Roundworms are passed through the feces of an infected animal and can survive in their host for years. Because blood loss can cause anemia, hookworms are a particularly menacing parasite for kittens and cats with a weakened immune system.Ĭats can become infected when they eat a hookworm host, nurse from a queen, or when the worms burrow through their skin. These are tiny worms that hook onto your cat’s intestinal walls and feed off of the blood supply. They’re segmented and may appear as wiggling grains of rice in your cat’s coat.Ĭats get them through contact with an infected animal, so outdoor cats who eat wild prey are at a particularly high risk. These flat, long worms are named for their resemblance to a strip of tape. Before You Choose A Dewormer, Determine Which Type Of Worms Your Cat Has. Intestinal blockages caused by too many tapeworms can also be deadly. Though most worm infestations are not life-threatening, they can be quite dangerous for kittens if they develop anemia from blood loss. Many of these symptoms are related to malnutrition that can develop if an intestinal parasite infection goes untreated for a long time. Intestinal worms rarely cause life-threatening issues in adult cats, but kittens and cats with heavy worm burdens can suffer from severe effects as the parasites cause bleeding, injure the intestines, and steal needed nutrients.Ī heavy worm infestation may cause the following symptoms: All cats are prone to parasite infestations but cats that spend a lot of time outdoors have a higher risk for infestation than indoor cats. Does Your Cat Need A Dewormer?Īccording to the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, intestinal parasites affect as many as 45% of cats.

Before we review Drontal and the rest of our top 5 recommendations, let’s talk about how dewormers work and the art of choosing a good one.

Types of intestinal flat worms