![]() ![]() Good hygiene is an important preventative measure. Children are most frequently affected, and often have a history of eating dirt. Toxocara larvae can cause diseases in humans called visceral larval migrans and ocular larval migrans which are produced by the migration of the larvae through the tissues of people. Cats become infected with Toxascaris leonina in a manner simlar to Toxocara cati, except that it is not transmitted through the milk. Kittens can become infected by larvae that are passed through an infected queen’s milk. The eggs are hardy and can remain infective for months or years.Ĭats become infected with Toxocara cati by ingesting eggs or eating rodents that have larvae in their tissues. The eggs require several days to several weeks to develop into the infective larval stage. The adult female worm produces fertile eggs that are passed in the infected cat’s feces. The roundworms live in the cat’s intestine, soaking up nutrients from the cat’s diet. I can recall a number of emergency phone calls over the years from distraught and horrified owners whose cats vomited up live roundworms. ![]() They are often described as looking like spaghetti noodles. As their name suggests, roundworms are round, up to four inches long, and white to pale brown in color. There are two species of roundworms, Toxocara cati and Toxascaris leonina. These are the most common intestinal parasite of cats with a very high prevalence in kittens. The signs associated with intestinal parasite infections are fairly nonspecific and adult cats infected with worms may show no clinical symptoms at all. It may not be obvious even if your cat has worms, so it’s a good idea to have a regular program of preventative deworming treatments, especially during the summer. Indoor-only cats benefit from both the mental and physical stimulation that going outdoors during the summer months provides, however, it also brings the risk of acquiring worms in cats, or intestinal parasites, as they indulge in their natural predatory behavior and are exposed to contaminated environments. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |