Symptoms of Worms in Cats

It is important to know the symptoms of worms in cats so you can get treatment if needed. There are a number of different treatments so you should not worry too much as long as you take action once you see the symptoms of worms in cats.



The most common symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, dull coat or dry coat. You will likely see worms in the cat's vomit and feces. Typically an adult cat will have a routine fecal exam every three months (if they go outside) or six months (indoor cats). Kittens should have their stool examined every time they visit the vet.



If your cat has tapeworms you may not see the symptoms right away. You will start to see your cat have small white particles near their anus or in their stool, they may look very similar to sesame seeds. Tapeworms are easily treated with a number of over-the-counter medications.



There are other symptoms of worms in cats that are more related to other types of worms. Generally speaking you will not see any evidence of the worms in the cat's stool. You will however, notice other symptoms including weight loss, constant hunger, a dull coat and possible leakage out of the corner of their eyes.



Other symptoms of worms to look out for include:



AnemiaDark stoolDiarrheaDistended abdomenLethargyWeakness



If you are buying over-the-counter treatments try to buy liquid treatments rather than pills. The liquid is more effective. You should alert your vet to any of these symptoms for worms in cats especially if they persist after giving an over-the-counter treatment.



If you keep your eyes open you should be able to identify the common symptoms and treat your cat before they get any worse.

Dog Worms: Understand Dog Worms Symptoms and Infestation

Until a very recent period, dog worms were thought to be of a spontaneous origin, brought about by the influence of heat upon decaying vegetable matter, and it was and still is freely asserted that puppies are born with dog worms inherited from the mother in some mysterious manner while still in uterus. This has been conclusively proven an error and in the minds of all scientists there is no question about dog worms springing from individual eggs and having a complete life history of their own.



The principal worm species with which dog owners have to contend are round worms and tape worms. The first named commonly infest puppies and consequently are most dreaded by breeders. In shape and size these worms resemble common angle worms, but in color are lighter, being almost white or only a pale pink.



In adult dogs these worms, when full grown, are from three to seven inches long. In puppies they are about half that length, and as thick as common white string. Round worms live in the small intestines, sometimes coiled in such masses as to obstruct the passage, and occasionally they wander into the stomach or are passed by the bowels.



It is easy to understand that when one dog in a kennel is infected with worms, millions of eggs will be passed with the feces. These are scattered all over the floors, bedding, feeding and drinking pans. They get on the dog's coat, are licked off and swallowed and in numbers of ways gain entrance to the digestive tracts of other dogs, where they soon hatch out and in ten days are fully developed.



This rapid development account for the popular belief that puppies are born with worms, for breeders who have held post-mortems on puppies scarcely ten days old and have found in their stomachs fully developed round worms could account for their presence in no other way. They overlooked the fact that the prospective mother, confined in a kennel infested with worms, would get these eggs attached to her coat, belly and breasts, and the young, as soon as born, would take these eggs into their stomachs with the first mouthfuls of milk.



Symptoms Of Dog Worms Attack



Dog worms are responsible for so much sickness and so many symptoms that it is practically impossible to mention all of them, but their presence can safely be suspected in all dogs which have not been recently treated for them, as well as in cases where the patient is run down, unthrifty and out of sorts.



Other symptoms are a hot, dry nose, weak, watery eyes, pale lips and gums, foul breath, mean hacking cough and a red, scurfy, pimply or irritated condition of the skin and harsh, dry, staring coat that is constantly being shed.



Wormy dogs sometimes have a depraved appetite and will eat dirt and rubbish. Some days they are ravenously hungry, the next day they will not eat at all; their sleep is disturbed by dreams and intestinal rumbling, the urine is high colored and frequently passed, bowels irregular, stomach easily unsettled, watery mucus is frequently vomited and the mouth is hot, sticky and full of ropy saliva.



Puppies which are full of worms bloat easily and are pot-bellied. After feeding their stomachs distend disproportionately to the amount of food consumed. Their bodies are also subject to scaly eruptions and their bowels to colicky pains; they do not grow as rapidly as healthy puppies should and instead of playing with each other they curl up and sleep hour after hour; they get thinner, weaker and more lifeless from day to day and if they do not waste away or die in fits and convulsions with frothing at the mouth and champing of the jaws, grow up coarse-jointed, rickety and misshapen. Puppies with worms are also liable to paralysis of their rear limbs and on removal of the worms the puppies regain control of the affected parts.



A wormy dog is usually an unhealthy and unhappy dog who leads a miserable life. It could even be deadly, especially so for young puppies. Bring your dog to a veterinarian if you are unsure. Your dog will certainly thank you for that.