Cestodoses (worms): diphyllobothriasis in cats

Worms in cats

If a veterinarian determines that a domestic cat has worms in its body, this may surprise its owners, since the pet does not even go outside. But this happens quite often, because the owner himself can bring parasites home on the sole of his shoes.

There are several main types of cat worms:

• round;
• tape;
• flat.

Roundworms

The scientific name for roundworms is parasitic nematodes. This is the type of worm most commonly found in cats.

Nematodes are usually small in size, but very nimble and tenacious. Most often they live in the small intestine and can affect the liver and esophagus. They cause the development of diseases such as hookworm and toxascariasis. Both diseases are equally dangerous for both animals and humans, so it is worth considering them in more detail.

Hookworm

Hookworm is a whitish nematode with a reddish tint. In her mouth she has a capsule with three pairs of teeth, located symmetrically and curved inward. The teeth on the sides are larger than the others.

Male hookworms reach a length of up to 12 mm, females can grow up to 21 mm. Every day, females secrete several thousand eggs, which come out of the cat’s body along with feces. It is almost impossible to see them with the naked eye. The larvae emerge from the eggs in the external environment, and can live in the soil for a very long time. A cat becomes infected with them when it licks its paws, then the larvae enter the intestines, where they begin to feed very intensively and grow rapidly. After 23 weeks they turn into a sexually mature individual.

Basically, hookworms parasitize the mucous membrane of the small intestine, without causing much harm to the body. It gets worse when they switch to blood feeding. In this case, the worms introduce an anticoagulant substance into the microscopic wounds that prevents blood clotting. The pet begins to suffer from blood loss, as the wounds do not heal for a long time. Adult animals do not suffer from this very much, but kittens can develop chronic anemia, which causes a delay in their development and leads to disruption of the functioning of other organs.

But hookworm is dangerous for animals not only because of the development of anemia, but also because of the toxins that the worms release into the body. Due to regular poisoning, the animal feels worse and worse, and if the owner does not pay attention to dangerous symptoms in time, this can lead to irreparable consequences.

Toxocaridosis

A disease most common in pets. Caused by the parasite Toxocara cati (cat toxocara). These roundworms most often occur in cats; they practically do not take root in dogs, but can affect people. Female Toxocaras reach a length of up to 10 centimeters, males no more than 45 cm.

Almost every cat in the world is exposed to Toxocara; worm eggs are easily carried with dirt and dust and settle on the animal’s fur. When the cat begins to lick itself, they enter the body.

Even if the cat does not walk outside, it is still at risk, since Toxocara eggs can be brought into the house by the owners on shoes or clothes. In addition, they can enter the body through food, for example, raw meat, fish, and poorly washed vegetables.

The main danger is that these parasites can penetrate all the internal organs of the animal, and if the pet is not treated in time, they cause severe diseases of the heart, kidneys, intestines, and lungs, which ultimately leads to death. Although this happens if the pet has been infected with roundworms for a long time, one should not forget that the parasites multiply very actively in his body, which significantly worsens his well-being.

There are no objective visible symptoms of Toxocara infection; their presence is shown only by a specially conducted analysis.

Tapeworms

They belong to a large group of cestodes, that is, flatworms. Since ancient times, they have been parasites and are unable to survive outside the host’s body. These are the largest representatives of the parasitic world, sometimes their length can reach up to 10 meters.

Many of them are hermaphrodites; even one individual can produce hundreds of thousands of eggs per day.

Interesting fact: the larger the cestode, the more likely it is that it is a hermaphrodite, while small representatives are mostly heterosexual.

The life cycle of tapeworms is as follows:

• an adult worm, parasitic in the small intestine of cats, discards a segment of its body (segment) with eggs, which is released along with the feces;
• eggs released into the external environment are eaten by an intermediate host (for example, a flea or lice eater);
• the cat swallows the intermediate host, and in its body the larva develops into an adult worm.

Cucumber tapeworm

Causes a disease called dipylidia (fraught with digestive disorders, allergies, etc.). Cats become infected with it quite often. Cucumber tapeworm mainly parasitizes the small intestine; treatment must be mandatory and timely. Dipylidiasis is not a serious or dangerous disease, but small kittens and nursing cats are at risk of complications.

The main carriers of these parasites are insects, so stray animals are mostly susceptible to infection. But the domestic cat is absolutely not immune from the risk of infection.

Externally, the cucumber tapeworm looks like a gray-white or pinkish worm. The length can reach from 40 to 70 cm. It got its name due to the fact that the body segments of an adult parasite are similar to cucumber seeds. These helminths have 4 suckers and a proboscis with four rows of spike-like hooks, thanks to which they easily cling to the intestinal walls and are held on to them.

Insects (for example, fleas) act as intermediate hosts; the main host is a domestic animal, most often a cat, less often a dog. Rarely, humans can become infected.

Cats become infected when they ingest an infested flea.

Bull tapeworm

Also called pork tapeworm. This is a tapeworm that primarily parasitizes the intestines.

The bovine tapeworm cannot exist outside the host's body; its life cycle occurs within the body of several hosts. The main hosts are humans, cats and other domestic animals.

The bovine tapeworm has two larval stages:

• The first occurs in the segments of helminths, where the eggs form a spherical larva with a shell and six hooks. It is most often localized in muscle tissue.
• The second larval stage occurs in the body of the intermediate host. It looks like a small bubble filled with liquid that can grow to the size of a pea. At this stage, the head of the parasite is formed, but full development can only occur in the body of the primary host.

Wide tapeworm

Like other tapeworms, the broad tapeworm parasitizes the small intestine of its primary hosts, which can be cats, dogs, other domestic animals, many wild animals, and even humans. An adult worm reaches a length of ten meters, but in a cat’s body it rarely grows more than one and a half meters.

All tapeworms are hermaphrodites, since with the size they can reach, it is simply impossible for two individuals to survive in one organism.

Despite its enormous size, the tapeworm parasitizes the body unnoticed. But when infected, severe anemia is always observed, which in the future causes oxygen starvation, weakness, developmental delays, and vulnerability to infections.

The intermediate hosts of tapeworms are crustaceans and fish; infestation of cats occurs through eating contaminated food.

Echinococcus

Occasionally, cats become infected with other tapeworms, such as echinococcus. They are dangerous because they cannot be diagnosed with the naked eye, but can lead to the death of a pet. It is best to carry out preventive deworming once every 12 months and pay attention to hygiene.

Dipylidiosis

Dipilidiosis is a helminthiasis of cats, dogs, fur-bearing animals (foxes, arctic foxes), and also occurs in humans. The causative agent is Dipylidium caninum from the family Dipylidiidae. The cestode is slightly yellowish in color, 500–700 mm long, 2–3 mm wide. The scolex is very small, has four suckers and a proboscis, armed with three to four rows of awl-shaped hooks, with which the helminth is firmly attached to the intestinal wall. The cephalic end is thread-like, gradually thickening posteriorly; mature segments are elongated, shaped like a cucumber seed. The reproductive apparatus is double, opening on both sides of each segment. The uterus in a mature segment breaks up into separate egg capsules (cocoons), containing from 5 to 30 round eggs. Inside the egg there is an oncosphere, it is equipped with six hooks. The diameter of the eggs is 0.025-0.03 mm (Fig. 1).

As adults, tapeworms parasitize the small intestine of dogs, cats, wolves, foxes, sable, arctic fox, and marten. Intermediate hosts are flea larvae of dogs and cats, as well as the dog lice eater. Flea larvae and lice eaters, being constant companions of dogs and cats and feeding on various organic debris, can ingest cucumber tapeworm eggs and cocoons. Cystode oncospheres from the insect intestine migrate to the body cavity, where they develop into infective larvae (cysticercoids), and after the larva transforms into an adult flea.

Etiology.

Cats, while toileting, licking fur and looking for fleas, swallow insects infested with cucumber tapeworm cysticercoids. Insects (fleas and lice eaters) are digested in the gastrointestinal tract, and the released cysticercoids attach to the mucous membrane of the small intestine and form into tape forms of cucumber tapeworm.

Diagnosis

based on the results of helminth-coprological studies taking into account epidemiological data.

Treatment
of dipylidia in cats.
For dipylidia, the following are effective: fenasal - at a dose of 0.1 g/kg of animal weight without prior starvation diet; Kamala - fed, depending on weight, 1-3 g with minced meat after a 16-18-hour fast; droncit (praziquantel) -5 mg/kg; chipped-ban—0.025–0.05 g/kg of mass with minced meat, twice with an interval of 4 days. You can also use lopatol and cetovex. Deworming will be effective only if the cestodes are excreted together with the scolex, since from the neck of the parasite, which remains along with the scolex, a new sexually mature tape form of the helminth grows in the intestine.

Signs of worms in a cat

Worm infestations do not manifest themselves immediately: the development of symptoms is directly proportional to the amount of infection in the body.

Symptoms of worms in cats include a number of signs:

• depressed and apathetic state;
• problems with appetite;
• weight loss;
• fatigue;
• slow development in kittens;
• unusual condition of the coat, its disheveled appearance;
• noticeable yellowness of the mucous membranes;
• on palpation there is noticeable enlargement of the liver (trematodes);
• anemia of the mucous membranes (cestodia);
• constipation gives way to diarrhea, vomiting;
• cough;
• frequent licking of the anus due to itching;
• intoxication in the form of convulsions, paresis of the limbs;
• premature birth and sometimes miscarriage;
• blood in stool.

The list is quite large, symptoms do not appear individually, they are a whole set of signs.

Worms dangerous to humans

Let's look at helminths that are transmitted from cats to humans and are dangerous:

• Flatworms cause a disease called opisthorchiasis. The parasite settles in the liver, gall bladder and pancreas, affecting the ducts of these organs. You can get sick by eating raw or poorly cooked fish, mainly from the carp family;
• The wide tapeworm of the cestodoses group causes diphyllobothriasis. The worm occupies the small intestine and grows up to 10 meters. Iron deficiency anemia and dyspeptic disorders gradually develop. Raw freshwater fish can also become a source of infection;
• Echinococcus in the larval stage can seriously affect the internal organs of a person. Cats also carry the dangerous disease alveococcosis to humans. Contact with a sick animal can be fatal for people.

Hygiene remains the main barrier to the transmission of such diseases.

How many types of tapeworms are there?

There are two types of tapeworms. The most common is the so-called Dipylidium Caninum, as explained by experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is the subject of this article.

The second species, which poses a more serious threat, is called Echinococcus. According to the CDC, cystic echinococcosis is caused by infection with the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus, which is carried by dogs, sheep, cattle, goats and pigs.

“Despite the fact that most of the disease is asymptomatic, cystic echinococcosis develops dangerous cysts that gradually increase in size in the liver, lungs and other organs, which patients do not notice for years,” say experts from the CDC.

Another type of Echinococcus is Echinococcus multilocularus, which causes a disease called alveolar echinococcosis. Carriers of this type of parasite are foxes, dogs, cats and small rodents. Cases of the disease in humans are extremely rare, but very serious and are characterized by the development of parasitic tumors in the liver, lungs, brain and other organs. According to the CDC, if left untreated, alveolar echinococcosis can be fatal. But, fortunately, such cases are rare.

Is it possible to get worms from a cat?

There are approximately 32 known varieties of worms in cats , which will not deny themselves the pleasure of settling in the human body. The consequences of such proximity in animals and humans can manifest themselves differently. If a pet’s body can calmly coexist with some types of helminths, then in some cases the consequences for humans are serious.

Infection occurs after the eggs or larvae of worms enter the oral cavity. Basically, they get there through the hands. Even if several hours have passed after contact with the pet, parasite eggs remain on the hands. A cat, licking its fur, spreads pathogens through it from its anus, where the larvae and eggs of helminths accumulate. A person pets a furry friend, forgets to wash his hands with soap, and soon finds out that he has new little friends inside him.

Worms are transmitted not only from direct contact with the cat, but also through his things and litter box.

Treatment

Deworming of cats is carried out as prescribed by a veterinarian. The following anthelmintics are prescribed:

• fenasal;
• phenalidone;
• praziquantel;
• Filixan;
• dronzite;
• Kamala;
• Bunamidine, etc.

The medicine is given once, with a small amount of minced meat. Before using an anthelmintic, it is recommended to undergo a long fast. The dosage of the required drug is determined by the doctor, taking into account the fatness of the animal and the degree of invasion.

Ways of infection with worms

A pet has many ways of becoming infected with worms:

1. Foodborne is the most common type of infection, when worm larvae are transmitted through food consumed, raw, or not thoroughly washed.
2. Nutritional ingestion of helminth eggs that come out with the feces of a sick animal (for example, Toxocara eggs).
3. Aquatic infection occurs through drinking water that contains eggs or larvae of worms. For example, liver flukes begin development in the bodies of mollusks, from where they then emerge into the water, in which they can swim freely for several days.
4. Contact-household larvae enter the body through contact with household objects on which there are worm eggs (for example, hookworms).
5. Through mother's milk, Toxocara larvae and some other helminths, which migrate in the animal's body through the bloodstream, are capable of this.
6. Vector-borne Some types of worms are carried by certain types of mosquitoes. When a mosquito bites, worm larvae (for example, thread nematodes) enter the bloodstream. This type of infection is more common in southern countries, but is not excluded in the middle zone, for example, in the Moscow and Ryazan regions. This is how filariae, including heartworms, are transmitted.

How to identify worms yourself

There are obvious signs of worms multiplying in the animal’s body, and you can try to diagnose the problem yourself. So how can you tell if your cat is infected with worms?

We recommend paying attention to symptoms such as:

If you find worms in your cat, you need to contact the clinic to select the optimal anthelmintic drug. Since there are different types of worms, there are differences in their treatment.

At home, it is difficult to accurately determine which parasites an animal needs to be rid of. In addition, many diseases of internal organs, pathologies affecting the immune system, and improper care and nutrition of the cat have similar symptoms.

Symptoms of helminthiases

The main signs of the presence of helminths in the body of a cat are:

• weight loss;
• poor appetite or increased appetite without weight gain;
• digestive disorders (diarrhea, constipation, vomiting);
• anal itching;
• general depression and fatigue;
• increased temperature (in advanced form or when an inflammatory process occurs);
• cough (with pulmonary form);
• enlarged belly (more typical for small kittens);
• worms in feces;
• other signs of intoxication of the body with waste products of worms.

It is important to understand that at the initial stage, most helminths do not make themselves felt in any way, and the presence of obvious or even mild symptoms indicates that there are quite a lot of parasites in the animal’s body.

Symptoms and the degree of its severity largely depend on the type of parasites, their number and the state of health of the animal.

It is also worth understanding that the probability that a stray cat is infected with helminths is close to 100%, since according to data provided by veterinarians in Western Europe, 93% of tested stray animals and 25% of domestic ones had some type of helminthiasis.

Taking into account the fact that in Russia it is not very popular to clean up feces after pets, and there are also quite a lot of homeless dogs and cats, even for a completely domestic pet that does not leave the apartment, there is a possibility of infection with worms. Most often, owners without knowing it bring worm eggs into the house:

• on dirty shoes;
• with raw fish or meat;
• sheltering a homeless animal.

Why you need to treat worms correctly and quickly

Any infection of a domestic animal with parasites threatens the infection spreading to humans. The sooner measures are taken for effective treatment of cat worms, the less likely it is that the owner and his entire family, especially children, will encounter a similar problem.

Although deworming medications are freely available, choosing them yourself is not recommended. Experimental treatment, without preliminary diagnosis and consultation with a veterinarian, can lead not only to a lack of effect, but also to aggravate the situation. There is a risk of death, especially for kittens, in the absence of timely and correct treatment.

Important! To preserve the health and life of your beloved pet, and to prevent the infection from spreading to humans, which is especially dangerous if there are small children at home, you should immediately check the cat for the presence of helminths and take action.

If you suspect a worm infection or behavioral changes in your cat, immediately contact a veterinary clinic.

Treatment of worms in cats

Treatment of worms in cats is quite effective. There are several active ingredients that, in the right combination in a deworming medicine for cats, can affect all classes of parasites. They are called broad-spectrum anthelmintics.

The active ingredients of deworming products for cats include the following substances and their combinations.

Old, but still effective:

• Pyrantel pamoate / Embonate
• Paraziquantel
• Fenbendazole
• Ivermectin

More modern and safer:

• Moxidectin
• Oxibendazole

The newest substances that rarely show side effects and affect almost all worms:

• Milbemycin oxime
• Niclosamide
• Emodepside

Treatment is always carried out in a course. This is 2 or 3 times the use of drugs, with an interval of 7-14 days. Sometimes higher doses are required.

There are several forms of anthelmintics:

• Deworming drops for cats
• Suspensions
• Pills
• Injections

Anti-worm suspensions for cats

Suspension Parasiticide
Suspensions for worms are one of the most convenient and popular forms of anthelmintic drugs. Their advantage is the ability to accurately dose according to the pet’s weight and ease of feeding. Anti-worm suspensions can be given to kittens and adult cats.

Some of the modern, safe and effective drugs for the treatment and prevention of helminthiases:

• Anti-worm suspension Parasiticide for cats
• Celandine suspension for cats against worms.

How to give a suspension against worms

Giving your cat a deworming suspension is quite simple. The required amount is drawn into a syringe (usually included) and injected onto the root of the tongue, or mixed with food.

Deworming tablets

Deworming tablets for cats are a fairly modern form. Many anthelmintics are available in tablets. They almost always add meat flavorings for better eating.

How to give a cat a deworming tablet

Cats willingly eat tasty deworming tablets on their own. For bitter medications, it is most convenient to use a tablet dispenser (piller). You can put the tablet on the tongue and make sure that the cat swallows it. For picky cats, you can crush the tablet into powder and mix it with water or a treat.

Injections for worms

Injections against worms are very effective, since the drug immediately enters the bloodstream, which feeds most parasites. Typically used only by veterinarians in a clinical setting. Their use requires careful dosing, and an overdose will undoubtedly cause side effects.

Drops on the withers for worms

Drops on the withers for cats against worms are a new class of drugs. They usually work not only against endoparasites, but also against fleas and ticks. The active substance is absorbed into the blood through the skin, so it is very important to follow the technique of applying drops.

Folk remedies for worms for cats

The effectiveness of folk remedies against worms is questionable. They can help in the first stages of infection, but are completely useless with moderate and severe infestation. Traditional anthelmintics are not safe. Dosing herbal remedies is difficult, and overdose easily causes poisoning. Allergic reactions often occur. Among herbs, wormwood tincture and tansy decoction are recommended.

How to give a cat a deworming tablet

Giving a cat a pill is not an easy task. No matter how hard you try to persuade the animal to open its mouth and swallow the treat, there will be no result. There is a standard algorithm of actions that will help feed a cat a medicinal drug.

It is best to crush the tablet into powder and roll it into a ball with a tasty treat, sit the animal with its back to you and unclench its jaws. The medicinal ball is stuffed into the pet’s mouth and closed, stroking the pussy’s throat. As soon as the swallowing movement is made, you need to make sure that the medication is swallowed.

There are other ways to give your cat the pill.

If a pregnant cat has worms

If a cat is pregnant, the owner will clearly be concerned about the health of the expectant mother and her offspring. For this purpose, preventive measures are carried out three weeks before mating, treating both the groom, if necessary, and the bride. However, if the pussy is preparing to become a mother and has managed to catch helminths, then you need to check with the veterinarian what treatment is appropriate to prescribe based on the test results. There are anthelmintic drugs that have no contraindications for pregnant cats, but there are instructions for taking medications regarding the period. Some medications for cat worms are indicated for the initial stage of pregnancy, and some can be taken in the last weeks.

How to remove worms from a kitten

When treating kittens for parasites, you should be very careful; it is easy to cause harm to an organism that is not yet fully strengthened. You must strictly follow all the doctor’s instructions and follow the dosage of the medicine.

For small pets, one of the drugs recommended by experts, Dirofen, is suitable.

This anthelmintic drug consists of two substances, pyrantel and praziquantel. The first substance causes a kind of paralysis in parasites, and the second destroys their intestines and, ultimately, the helminth itself. Dirofen has a gentle, gentle effect on the kitten’s body.

Alveococcosis

Alveococcosis is a disease of cats, dogs and wild carnivores (foxes, arctic foxes, wolves, corsac foxes), caused by parasitism in the small intestines of these animals by the cestodes Alveococcus multilocularis. Alveococci are small cestodes (length 2-5 mm), the body of which consists of two to five segments. In appearance they are very similar to echinococci, but differ from the latter in that the uterus in the mature (last) segment has a sac-like shape without lateral branches, and the genital bursa opens on the lateral side of the anterior part of the segment (Fig. 2).

Alveococci in the mature tape form parasitize the small intestine of the definitive host: cats, arctic foxes, foxes, wolves, dogs. As the parasite matures sexually, the last segment filled with eggs is torn off from the body of the helminth and, together with the feces of the definitive host, is thrown into the external environment, invading grass, food, water, etc., where the eggs are swallowed by the hosts - wild rodents (voles, muskrats, lemmings, hamsters, beavers, nutria, hares, etc.), as well as humans.

The alveococcus larva (larvocyst) is a conglomerate of small blisters adjacent to each other and separated by connective tissue layers. On the inside of the blisters there are embryonic alveococcal scolex; sometimes larvocysts without scolex are found.

Etiology.

Cats and other carnivores become infected with the tape form of alveococcus when they eat the affected organs of rodents (most often voles). The development of the parasite to the sexually mature stage in the intestines of cats lasts about 3 months.

Diagnosis.

In cats, the tape form of alveococcus is determined by diagnostic deworming. Alveococci can be identified by individual hermaphroditic or mature segments.

Treatment of
alveococcosis in cats.
Fenasal is prescribed at a dose of 0.1-0.15 g/kg body weight without a preliminary starvation diet; droncit at a dose of 7 mg/kg body weight. In addition to the indicated anthelmintics, cats can be dewormed with filixan, aminoacrichine, bunamidine, lopatol, and cetovex.

Diagnosis of helminthic infestation

Diagnosis of helminthic infestation by tapeworms is usually made on the basis of tests and observations of the animal. A distinctive feature of cestodosis is the eggs of parasites, which can be visually detected in the feces and on the fur around the animal’s anus.

Remember! Do not self-treat an animal if you do not know its medical history. Popular deworming medications can worsen a pet's condition if it suffers from kidney or liver failure.

Preventing tapeworm infection

Tablets and suspensions are recommended for use in the morning, before feeding. Drops are considered a more universal remedy; they can be used at a time convenient for you, but the condition of the animal (after use) must be monitored. For prophylaxis, no preparation or additional measures are required.

Note! 1–2 weeks before scheduled vaccination, parasite prevention must be carried out.

If prophylaxis has not been carried out for more than six months, after the administration of an anthelmintic drug, it is recommended to strictly monitor the pet’s condition. If signs of poisoning appear, the cat is given adsorbents, and after 30–40 minutes a laxative. The problem is that the massive death of parasites leads to acute intoxication, which can weaken the body and provoke unexpected side reactions.

Symptoms of tapeworms in cats

Symptoms of diphyllobothriasis in cats:

• Unhealthy appetite due to weight loss.
• Anemia of the mucous membranes.
• Decreased activity.
• Pain in the peritoneal area.
• Bloated belly.
• Alternating diarrhea and constipation.
• Vomiting and nausea.
• The presence of parasite eggs in vomit and feces.
• When kittens become infected, there is a sharp lag in development and growth.

Symptoms of dipylidia in cats:

• Weight loss.
• Avitaminosis.
• Weakness.
• Restless and shallow sleep.
• Anemic.
• Stomach ache.
• Profuse drooling.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Itching in the anal area.
• Parasite eggs stuck to the fur around the anus.

Symptoms of mesocestoidosis in cats:

• Intestinal dystrophy with the expected consequences of vomiting, diarrhea, stoppage or improper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Avitaminosis.
• Severe dysbacteriosis.
• Severe, chronic diarrhea.
• Necrosis of intestinal fragments.
• Intestinal blockage.

Symptoms of hydatigerosis in cats:

• General malaise and apathy.
• Underweight or weight loss.
• Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract: diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting.
• Kittens and young cats have intestinal blockage, enlarged peritoneum, and retarded growth and development.

Symptoms of echinococcosis in cats:

• Weight loss to the point of exhaustion.
• Severe disturbance of digestion and absorption of food.
• Alternating constipation and diarrhea.
• Itching in the anal area.
• Increase in the mass of internal organs.
• If the liver is damaged, jaundice and other signs of liver failure.
• If the lungs are affected, difficulty breathing, coughing, severe shortness of breath.
• When the intestines are damaged, catarrhal enteritis leads to chronic inflammation and atrophy of the intestinal walls.

Important! Self-diagnosis always carries the risk of misdiagnosis! Remember, tapeworm infestation can only be confirmed by laboratory stool tests and additional examinations, if required.

Symptoms

The symptoms are very varied, as this is a large group of diseases. In the case of parasitism of sexually mature cestodes, the disease may be asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. Often people first learn about a tapeworm in their body or in a pet by noticing the parasite's segments that come out in the feces, resembling fly larvae, and when they dry out, rice or sesame grains. When parasites are localized in the intestines, indigestion, sudden weight loss, nausea and other similar symptoms occur.

If the central nervous system is affected by larvae, the following conditions are possible:

• anxiety;
• dizziness;
• sleep disturbance;
• decreased concentration, etc.

When the eyes are damaged, vision deteriorates and sometimes blindness occurs. During some cestodiases, serious dysfunctions of internal organs are observed. In severe cases, death cannot be ruled out.

Infection of a person with worms from a pet

The following types of worms are transmitted to humans from cats:

• roundworms;
• toxocara;
• Echinococcus;
• pinworms.

Helminths are transmitted to humans from cats in the following ways:

• direct contact with pets;
• failure to comply with personal hygiene rules;
• through cat feces or saliva.

If a person becomes infected with worms and does not start treatment on time, this can lead to dangerous and very unpleasant consequences:

• development of acute form of colitis;
• development of ulcers in the small and large intestines;
• constipation, flatulence, bleeding in the intestines;
• development of pneumonia, bronchial asthma;
• allergies;
• brain tumor;
• pancreatitis or liver abscess.

Preventive measures

It is unlikely that it will be possible to completely protect a cat from worms, but the risk of infection can be reduced. To do this you need to follow several rules:

• carry out regular deworming;
• visit the veterinarian once every three months;
• remove, if possible, all sources of infection from the home;
• monitor your cat’s diet and do not give it raw foods;
• limit your pet’s interaction with other animals and rodents;
• treat your pet for fleas in a timely manner;
• Carry out regular cleaning and disinfection of cat things.

It is necessary to carefully monitor not only the pet’s hygiene, but also your own, since the owner can also become a carrier of parasites. After petting someone else's cat or dog, you should immediately and very thoroughly wash your hands.

If your pet loves raw meat, it is recommended to freeze it in the freezer for several days, this reduces the risk of infection.

To prevent a person from becoming infected with helminths from a cat, there are also a number of rules:

• Wash your hands after each contact with the cat, before eating and after using the toilet;
• From an early age, children should be taught personal hygiene;
• do not allow the cat to sleep in the same bed with people;
• do not kiss your pet;
• thoroughly clean the cat's litter box, be sure to do this with gloves;
• do not accustom your cat to raw food;
• do not touch stray animals.

There are many types of worms, each of which has an adverse effect on the cat's body, but in general they can be gotten rid of without depressing consequences. The main thing is to notice the symptoms of infection in time and begin treatment.

Prevention

To prevent infection with helminths, you need to follow basic rules of hygiene and nutrition:

• Do not give raw meat;
• you should not touch the cat without washing your hands after going outside;
• no need to allow your pet near outdoor shoes;
• preventive therapy against worms and fleas should be carried out every six months;
• It is necessary to keep the animal's tray clean (you cannot add street sand as a filler).

By following the rules of hygiene, you can reduce the risk of helminth infection by your pet and the person himself to a minimum. If it does happen, then you need to contact a specialist in a timely manner. Under his guidance, you can quickly and without consequences get rid of the disease.