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The
most common parasites that will affect your cat are worms
(roundworm, tapeworm, ringworm), fleas, ticks, and ear
mites. Below is a description of each. You
should speak to your vet if you suspect your cat develops
any of the symptoms, and all kittens should be given preventative
medication for worms.
Roundworm
Most
kittens are born with roundworms, which are long, white,
and string-like in appearance. A cat may also get these worms
if they happen to hunt and eat a rodent, bird, or insect
that has already ingested worms. The worms will appear whole
in the cat's feces, and most of the time they will still
be alive. Symptoms of ringworm include a dull coat, diarrhea,
vomiting, coughing, and a pot-bellied appearance.
Tapeworm
Most
common in adult cats, this worm has a long body that is made
up a flat segments that look like rice grains. It has
a flat head that fastens onto the intestinal walls of the
cats. The segments that make up its body break off
and are passed in the cat's feces and eggs are released. Tapeworms
may be spread by an intermediate host, such as a flea, small
rodent, or a bird. If the cat eats the infected prey,
most commonly a flea, the worm larvae hatches in the cat's
gut and develops into an adult worm, starting the cycle described
above. Symptoms of tapeworm may be weight loss, digestive
upsets, anal irritation, and segments are sometimes found
in the hair around the anus.
Ringworm
Ringworm
is a contagious skin condition caused by fungus. Other
cats, rats, mice, or hedgehogs may pass this onto your cat,
or he can catch the fungus from objects harboring the spores. The
most commonly infected areas are the head, ears, forelegs
and paws, where small circular scaly bald patches will be
present. However, sometimes there are no symptoms at all. If
your cat exhibits these symptoms, take him to the vet immediately
where he can be treated with shampoo or tablets. Ringworm
is contagious to other animals as well as humans, children
being more at risk than adults due to their delicate skin. Circular
red patches on the skin, mainly around the hands or arms,
are signs of ringworm and you need to see your doctor as
soon as possible.
Fleas
Fleas
can be present on indoor pets as well as outdoor pets, and
they are generally at their worst about five to six weeks
after the weather starts to get hot. To try to keep
fleas to a minimum, sprays can be bought and furniture (especially
around the skirting boards) and bedding should be washed
and vacuumed on a regular basis. Adult fleas can live
for 7-14 days, feeding and reproducing on your cat, and females
can lay several eggs a day, many which fall off of your cat. Within
two to five days the eggs hatch and tiny larvae hide in carpets,
furniture, or other dark places. This larvae then develops
into pupae, which can live for months without being noticed,
until a suitable host comes along. The flea then emerges
from its cocoon and climbs onto its host, starting the cycle
all over again. If your cat scratches a lot, he probably
has fleas. You should regularly check his fur by combing
through it with a flea
comb. You will either pull out fleas with the fur, or
you will see lots of black specs, called flea dirt. Fleas
feed on your cat's blood and what you are seeing is the flea's
feces.
If
you should happen to pull out fleas on the comb, pull the
hair out and deposit them in a bowl of hot water, submerging
the flea to kill it. You need to speak to your vet
about obtaining flea medication, which is thick liquid
administered monthly on the back of your cat's neck (if
he accidentally licks it, he will foam from the mouth -
don't worry, he won't be harmed). You should never
buy flea medication from any place other than your vet
- you cannot be certain what is in generics and this might
result in the medication not working or your cat could
get sick. The flea medication should be put on and
allowed to dry before your cat lays in any favorite areas
or on bedding. Before putting on the medication it
is recommended that you give your cat a bath using dishwashing
liquid (our favorite is Ivory), starting at the neck (where
fleas commonly are found) and moving down his body. The
foam from this soap suffocate fleas and make them fall
off of your cat, giving you a better base to start off
with. Make sure you completely rinse the soap off
of your cat, as this soap can dry out his skin. A
day or so after you put the flea medication on your cat,
you should start to flea comb him regularly to pull off
any fleas that might be running around on him.
There
are a few health problems that your cat can develop when
it has fleas. They can have a reaction to flea saliva
and develop Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD), which will cause
severe itching, scabs, and bumps. Anemia can occur
in young, old, and sick pets and can be life threatening. If
your cat ingests fleas, tapeworms may hatch in his belly
(your vet can give you medication to kill them). Your
cat can also develop Rickettsiosis, which can be passed
onto humans.
Ticks
Ticks,
which are blue-gray in color and resemble a small bean, are
most commonly found in rural areas where there is dense vegetation,
hedgehogs being the main carriers of them in towns and cities. They
attach to your cat's skin and feed off of its blood. These
parasites can grow to be half an inch long and are sometimes
mistaken as cysts or tumors. If you find a tick on
your cat, never pull it off, which can cause its head to
be left inside your cat and could lead to an abscess. The
most popular way to remove a tick is to use a flea/tick spray,
such as Frontline. You can also dab the tick with surgical
spirits or coat with Vaseline, which will cause it to suffocate
and fall off.
Ear Mites
Scientific
name: Otedectes Cynotis. Ear mites are common external parasites
of cats. They are tiny crab-like parasites that can
be found living inside the ear canal, a place that is hard
for the cat to groom. Ear mites can also be found on
other places of the body, such as on the skin of the cat's
neck, face, and feet. They feed on tissue debris and
tissue fluids rather than blood. Ear mites are very
contagious, and they can be passed between species (i.e.
between a cat and a dog). Humans can also be used as
transient carriers to other animals. Most cats will
encounter ear mites at some point in their life, kittens
and younger cats mostly because they have less of an immunity.
Young cats sometimes pick up the mites from their mothers. Severe
infestations cause irritation and an excessive production
of brown wax, causing concrete-like encrustations in the
ear. The cat will then scratch or shake his ears, causing
inflammation or possibly haematoma (ruptured blood vessels
which lead to swelling causing permanent crinkling of the
ear).
If
you suspect your cat has ear mites, you need to have a
vet examine him. Ear mites are only visible by using
a magnifying otoscope - the warmth from the light draws
the mites out from the wax and makes them visible to the
vet. The vet will then clean out your cat's ears
and prescribe medication, usually in the form of eardrops. These
will kill the adult mites but not their eggs, so it is
essential to continue treatment for at least one month
to cover the 21 day cycle of the ear mite. If your
cat's skin is affected you will have to apply topical clean,
and because ear mites are so contagious all animals in
the house will need to be treated even if they don't show
symptoms. Ear mites should never be left untreated;
failure to treat them could lead to secondary infections
or loss of hearing. You should clean your cat's ears
once a month to prevent parasite problems. |
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