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Other Common Parasites

Fleas, Intestinal Worms, and Ear Mites

Missy and Bashful were infected with almost every parasite that a cat can contract. After the vet saw them for the first time, he tells us cats can contract five main parasites and it looks like you are dealing with most of them. The five parasites that he named were fleas, hook worms, tape worms, ringworms, and ear mites (I think that round worms should also be included.) The good news is that all are treatable some are just a little more difficult than other. The goal of this page is tell you how my vet diagnosed the problem, how it was treated, and list other articles that contain helpful information.

Nothing that you read should substitute for veterinary care. I don't claim to be an expert, but hope to help you educate yourself so that you can better understand a diagnosis or treatment.

Fleas

Fleas are a common problem for cats and dogs alike. Missy and Bashful were covered in fleas and flea dirt. I had went to the pet store before I brought them home and picked up a flea spray. I decided that they were to small and bought some mild shampoo. The second day at my house they receive their very first flea bath and hated it. The rest of the evening was spent combing/picking off dead and dying fleas. I was lucky in a sense because I didn't have any fleas in my yard or house to get rid of. Below are some links to controlling fleas. I have never tried fleas control products like Advantage and Program, but I have included links to pages on those as well.

Fleas and Ticks FAQ This FAQ was written by Cindy Tittle Moore. It tells how to identify fleas, discusses preventive measures, choosing a combat method, the flea life cycle, fleas control products, and a lot more helpful information. It is has a section dealing with fleas in rabbits.

Fleas and Flea Control Written by James O. Noxon, DVM from the Companion Animal Dermatology. It is similar to the FAQ- toward the end of the article he gives recommendations on treating different types and ages of animals.

Operation Flea Control Did you know that fleas contributed to the Bubonic Plaque? This article talks about the history of fleas, the flea life cycle, problems caused by fleas, flea products and much more.

Three Steps to Eliminating Cat Fleas Written by the same person as the article above has some redundant, but useful information.

Advantage This page talks only about the flea control product Advantage.

Program This page explains the product Program.

Intestinal Worms

Worms can be a hazard to your cats health, if left untreated worms can even cause death. There are several types of intestinal worms. I am most familiar with hook worms and tapeworms. Hook worms are small and usually not visible to the human eye. Kittens can get hook worms from their mom while nursing or the environment- soil that contains lavara. They can be detected in fecal samples and are treated with an oral medication from your vet. Missy and Bashful were treated for hook worms their first two visits to the vet.

Tapeworms are small white worms that look like little inch worms. They can be detected visual in the litter box or can appear as dried up rice grains on the kitties backside. Fleas carry tapeworm larva. While grooming cats ingest the infected fleas, and the larva ends up in the cats intestine to grow and reproduce. The nature of tapeworms make them hard to detect in fecal samples. Missy and Bashful had two fecal samples three weeks a part and both can back negative for tapeworms. In retrospect I wish that my vet would have treated them the first time that we were in the office because it was two months before they ever showed signs of infection. After receiving the second deworming medication for hook worms, they both started to pass tapeworms. I felt terrible that they had not be treated sooner. Luckily, they were up-to-date of their vet visits and I was able to get the medication from the vet's office and administer it myself. If your cat/kitten has fleas it is possible that s/he will also have tapeworms. It only takes one infected flea to start the cycle. When they go to the bathroom, don't be afraid to look because if they have tapeworms the sooner you treat the healthier your pet.

There are several other types of worms mentioned in the articles that I have listed below. Thankfully, I have not had to deal with these and can offer no first hand information. Some common worms are roundworms and whip worms.

Problems - Internal Parasites Well written article. Address the health issues and explains each type of worm.

Intestinal ParasitesThis article talks specificly about cats and internal parasites, including worms and protozoan problems.

Intestinal Parasites: Uninvited Guests Discusses roundworms in kittens and explains that even healthy kittens could become infected.

Tapeworms are an Ugly Nuisance The article goes into details on the tapeworm lifecylce.

Tapeworms: A Nasty Nuisance Contains lots of information on what tapeworms actually are, problems with tapeworms, deadly varieties and treatment options.

Ear Mites

Ear mites can often be overlooked or dismissed as simply dirty ears. That's what I thought... these kittens have the dirtiest ears that I have ever seen. Ear mites can show up as a brown build up on the inside of cats ears. The cat often will spend a lot of time shaking their head or scratching their ears. Ear mites can dangerous and cause other problems if not treated. I have read stories of rescued cats have such serious eat mites infection that they have had to have their ear amputated. I have a cyper-friend whose lynx had a mild case of ear mites that went undetected. She developed a hematoma (clotted blood that builds up as a result of a broken blood vessel) in her ear and had to have surgery on her ear.

Treatment is relatively simply for us, but we were already treating for fleas and ringworms which may have helped us out. My vet gave me ear drops to add to their ears twice a day for seven days. Stop for a week to allow the eggs to hatch, and then add ear drops twice a day for seven more days. The hardest part is convincing the kitties to sit still while you add the ear drops, especially, when they don't like to have their ears touched. They slung the medicine all over me many times in the beginning of their treatment, but we all made it. However, many of the articles I read say that it is just as important to treat the whole cat because the mites can hide on other parts of the body. If you think that your cat might have ear mites it is a good idea to see your vet as soon as possible.

I have not had a lot of luck locating other sites with information on Ear mites. If you know of a site please let me know I would like to see it.

Ear Mites (Otodecic Manage) Part of the Pet Zone. Explains what ear mites are and how to detect them. This article says that it is important to treat the whole cat for infection not just the ears.

Ear Disorders of Cats The article was written by Mike Richards, DVM. It is short, but informative article sponsored by TierCom. Inc.

Understanding Earmites This is a very good article that explains what ear mites, possible problems if left untreated, treatment options, and other information.

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