Cat Worming

Why is it necessary?
There are up to a dozen parasitic worms that can infect cats including roundworm, tapeworm, hookworm and whipworm. These worms will live in your pets' intestine and may cause illness if your pet is not treated.

How often?
For kittens we recommend treating for roundworms every 2 weeks until 12 weeks old. Adult cats may be treated every 3 months, or more frequently if they are hunters.

What are the symptoms?
There may be little in the way of symptoms that your pet will have, but the following may be seen; lack of appetite, dullness, vomiting, diarrhoea, poor coat, failure to thrive. Kittens may develop a 'pot belly'. With tapeworm infection, segments of the worm may be passed, and may be noticed sticking to the hairs around the anus. These mobile 'grains of rice' may indicate a tape worm infection. By the time your pet is showing symptoms it is probable there is a significant worm burden and that your pet is suffering. Worming your pets regularly can avoid this.

How does my cat get infected with worms?
Pets can become infected with worms in a few ways. It is likely that kittens will be exposed to roundworm eggs and larvae early in life, perhaps even in the womb and through milk, and we recommend early worming of kittens to eliminate infection. Worm eggs can remain viable in the environment after faeces have been washed away, so swallowing worm eggs that have been passed by other infected cats is a common method of infection. Cats that are active hunters of small mammals are therefore at a higher risk of developing a tapeworm burden. Tape worms are not passed directly between pets, but require an 'intermediate host'. This host may be small mammals, and the flea can also act as an intermediate host.

Can these worms be passed on to my family?
Although it is unlikely that you or your family will catch worms from your pet, it is very important to be aware of the possible effect of the roundworm commonly infecting cats. The eggs that are produced by the adult roundworm Toxocara cati living in the intestine are then shed in the faeces. It is estimated that up to 80,000 eggs per day can be excreted by a single adult roundworm. These eggs then persist in the environment, in the soil or sand. If then accidentally eaten by humans (with small children most at risk), the eggs hatch into larvae that may then travel around the human body potentially causing ill effects. Although uncommon, cases of children going blind due to the effects of the larvae are known.

Which wormers?
There are lots of wormers on the market, however many do not treat all the different species of worms. To be sure your cat has been effectively treated, we can only recommend wormers supplied by us. All wormers can be supplied over the counter, without the need to see a vet. Worming medicines are available in tablets, granules, liquids and 'spot on' preparations. We currently have a drontal loyalty card scheme, which you can get when you buy your first drontal wormer from us. After you have bought 3 lots of worming treatments, you get the 4th free.
For cats that are a problem to give a tablet too, we have a spot-on preparation that will treat both roundworm and tapeworms.
Flea control should also be a priority.

REMEMBER, PREVENTION IS BETTER THAT CURE; WORM REGULARLY AND CLEAN UP YOUR PETS' FAECES