are large, cream-colored worms that usually grow to 10 to 15 cm in length, according to Bayer Healthcare's Animal Health Division. Roundworms can be easy to identify in your cat's vomit or feces, and some cats will show symptoms such as weight loss and a potbellied appearance. You can have your veterinarian perform fecal testing for worm eggs as well.
Give your cat a deworming medication. Some deworming products are over-the-counter and some are prescription, according to Mar Vista. Your vet will help you to choose the right deworming medication for your cat. Also, many flea and heartworm prevention products offer a monthly deworming component. Deworming medications anesthetize the roundworm so that it releases its grip on the intestine and passes with the cat's feces.
Perform the followup deworming. Administering one or possibly two additional followup deworming treatments is crucial. Only one deworming product can kill roundworm larvae in migration (see Tips for more details on this product), says Mar Vista. After the first deworming treatment, the roundworms are cleared from the intestine and replaced with new worms that are completing their migration.
Determine if your other pets are at risk of a roundworm infection. If you have other cats, you must treat all of them with worm prevention medication. If you have a dog as well, you may need to treat it. There are actually two species of roundworms that affect cats and kittens: Toxocara cati, which infects only cats, and Toxascaris leonine, which can infect both dogs and cats, according to Mar Vista.
Perform routine worm-infestation prevention treatments. Regular deworming can help to keep your cat's intestinal tract clear of roundworms. However, routine deworming is not adequate to prevent mother-to-kitten roundworm transmission, Mar Vista warns.