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The most common intestinal worms in cats are roundworms and tapeworms. Most cats infected with worms will not show any symptoms unless they carry a heavy worm burden. Symptoms of severe worm infestation include weight loss, diarrhoea, vomiting, irritation around the anus and a failure to grow (kittens). Also, it is important to note that some worms can be passed onto humans and rarely can cause serious disease, thus it is very important to worm your cat regularly. In cats that go outdoors (even into the garden or courtyard), it is recommended to worm your cat every month (e.g. Advocate and Revolution) but this depends on the brand of parasite control that you use (e.g. Bravecto Plus covers fleas for 3 months). If your cat is fully indoors and does not have access to the outdoors, it is still recommended to keep them up to date on their parasite control as you can still track flea and worm eggs into your home on your shoes and clothes. Below, we will discuss the different types of intestinal worms in cats (and dogs).

ROUNDWORMS: 
These are the most common worms and occur in both puppies and kittens. The two most common roundworms in cats are called Toxocara cati and Toxascaris leonina. They are 5-15 cm long and live in the intestines. In large numbers, they can cause diarrhoea and even bowel obstructions. Heavily infested cats are thin, weak, potbellied, with a dull coat and eyes. Eggs from these worms are passed in the faeces of the cat and can remain in the environment for several years. Cats can be infected by direct contact with an infected cat faeces such as sharing a litter tray, or by ingesting an intermediate host such as a rat or a mouse. Toxocara cati can also be passed to kittens through their mother’s milk.

HOOKWORMS: 
Hookworms are a small intestinal roundworm that damages the lining of the gut by attaching to surface. This can lead to anaemia, weight loss and bleeding. Signs of hookworm infestation are pale gums due to chronic blood loss, diarrhoea (with blood in it) or digestive disturbances. Common hookworms include Ancylostoma tubaeforme and Uncinaria stenocephala. 

TAPEWORMS:

This long, flat worm attaches to the wall of the intestine and segments of its body are shed and passed in the faeces which look like grains of rice. They can cause itching around the anus. They require an intermediate host to pass from one animal to another, generally a flea but also small mammals. Cats that have fleas or hunt and eat small animals (mice and rabbits) or offal (all non-meat parts of a carcass) can become infected with tapeworm.

WHIPWORMS: 
Whipworms are a much smaller worm than roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms. These worms live in the large intestine and embed their heads into the lining of the large intestine to consume blood. In large numbers, this parasite can cause significant inflammation to the gut and this in turn can result in anaemia, weight loss, as well as bloody and mucousy diarrhoea.  

HEARTWORM is not an intestinal worm and requires separate treatment please read our “Heartworm Disease” information page for more.

Treatment and Prevention of Intestinal Worms

• Treat all pets in the household at the same time.
• Treat kittens at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks of age. After 12 weeks of age, treat monthly until 6 months of age, and thereafter treat every 3 months for life.
• Pregnant Animals:  Worm the queen prior to mating and shortly after giving birth.
• Check your cat’s body weight before dosing.
• Cat All-wormers are available in both tablet and spot-on form. We stock Drontal tablets and Profender spot-on.

If you think your cat might have intestinal worms, please contact our friendly staff or book online for a consult. We will be able to offer options to identify what worms your cat may be carrying, and form a treatment plan from there.

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