Types of Worms

Roundworm

• Virtually every kitten can become infected while nursing
• Children playing in contaminated dirt or sand can become infected with roundworms if they place their dirty fingers in their mouths
• Roundworm eggs can hatch in a child’s stomach, cause damage to the abdominal organs and blindness in extreme cases
• Roundworms cause diarrhoea and vomiting in young cats and dogs. They can also cause weight loss, a pot-bellied appearance, loss of vitality and lethargy. Severe infection can lead to pneumonia and obstruction of the intestine

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Hookworm (Ancylostoma)

• Hookworm larvae can penetrate human skin
• Walking barefoot in contaminated soil or putting contaminated dirt in their mouths can infect children
• Hookworms can cause lesions where they penetrate the skin, intestinal bleeding, anaemia, abdominal pain and diarrohea
• Most common in young and occasionally adult animals, hookworms can cause anaemia if present in large numbers. Other symptoms include intestinal distress, pale gums, bloody diarrhoea, weight loss and in some cases stunted growth, digested blood in the stool and a poor condition coat

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Tapeworm

• Cats and dogs are at risk from these parasites that attach themselves to the wall of the animal’s small intestine
• The most common means of infection is by hunting intermediate hosts or ingestion of flea larvae
• One type of tapeworm (Echinococcus) do little harm to cats and dogs but can cause a severe infection – alveolar disease – in humans. However, cats, in contrast to dogs, are thought to be of minimal zoonotic risk as they are poor hosts for this worm.
• Symptoms are commonly white segments on the animal or in the stool. In rare cases, if present in large numbers, they can cause weight loss and debilitation. Sometimes, more commonly in dogs, the animal will scoot or drag its anus across the ground or carpet, due to anal irritation caused by segments

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Heartworm

• Heartworm infection (Dirofilaria immitis) and subcutaneous dirofilariosis (D. repens) are found in many south and eastern European countries as well as many other parts of the world. Climatic changes favourable to parasite development and the increasing number of pets who travel have increased the risk of infection for both cats and dogs.
• In risk areas all cats are at risk as mosquitoes spread heartworms
• Symptoms in cats are usually milder than in dogs, but cats can also suffer convulsions, diarrhoea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat and in certain cases blindness

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