Hookworm Research Paper

What is Hookworms in Cats?

Ancylostoma hookworms are small, thread-like parasites that attach to the walls of the small intestine in cats, feeding on the blood of their host. Both Ancylostoma tubaeforme and Ancylostoma ceylanicum worms are known to invade cats. Hookworms are fairly common, infecting an estimated 10 to 60 percent of all cats at some point in their lives.

Hookworms can cause anemia, small intestine inflammation, internal blood loss and bleeding at the site of the bite. Because of this, hookworms can be fatal if left untreated. Fatalities are most common in young kittens.

Symptoms of Hookworms in Cats

Symptoms are often mild in older cats and more pronounced in younger cats. These symptoms include:

Small lesions at the
Cats become infected with the larvae either through skin contact with an infected cat' stool in the dirt, sand or litter box, through the ingestion of other animals who are infected with hookworms or by drinking water that is infested with the larvae. Kittens can become infected with hookworms by drinking their mother's milk. Once inside of the cat's body, the larvae migrate to the lungs and then into the small intestine. While in the small intestine, the larvae will mature into adult worms where they can reproduce eggs that will pass through the cat's stool. It takes approximately two to four weeks from the initial infestation for the cat to be able to pass on the hookworms to other cats, animals and humans. Outdoor cats, hunters and cats in overcrowded shelters are more likely to become infected with hookworms.

Diagnosis of Hookworms in Cats

Because adult hookworms are typically 1/2-inch or less in size and produce small eggs and larvae, they are difficult to see in stool with the naked eye. It's important to watch for the symptoms in cats in order to catch and treat hookworms before complications occur.

The veterinarian will need to know the cat's complete health history, which will include a detailed list of the symptoms, an approximate date when the symptoms first began and if any other animals in the household have recently been diagnosed with hookworms. The veterinarian will suspect hookworms if other
The stool specimen will be mixed with a solution that allows the eggs to float up to the top of the sample, making them easily visible under the microscope. Because hookworms typically reproduce daily, infestations are easily detected.

Treatment of Hookworms in Cats

Medication

A deworming medication will be prescribed to the cat. This medication will either expel the worms or kill them. Fenbendazole is a common ingredient in deworming medications and may cause vomiting. The medication will need to be given to the cat for three to five days to ensure that all of the hookworms have been expelled.

Pregnant cats should begin medication two weeks after breeding and continue until two to four weeks after giving birth in order to prevent the hookworms from being passed onto the kittens. Kittens should receive medication after they have reached three to four weeks of age and continue once a month to ensure that all of the hookworms have been expelled.

Supplements

Cats who are severely anemic may need to receive iron and nutritional supplements to make up for the blood