Kitten Worms: How to Prevent and Get Rid of Parasites

Yuck! Just the mere mention of kitten worms can make even the most cast-iron stomach churn. Kitten worms are rarely discussed and are no laughing matter. If infected with a severe case of intestinal worms, kittens can become quite sick, infect humans, and even die.

Kitten Heartworms

When most people think of parasites that infect household pets, they tend to think about heartworms. Although heartworms can affect kittens, they are more likely to affect dogs due to simple biology. Felines are not the best hosts for heartworms and tend to be more resistant than dogs. However, when kittens do acquire heartworms, they are much more seriously affected than dogs. Kittens have smaller blood vessels than dogs that can be clogged due to the relative size of heartworms.

Heartworms thrive in moist climates and are most associated with areas that have a high prevalence of mosquitoes. The mosquitoes bite and infect kittens with larvae (young worms). Then, the larvae develop into adult heartworms while living in the blood vessels, heart, and lungs. Kittens may experience difficulty breathing, anemia, weight loss, and a lack of energy. Yes, heartworms can spell serious trouble for kittens. However, there are more common types of parasitic infections that can be just as deadly for kittens.

Most Common Types of Kitten Parasitic Worms

• Roundworms

  Roundworms are the most common type of worms that affect kittens. They are estimated to be present in almost half of felines. What makes roundworms so virulent is that the eggs can live in soil for many years. Kittens get infected by eating roundworm eggs or by eating an animal infected with roundworm larvae.

  

  Kittens can unwittingly ingest roundworm eggs when grooming themselves and licking their paws. The roundworm’s lifecycle is quite complicated. Adult roundworms live in an animal’s stomach and lays eggs. The animal passes stool that contains roundworm eggs.

  Your kitten walks on soil or ground containing the eggs or eats an infected mouse. Roundworm larvae can also be passed in a mother cat’s milk. Roundworms may be present in stool or vomit and resemble spaghetti noodles. They can grow to 4 to 5 inches (10.16 cm to 12.7cm) in length. Roundworms are diagnosed via a stool or vomit sample.

• Hookworms

  Hookworms are another type of intestinal parasite. They are basically blood-suckers.

  

  Hookworms attach to walls of your kitten’s stomach and feed off of their blood. Hookworms are such voracious drinkers that kittens could even die from the loss of blood.

  Hookworms are transmitted in much the same way as roundworms through stool and infected rodents. However, hookworms have the additional ability to penetrate exposed skin surfaces.

  Your veterinarian can diagnose hookworms by analyzing a stool sample. Hookworms can grow up to 1 inch (2.54 cm) in length. They have small hook-like mouths (hence the name) that are used to bore into a kitten’s intestinal lining.

• Tapeworms

  Tapeworms, unlike hookworms, actually take food and nutrients out of kittens’ stomachs. Kittens get tapeworms from swallowing infected fleas, eating uncooked meat, or ingesting an infected animal. Fleas are a little-known source of tapeworms. They can carry undeveloped tapeworms in their digestive tracts.

  Tapeworms have a different method of reproducing than roundworms and hookworms. A single tapeworm contains a head called a scolex. The head hooks onto the kitten’s intestinal walls to ingest blood for feeding.

  The body of the tapeworm is divided into segments called proglottids. Proglottids contain the tapeworm eggs. The eggs are passed in the kitten’s feces.

  In order to kill a tapeworm, the head must be removed. Tapeworms can grow up to many feet in length. In kittens, tapeworm segments (proglottids) may look like pieces of dried rice or there may be longer moist mobile segments located around the anal area.

Kitten Worms: Signs and Symptoms

Roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms all tend to have diarrhea as the most dominant symptom. Be sure to see your vet as diarrhea can have many causes other than a worm infestation.

With roundworms, kittens may present a pot belly, be somewhat thin, and may have anemia. They may vomit, have diarrhea, and may later develop pneumonia as roundworms enter into their lungs.

Kittens with hookworms are often anemic. They may have considerable weight loss, diarrhea, dark, bloody stools and may vomit blood.

Kittens with tapeworms may exhibit substantial weight loss, diarrhea, pain in the abdominal region, and be excessively hungry.

Worm Treatments

Oral and topical medications are the most widely use forms of treatment for worms. The type of medication used depends on the type of worm infestation and the age of the feline.

Heartworms, roundworms, and hookworms are all responsive to Pyrantel Pamoate (oral) and Selamectin (topical). Pyrantel Pamoate is known to be one of the safest anti-parasitic medications for use in kittens. Selamectin is safe as well. However, it is not recommended for use in kittens under 8 weeks of age.

Praziquantel (oral) appears to be quite effective in reducing tapeworm infestations in both kittens and cats.

Speak with your veterinarian about the best treatment options for your kitten.

Are There Home Remedies for Kitten Worms?

A worm infestation can be a serious life-threatening condition in kittens. Keep in mind kittens, especially young kittens a few weeks old are fragile. Once you suspect worms, you may want forgo the home remedy route and see the vet as soon as possible. Vets use powerful meds to kill worms and home remedies may not completely eliminate the problem.

Prevention

With kitten worms, prevention is essential. It’s better to try to prevent the worms from occurring than to have to expose your kitten to harsh chemical parasite treatments.

Tips to Prevent Kitten Worms

• Remove or cover nearby stagnant standing water (fish ponds, pools, bird baths) where mosquitoes breed.
• Treat flea, mice, roach, and beetle infestations. They all can carry parasite larvae.
• Use heartworm prevention products designed for cats.
• If possible, raise your kitten as an indoor cat. Indoor cats are less likely to be exposed to worms.
• Do not allow your kitten to hunt for mice and other rodents.
• Thoroughly cook meat fed to kittens.
• Wash your hands after handling kitten stool or vomit.
• Get separate litter boxes for each feline you own.
• Deworming your mother cat before she delivers or while she is lactating reduces her risk of transmitting parasites to her kittens.

Remember…when it comes to preventing kitten worms cleanliness is next to godliness.

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