Internal and External Parasites

Internal Parasites

In our last installment we discussed different vaccinations that help protect your cats against the most common and serious diseases.  Cats also need to be checked and treated for worms (internal parasites) from the time they are kittens on into adulthood.  It is very hard to find a cat that has not had some problem with worms.  Your veterinarian can test for the presence of worms and provide effective medications.

A heavy infestation of worms can seriously harm or kill a cat or kitten.  There are different types of worms that can cause your cats problems, so your veterinarian needs to test the stool of each cat to determine if the cat has worms and what kind of worms each cat may have.  There are different medications for the different worms, so please don't go to the store and give your pets a generic worm product, thinking that you can take care of the problem and avoid a visit to the vet.

Kittens need to be checked for worms because internal parasites such as hookworms or roundworms can easily be transmitted from the mother cat to her kittens before giving birth or during the feeding process.

The following is a list of common internal parasites found in cats:

• Roundworms
• Hookworms
• Whipworms
• Tapeworms

It should also be mentioned that there are diseases that are brought about due to the presence of internal parasites.  The most common diseases are coccidiosis and toxoplasmosis.

• Coccidiosis is a disease caused by a parasite in the intestines which can result in diarrhea and weight loss.  It is especially dangerous for kittens who usually get the disease from their mother.
• Toxoplasmosis is a disease which can affect many species (both animals and humans).  It is caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii.  Many different body tissues may be affected by the parasite, so there are a variety of symptoms.

External Parasites

External parasites include fleas, ticks, lice, and mites.  There are many medications available on the market that will help rid your cats of these parasites, but your cats will be miserable with skin irritations until you do something about the problem.  Personally, we strongly recommend that you have your veterinarian properly diagnose the problem and prescribe the correct medication for the condition.  You need to be absolutely sure that the product you use for any of these conditions is safe for cats.

There are many other conditions to address that can affect your cat's health.  We will briefly discuss some of the more obvious health conditions in our next installment.

Please be aware that cats hide illnesses very well.  By the time you notice that something is wrong with your pet, he or she may be very ill.  Don’t hesitate to contact your veterinarian if you suspect there is something wrong.  It is always better to be safe than sorry.  As with human conditions, it is easier to treat an illness or disease if you catch it early.