Parasites of Cats, an Introduction

 

Welcome to the yucky world of squirmy wormies, and those pesky pests—there is nothing nice to say about parasites! Or is there?

Hard to believe, but the parasites play a role in the balance of nature—but that is about the only thing we can say in their defense.

 

Unfortunately, they drain our pets of nutrition and many of these little creepy crawlies are able to infest people too. This is called a zoonosis, and when we share parasites with our pets, a spectrum of problems can occur, from irritations of skin, to loss of sight, debilitation, digestive problems, and even death in immunocompromised people (people with AIDS, cancer, the very old or young). All that apart from the aesthetics problem! In other words, in spite of their place in nature, parasites have no place in the pets residing in our homes and farms!

It is ESSENTIAL that you provide proper parasite control in your pets. Not only does your pet suffer from the parasitism, but as mentioned above, there are public health implications associated with many cat parasites. See the article ZOONOSES for more information about just how many creepy crawlies like people as well as pets!

After all the bad news, we need to let you know that with proper hygiene and modern worming medications, the chances of your families being at risk for infestation is very low indeed. We have all the tools needed to diagnose and treat most parasites. There are a few nasties though that are tough to diagnose, tough to eliminate, and can be costly to deal with—aim not to go there!

Modern treatment plans call for routine therapy for ALL kittens and adults. Your veterinarian is not just trying to make a buck by suggesting a series of treatments, stool monitoring, and for recommending preventives. Veterinarians care about your health, and your cat’s health, so let them help you protect everyone from the unnecessary burden of parasitism!