Cat Threadworms Treatment
Threadworms are a type of parasite that live in the intestines of cats. There are two kinds of strongyloides that infect cats: Strongyloides tumefaciensis and S. stercoralis. Treatment is painless and simple.
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Symptoms
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Threadworms rarely cause complications or even show symptoms. When symptoms do manifest, they are often mild forms of lethargy, diarrhea and respiratory illness.
Diagnosis
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Cats infested with threadworms can be diagnosed through a routine fecal exam at a veterinary office.
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Historical Treatments
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The medication thiabendazole was the treatment of choice for eradicating a threadworm infestation. This treatment was not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in cats.
Current Treatments
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The current drug of choice for eliminating a tapeworm infestation is fenbendazole. This treatment is not approved by the FDA, but has been shown to be more effective and cause fewer side effects than thiabendazole.
Speculation
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Ivermectin, a common antiparasitic drug, may be used in the treatment of feline threadworms. This is considered risky, as the dose of ivermectin needs to be extremely high to rid the body of threadworms. Also, it may need to be repeated several times to see results.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Paul Sapiano
