Are Cat Worms Contagious to Dogs?

Cats can contract a number of different worms in several different ways. While the worms are not contagious to dogs in the sense that they can catch them simply by being in the same room, they can contract them in other ways, such as consuming affected fecal matter and walking over affected ground. Different types of worms are transmitted from cats to dogs, and vice versa, in different ways.

  1. Roundworms

    • Roundworms are the most common parasites found in felines. These parasites live in the animal's intestines, and grow to be 3 to 5 inches long. Dogs can contract roundworms from cats if they eat eggs off the ground, but it is more likely that they get them from their mother before they are born. While it is possible for dogs to get roundworms from cats, it is not likely. Oral treatments are necessary to kill or anesthetize the worms so that they may be passed out of the intestines in stool.

    Tapeworms

    • Like roundworms, tapeworms also live in the intestines of the animals they infest. They are named for their flat, tape-like appearance. Tapeworms absorb food through their skin, but keep themselves anchored to the intestines with hooks on their heads. If a cat is infested with fleas and tapeworms, it may pass tapeworms on to a dog if the dog eats a flea that consumed a tapeworm egg while it lived on the cat.

    Hookworms

    • Hookworms are smaller than roundworms, but a bit more vicious. Instead of feeding on partially digested food in the dog's intestine, it feeds on blood, which it draws with its sharp teeth. Dogs can get these parasites from their mother's milk if she is infected, but can also receive hookworms by way of consumption of the fecal matter of another dog or a cat who has been infected. Hookworms can usually be treated using the same worm medication used to treat roundworms.

    Whipworms

    • Whipworms burrow their heads and long necks into the intestines of their host and feed on the blood there. They cause intestinal bleeding and discomfort. Dogs contract whipworms by eating fecal matter left by another animal, such as a cat, that is infected. Their feces contains eggs, which then will hatch in the dog's intestines. A veterinarian will need to prescribe medication to combat whipworm infections.