Cat Round Worm

Cat round worm infestation, while common, is usually less severe than other worms in cats. Since felines can become infected with round worms by contact with contaminated soil or eating infected prey, cats that roam outdoors and hunt are more likely to catch round worm.

The infection rate is very high in Kittens, with some sources claiming that almost all kittens have round worm. You should be aware that although most infestations are not severe, an untreated case of round worms in a kitten could result in death.

What Are They?

Note: According to most veterinary and medical sources, the correct term is all one word, as in ' roundworm. ' Since some sources consider it as two words, and much of the web browsing public does as well, it is referred to as ' round worm ' throughout most of this document.

Estimated infection rates are 25% to 75% (higher in kittens).

Adult round worms are 3 to 5 inches long, and cream in color.

Having relatively thin, tubular bodies, they resemble, of all things, strands of spaghetti.

Unlike some other cat worms, such as hookworms, round worms do not attach themselves to the intestinal wall. They "swim" freely in the gut of the cat.

Female round worms produce fertile eggs that pass through the cat's intestines and out into the environment in the feces. The eggs are not immediately infective, taking several days to several weeks to develop into the infective larva stage.

Methods of Transmission

You might be asking yourself, how does my cat get round worm? There are essentially three ways in which cats may become infected with round worm...

• Ingesting infective eggs.
• Ingesting infected tissue of a transport host.
• Consuming larvae passed through an infected queen's milk.

Ingesting infective eggs - This can occur through direct (e.g. eating infected cat feces) or indirect (e.g. contaminated soil or plants) contact with round worm eggs.

Ingesting infected tissue of a transport host - By eating rodents, birds, or insects (transport hosts) that have larvae in their tissues, your cat may become infected with round worm.

Consuming larvae passed through an infected queen's milk - Kittens can contract round worm from their mothers and become infected by larvae that are passed through infected milk. It is therefore possible for kittens to become infected soon after birth (this method of infection only applies to Toxocara cati, not Toxascaris leonina).

Signs and Symptoms

Round worm symptoms in cats include:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Pot belly
• Increased or decreased appetite
• Weight loss, despite an increased appetite
• Slow growth in kittens
• Weakness and death in severe cases

It should be noted that a cat can appear perfectly healthy, and still have a mild case of round worm. Even with a lack of symptoms, then, we should not assume that a cat is not infected!

As compared to other intestinal parasites, round worm infections are relatively benign. Cat round worm infections can, however, become life-threatening if there are enough worms present to cause intestinal blockage.

In addition, since kittens are small and still developing, infected kittens are in serious danger if left untreated. Older cats with other debilitating diseases or immune disorders can be at similar risk as well.

If you have a kitten or older cat at home at risk, you should be certain to have discussion with your veterinarian about cat round worm infection and treatment.

Diagnosis

Round worms in cats are diagnosed by discovery of the eggs during microscopic examination of the stool. Sometimes more than one exam is needed in order to confirm the presence of the eggs. Sometimes adult worms may be seen in the cat's vomit or stool.

Treatment

The good news is, that treatment is relatively easy, readily available, and inexpensive. The bad news is that treatment has to be administered several times, and only kills the adult form of the worm, not the larvae.

Typically, at least two or three treatments will be needed, at 2-3 week intervals.

Kittens are often dewormed with each visit for vaccinations. Your veterinarian is obviously the best judge of how treatment should be administered.

Obviously, deworming queen's prior to pregnancy will control the kitten infestations.

The best recommendations for general prevention are restricting cats from roaming and hunting, and control of insect and rodent populations.

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