How to Distinguish Feline Tapeworms From Roundworms
Feline tapeworms and roundworms are two of the most common internal parasites in cats. Tapeworm eggs are carried in fleas and will transfer to the cat after ingestion of all or part of a flea's body. A cat can contract roundworms by eating small host animals, such as mice and birds, but the parasites are most commonly transferred to kittens through mother's milk. The adult tapeworm can be seen by the naked eye as moving, rice-shaped pellets in the cat's feces, or attached to the fur around its anus. Roundworms cannot be seen without a microscope, unless the cat's infestation becomes so large that they vomit or anally excrete a large ball of the four- to six-inch long adult worms. Because the average person does not have access to the equipment to make a proper diagnosis of feline intestinal parasites, it is important that cat owners take their animals to a veterinarian for an examination.
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Instructions
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Vet Exam
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Collect approximately 1 oz. of your cat's feces in a plastic bag or disposable container and keep it refrigerated until your animal's veterinary examination.
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Have a veterinarian perform a complete examination on your cat, including obtaining any history of diarrhea or vomiting and getting a temperature reading.
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Give the veterinarian or vet technician your cat's feces sample for a fecal flotation test. They will mix the sample with a sugar solution in a test tube, use a centrifuge to spin it down and then microscopically examine the fluid on top of the test tube for tapeworm segments or roundworm eggs.
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Obtain prescribed anti-parasitic medication from your vet depending on the diagnosis and administer the medicine to your cat as recommended.
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Take your pet in for a follow-up examination, usually within three weeks.
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Tips & Warnings
If you notice tapeworm segments in your cat's feces or in the hair around its tail, make sure to collect some of the segments when your pick up the feces. Tapeworm segments are easily seen by the naked eye, but sometimes difficult to distinguish in a fecal float.
Make sure to refrigerate your cat's fecal sample if you're not going directly to the vet appointment. This will preserve any parasitic eggs that normally decompose at room temperature.
Wash your hands after collecting the sample because roundworms are considered zoonotic--transferable to humans.
Roundworms, unlike tapeworms, have been known to cause disease in humans. This is particularly true in children who may ingest the eggs from a contaminated environment. Called visceral larva migrans, the larva of the roundworm will move through a young child's (under 3 years old) internal organs, possibly resulting in liver and/or lung damage. Older children have been diagnosed with ocular larva migrans where the roundworm larva has migrated through the body to the child's ocular orb resulting in retinal detachment, vision loss and blindness. It is very important that litter boxes and the areas around be kept as clean as possible to prevent contamination.
Kittens infected with roundworms will often show a failure to thrive due to the parasite ingesting all their needed nutrients. As the roundworm infestation becomes excessive because of reproduction of the adult worms, the kitten's lungs may become damaged. Lung disease coupled with lack of nutrients can be fatal.
