Parasites aren't just a nuisance. As the cause of many diseases in cats and kittens, they are a real threat to your pets, and to you.
Heartworm disease can be caused by a single mosquito bite and can kill both cats and dogs. And fleas make your pet uncomfortable and cause flea allergy dermatitis, the most common skin allergy in cats. Fleas also transmit tapeworm to cats, not to mention the trouble a flea infestation can cause you.
To keep your cat and home environments healthy, learn how to recognise the symptoms of parasites, as well as how to prevent and treat parasite infestations.
What is a parasite?
A parasite is a plant or animal that lives on or inside another living organism (called a host). A parasite is dependent on its host and obtains a benefit, such as survival, at the host's expense.
Are there different kinds of parasites?
There are two basic types:
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Internal parasites (endoparasites) such as heartworms, hookworms and roundworms live inside the body of a host cat.
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External parasites (ectoparasites) such as fleas and ear mites live on the body of their host cat.
How dangerous are parasites to my cat?
It depends on three things: the type of parasite, the degree of infection or infestation, and your pet's individual reaction. A mild flea infestation may be of no great consequence to some cats, while others may show hair loss, itching and discomfort. Severe flea infestations can lead to significant skin disease, anaemia or even death, especially in young kittens. Infestations by ear mites can cause inflammation of the outer ear (i.e. ‘otitis') that can be further complicated by secondary fungal and bacterial infections characterised by an unpleasant odour and a crusty brown discharge. These mites can also affect humans who come into contact with affected cats.
Feline heartworms are potentially deadly yet completely preventable parasites. Immature worms are transmitted to cats during the bite of a host mosquito. Over time, these immature worms migrate and grow inside the cat to eventually become adult heartworms that reside in the large blood vessels of the lungs and the right side of the heart. The eventual effect of their growing presence, if left untreated, is heart failure.
Cats with unidentified heartworm disease are usually brought to veterinarians because of general symptoms such as coughing, lethargy, or a loss of appetite. Heartworm is much easier to prevent than treat, because preventative treatments like Revolution are safe when used as directed, effective, economical, easy to administer and non-invasive.
Are parasites in my pet a risk to me or my family?
Parasites like hookworms and roundworms can be transmitted to humans and can cause a variety of health problems including nausea, neurological problems and even blindness.
What makes Revolution the preferred parasite control product?
Revolution is the first and only topical treatment to protect against a wide range of both external and internal parasites in cats. That's what makes it so revolutionary because in the past, you needed multiple treatments that were difficult to remember, hard to use, and stressful for you and your pet.
Fleas
There's no other way to put it - fleas are blood-sucking ectoparasites (live on the skin surface of their 'host').
What is a flea?
Fleas are blood-sucking ectoparasites. There are 2,200 flea species known in the world today. Only a few of these commonly infest dogs and cats. Fleas are not the same as ticks.
The most common flea that affects both dogs and cats is the cat flea, or Ctenocephalides felis. It's dark brown or black body is about one to three millimetres long. They can also feed on people, but we're not their first choice of meal.
Why do cats get fleas?
Adult fleas have specially adapted mouth parts for piercing the skin and sucking blood. More than just annoying and irritating to your cat, they can also cause significant skin disease. Flea blood feeding is also associated with the transmission of several infectious diseases to both pets and people in Australia.
Fleas love warm, humid environments. And they are determined, nimble creatures capable of Olympian feats. When they're hungry and looking for a home, they can jump 10,000 times in a row up to 60 centimetres high. Plus their flat bodies allow them to move quickly through a cat's fur.
You'll usually find fleas on a cat's abdomen, the base of the tail and the head. However, a heavy infestation can thrive anywhere on the body.
What are common signs that my cat has fleas?
- You may be able to see fleas on your cat, especially if there is a large burden
- Fleas are small, and just because you don't find one on your cat, it doesn't mean that they're not there or that your cat is not being bitten by them!
- Fleas suck your cat's blood and can cause terrible skin irritation that will make your cat scratch, lick and bite themself. This may result in rashes, scaly skin, hot spots and hair loss
- Droppings, digested blood known as flea dirt, in your cat's coat
The 4 life cycle stages of a flea
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Adult fleas (5% of lifecycle):
- are the ones you see jumping around your dog's coat
- bite then feed on the blood of their host
- make up 5% of the flea lifecycle
- male and female adult fleas mate and lay eggs
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Flea eggs (50% of lifecycle):
- are not sticky and once laid quickly fall off the dog into the surrounding environment
- can't be readily seen with the naked eye
- make up 5% of the flea lifecycle
- take between 1-10 days to hatch into larvae (50% of the lifecycle)
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Flea larvae (35% of lifecycle):
- hatch from the flea eggs
- are a small worm-like life form that move away from the light
- bury themselves in dark places eg deep in carpet pile
- last 5-11 days while they undergo 2 moults to become a pupa (cocoon)
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Flea pupae (10% of lifecycle):
- in a sticky impenetrable cocoon that becomes covered in debris
- cannot be harmed by insecticides.
- usually lasts 5-14 days, but may lay dormant for up to 6 months
What do fleas do to cats?
Adult fleas have specially adapted mouth parts for piercing the skin and sucking blood. More than just annoying and irritating to your cat, it can also cause significant skin disease. Flea blood feeding is also associated with the transmission of several infectious diseases to both pets and people.
What is flea allergy dermatitis (FAD)?
It's an itchy skin disease animals develop from an allergic reaction to the saliva of fleas feeding on their blood. An affected dog will be very itchy – often from scratching, biting, licking and chewing. Their skin is usually reddened and there may be lesions and hair loss.
Infectious diseases from fleas
It's not just your cat at risk here. Fleas can carry infectious diseases that are transmitted to humans such as:
- Rickettsia spp. - causes flea-borne spotted fever
- Bartonella henselae – causes cat scratch fever
- Yersinia pestis – causes Plague, an identified agent of bioterrorism.
How can I treat or prevent fleas?
Products such as Revolution® can be used to treat, control and prevent flea infestations, as well as control flea allergy dermatitis.
Flea preventatives should be used year round. Your vet will be able to help you choose the right one for your cat.
Heartworm
Unfortunately, it's as scary as it sounds: worms that live in your cat's heart! Heartworm disease can readily kill cats, but it's also readily preventable.
How do cats get heartworm?
- Mosquitoes transmit the disease to cats by injecting tiny heartworm larvae into their skin
- The larvae develop and migrate through the body to the lungs and heart
- The presence of heartworm larvae in the lungs can cause significant lung damage
- Heartworm larvae can develop into adults that live in the heart and large blood vessels surrounding the heart
What are signs that my cat may have heartworm?
Due to the presence of heartworm larvae in the lungs and/or adult heartworm in the heart , the clinical signs that may be seen in cats with heartworm are:
- None
- Difficulty breathing
- Coughing
- Vomiting
- Sudden death
How do vets check for heartworm in cats?
- Heartworm can be very difficult to diagnose in cats
- Diagnosis may involve blood tests, chest radiographs or ultrasound
How is heartworm infection treated in cats?
There is no treatment for feline heartworm. There are options for the management of the clinical signs caused by infection but no safe treatment exists for the infection responsible for the clinical signs. Prevention of heartworm infection is recommended.
Ear mites
These troublesome pests are unpleasant for pet and owner alike.
Pets Most Often Affected
All cats, from kittens to seniors
What You Should Know
Ear mites are highly contagious and pass easily from pet to pet. Otodectes cynotis, the ear mite of cats, accounts for 5–10 percent of otitis externa cases in cats. Otitis externa, an inflammation of the external ear, results in frequent head shaking and pawing, an unpleasant odor, and discharge.
Ear mites are easily transmitted among animals and are spread by direct contact. These oval mites are fairly large, and look like coffee grounds in the cat's ear. These troublesome pests do not burrow in the ear; rather, they live on the ear canal's inner surface.
Signs
- Ear infection
- Intense scratching or head shaking
- Red-brown or waxy ear discharge
- Itching skin around ears, head, neck
- Thick crust around outer ear
- Possible crust and scales on neck, rump, and tail
What You Can Do to Help
Your veterinarian can recommend preventive treatment such as Revolution (selamectin).
Monthly use of Revolution treats and controls ear mite (O. cynotis) infestations in cats, and in kittns as young as 6 weeks. Ask your veterinarian about Revolution.
Hookworm
This pesky parasite can cause anemia in cats and an itchy rash in humans.
What is Hookworm?
Hookworm is a common intestinal, bloodsucking parasite that uses its hook-like mouthpart to latch on to the lining of the intestinal wall.
What you should know
Kittens may become infected with hookworm prior to birth, while nursing or from eating animals such as infected rodents. Hookworm infection is typically detected through a faecal exam, performed by your veterinarian. Hookworm larvae can also infect humans by burrowing into the skin, resulting in a rash known as cutaneous larval migrans or "ground itch." People can also unknowingly ingest eggs after being in a contaminated environment, causing an infection.
Signs
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Anaemia
- Poor coat condition
- Weight loss
What you can do to help
Prevention includes frequent deworming of kittens by your veterinarian, regular faecal exams, prompt disposal of cat faeces (particularly away from children's sand boxes) and the administration of a preventative medication.
Roundworm
Roundworms are one of the most common of the parasitic worms found inside a cat.
What is Roundworm?
Roundworm, another common intestinal parasite in cats, lives within the small intestine and migrates through the liver and lungs causing organ damage which can be severe if there are large numbers.
What you should know
Roundworm can cause fatal infections in kittens. A kitten may become infected with roundworm when it suckles its mother or by consuming roundworm eggs shed by another cat.
People can become infected by consuming roundworm eggs. This is more likely to happen to children who encounter a contaminated outdoor area, and get the sticky roundworm eggs on their clothes or toys, then their hands and, eventually, in their mouth.
Signs
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- A pot-bellied appearance
- Abdominal discomfort
What you can do to help
Prevention includes regular faecal exams, prompt disposal of cat faeces and the administration of a preventative medication