Internal worms often live inside your cat or dog’s gastrointestinal tract, where they feed on their food and sometimes their blood. When your loyal companion is infected, they will experience various symptoms, may have organ damage, and could possibly die. This is why regular deworming and testing are recommended by your veterinarian. When you deworm your cat or dog, you lessen the possibility of them passing on those parasites to you or to another animal. Deworming is included in many of our preventive plans. To learn more about deworming your cat or dog, feel free to contact us at 905-332-4014.
When should deworming begin in cats and dogs?
Puppies and kittens should start deworming around 2 to 4 weeks old. Deworming begins early because young felines and canines can get worms from their mother, and maternal antibodies only last for a few weeks. This means they are at risk. Every two weeks, kittens and puppies should be given different doses until they are 3 months old.
As an adult, your cat should be dewormed at least once a year, based on risk.
How are worms diagnosed in cats and dogs?
A fecal exam is usually used to diagnose most intestinal worms. Our team will collect a stool sample and examine it under a microscope to look for worm eggs. Other intestinal worms, such as tapeworms, can be identified without a microscope. For heartworms, a blood sample is usually examined to look for heartworm proteins released in the blood.
What are signs that my cat or dog has worms?
Here are signs that your loyal companion may have worms:
- Scooting
- Laboured breathing
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Swollen abdomen
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea or bloody stool
My cat stays indoors, is deworming necessary?
Yes, indoor cats still need to be dewormed. The outdoors doesn’t always stay outside, anyone can track in contaminated soil with worm eggs, or they can even get worms by interacting with other pets. Not to mention your cat can get worms from parasites that tend to hide inside homes. There is no guarantee that keeping them indoors will protect them from worms.