Ever wonder if you would recognize cat
worm symptoms in your cat? Here are some tips to clue you
in
that your cat is
infested by these parasites. Its important to knock 'em
out before they do him long term harm.
Cat worms are parasites and the most common ones are: hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms and cat
heartworm. You don't hear much about lungworms, but they
can be a problem too. Your vet or friends may recommend a
prescription or over-the-counter solution, but you can opt for a natural approach to treating cat
worms.
You should suspect that your cat has a parasite if he is exhibiting one or more of these symptoms...
- Black, tarry stools;
- Coughing;
- Wheezing or problems breathing;
- Frequent bouts of vomiting;
- Diarrhea;
- White, rice-like casings sticking around her anal area
- White pieces of casings around his anal area.
So let's say your cat just up and barfed a load of load of half digested
Whiskas
along with something that looks like short pieces of spaghetti.
After you control your own bout of gagging, clean up the mess.
You've just been introduced to your cat's roundworms.
Sneaky Symptoms
If you noticed wheezing - you may think he has
a cold. You should take your cat in for a check-up.
Your vet may find that lungworms are in his respiratory tract.
Or worse, heartworms.
A cat infected by a cat heartworm may be gagging, coughing,
have difficult breathing or vomiting. Or he may show no signs
of cat worms - he may suddenly drop dead.
9 out of every 10 cats have some kind of internal worm at
some point in their lives. So its a pretty sure bet yours
came pre-loaded with cat worms. If you haven't made it to the
vet for a final diagnosis, monitor his stools in the
litter box. A black, tarry or bloody stool is a sure sign
of a hookworm infection.
Cats that have an advanced case of roundworms may exhibit cat
worm symptoms including serious diarrhea, frequent vomiting or
both. Blood may be present in the the diarrhea and vomit.
Unfortunately, when your cat
vomits he ends up swallowing some of the regurgitated
roundworms. Is that just too gross?
All cat worms are parasites; they suck blood. Cats and
kittens are candidates for anemia. A more tragic health threat
is an impacted intestinal tract - your kitten's intestines
packed with a mass of roundworms.
Tapeworms aren't as devastating to your cat's health as some
of the other parasites. You can recognize these cat worm
symptoms too. Take a look at his anal area. Do you see small, white, rice-like
segments? Well, its not rice - its a segment of tapeworm.
Treatment
Its likely your vet will suggest a synthetic
treatment for getting rid of your cat's worms. However, many cat owners are
opting for more natural treatments using herbal remedies.
Artemisia absinthinium (also called Wormwood)
has been used for centuries as a tonic to for the digestive
tract. It is very preventing cat worms. This herb is
widely used in homeopathic practices to treat cat parasites.
Consider
natural remedies as a viable option to purge your cat's
parasites and free him of debilitating cat worm symptoms.
