Adult roundworms are three to five inches long, cream-colored, and live in the cat’s intestine, where they don’t attach to the intestinal walls and survive by eating food ingested by the host. Roundworms ( Toxascaris leonina and Toxocara cati) are the most common intestinal parasite of cats, affecting 25% to 75% of cats, with higher rates in kittens. Importantly, some GI parasites of cats have the potential to infect humans.
The vomiting, diarrhea, anemia, and dehydration caused by intestinal parasites can weaken a cat, making it more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections and other diseases. They usually cause fairly nonspecific symptoms, such as a dull coat, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, mucousy or bloody feces, loss of appetite, pale mucous membranes, or a potbellied appearance. These parasites can be wormlike or one-celled protozoan organisms. Gastrointestinal (GI) parasitism is a common problem in cats, with prevalence rates as high as 45% in some populations.
What Is There to Treat Idiopathic Megacolon?
