Protect your cat from parasites including intestinal worms

    

There are many reasons you don't want your cat to contract intestinal worms. They can cause your cat to have a poor appetite and upset their stomach to the point of diarrhea or vomiting. Not to mention, they’re just plain disgusting! Even if you don’t see worms, microscopic worm eggs are passed in the feces and can cause infection in people.

 

 

Kids aren’t always the best hand washers, and those little fingers often end up in their mouths. This leaves kids more likely to get infected with worms from their cat playmates.

Some of these worms won’t cause the exact same issues in people as they do in your cat. Because these worms are used to infecting cats, they get "lost" in humans, never quite reaching the intestine. Instead, they end up wandering to odd places inside the human body. This explains why people can have wide-ranging symptoms from intestinal worms, like a skin rash or a vision problem, rather than vomiting or diarrhea like in cats.

Okay, so you’re probably really grossed out right about now. But the good news is that this is really easy to prevent! We’re here to give you these tips to keep your cat, you and your family safe from worms:

• Get fecal testing done on your cat on a routine basis. This can help you catch a worm problem before it gets into your environment and becomes a long-standing issue. Your veterinarian can recommend how frequently this should be done based on where you live.
• Scoop the poop in the litter box regularly. Always wash your hands when you’re done picking up after your cat, even when using a scooper to do so.
• Reduce the likelihood of your cat contracting worms by trying to prevent behaviors that may expose your cat to infection, like catching mice.
• Don't go barefoot in parks or beaches that may be frequented by dogs or cats.
• Keep children's sandboxes covered when not in use to prevent stray cats and other animals from using it as a litter box.
• Keep your cat on monthly heartworm prevention, year-round. Yes, cats can get heartworm too! In addition to protecting your cat from heartworm, a life-threatening disease that’s difficult to treat in cats, these preventives also target intestinal worms. This gives you peace of mind that your cat is regularly being dewormed so your cat, you and your family are not at risk.

Speak with your VCA veterinarian to find out which parasite preventive would be best for your cat. 

Browse our wide variety of easy-to-use, veterinarian-approved parasite preventives. >>

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