How to Treat a Cat With a Ravenous Appetite That is Losing Weight & Has Diarrhea

Parasites can harm or kill your cat.

Tapeworms, which occupy the digestive tract, rob their host animals of nutrition by absorbing many if not most of the nutrients ingested by the host. Because of this, cats infected with tapeworms will sometimes lose weight regardless of how much they eat. The presence of the tapeworm in the colon can aggravate the wall of the lower intestines where it absorbs water from feces, resulting in diarrhea. Examination of the cat's stool is the best way to diagnose a tapeworm.

Things You'll Need

• Flea collar
• Vacuum cleaner
• Insecticide designed to kill fleas

Instructions

1. Take your cat to your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment. Most likely, the vet will administer an anthelmintic, or de-worming, anti-parasitic medication. This medication may be in the form of a pill or injection and a single dose will usually kill the parasite.

2. Examine the cat's stool after the vet administers the medication for the complete tapeworm or segments of its body to verify the effectiveness of the treatment. The animal may have more than one tapeworm.

3. Return the cat to the vet should the symptoms persist or return. The cat may have other parasites that require different treatment.

4. Place a flea collar on your cat or replace the one it is wearing. Fleas carry tapeworm eggs; when cats ingest fleas while cleaning themselves, the eggs hatch in the intestines, causing the infection. If you own other mammalian pets, such as dogs, fit them with new flea collars as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Fleas can persist in a home even after your pets have new collars. Vacuum all areas frequented by your pets, especially areas where they sleep, then spray an insecticide specifically designed to kill fleas in these same areas.

• Although a rare occurrence, children occasionally suffer tapeworm infections. If your child develops any flu-like symptoms, loses weight inexplicably and/or experiences itching around the anus, have him or her examined by a pediatrician.

References

• Cats of Australia: How to Get Rid of Fleas
• Vet Info: Cat Tapeworm Symptoms and Identification
• Snik Snak: Feline Tapeworm Infection