Fox tapeworm in cats: Symptoms, risks and treatment
Despite its name, the fox tapeworm not only affects foxes, but also cats. How your four-legged friend gets infected with the annoying endoparasites, how fox tapeworms are treated in cats and whether they also pose a risk to humans, is explained below.
How do cats get infected with fox tapeworms?
The fox tapeworm belongs to the tapeworm class. Its most common host is, of course, the fox. However, the tapeworm can also infect cats.
Fox tapeworms only reach a length of about three millimetres. They nest in the small intestine of their host, where they also reproduce. Infected animals such as cats regularly excrete tapeworm eggs with their faeces. This is how the resistant parasites are spread.
The excreted tapeworm eggs are then mainly ingested by rodents. These serve as intermediate hosts in which they develop into larvae. Cats become infected with fox tapeworms primarily by eating an intermediate host with the infectious worm larvae present in it, which are also called fins.
What symptoms do fox tapeworms cause in cats?
In healthy adult cats, it is quite possible that an infestation with fox tapeworms does not cause any symptoms. This is because visible symptoms usually only arise when the worm infestation is very severe.
In this case, the infestation with fox tapeworms can manifest itself in the following symptoms, among others:
- The cat gets diarrhoea.
- The four-legged friend suffers from intestinal inflammation.
- The cat vomits.
- The abdomen of the animal is bloated.
- The cat's coat becomes dull.
- The four-legged friend becomes increasingly thin.
Cats can infect humans with fox tapeworms
Although an infestation with fox tapeworms is far less problematic for cats compared to other worm species, even an asymptomatic infection poses a danger that should not be underestimated. Cats can transmit fox tapeworms to humans too, as they regularly excrete the worm eggs with their faeces.
Humans can then be infected not only by cleaning the cat's litter box, but also, for example, by eating unwashed fruit growing close to the ground in the garden, such as strawberries.
Humans are a false intermediate host for the fox tapeworm. However, this does not prevent it from developing into larvae in the internal organs and causing severe damage over time, especially to the lungs and liver.
An infection with fox tapeworms is practically incurable in humans. For this reason, it is of course crucial to prevent it from the outset.
How are fox tapeworms diagnosed in cats?
To diagnose an infestation of fox tapeworms in cats, the vet can examine a faecal sample from the animal. However, worm eggs are not excreted with every faecal deposit.
It is therefore quite possible that the examination does not yield any findings, although a worm infection is present and the cat may actually already be contributing to the spread of the fox tapeworm.
Prophylactic deworming in cats
Due to the fact that an existing infestation with fox tapeworms and other worm species is not always easily recognisable, it may be advisable to prophylactically deworm cats at regular intervals.
In this way, existing parasites can be eliminated at an early stage before they can harm the four-legged friend or be spread by them. Due to the significantly higher risk of infection, prophylactic deworming is often sensible, especially for outdoor pets.
Appropriate preparations against fox tapeworms are usually also effective against other types of tapeworms, so that these can also be counteracted with the help of a suitable deworming product for cats.
Deworming puts a strain on the cat's body
Despite all this, cat owners should keep in mind that conventional worming treatments can put a considerable strain on the cat's body.
Many cat owners are therefore critical of the regular administration of dewormers as parasite prophylaxis. Instead, some owners use special herbal mixtures as food supplements, which are supposed to create an environment in the cat's intestine that is hostile to worms.
Of course, such a preparation has the advantage that it is much easier for cats to digest and, in contrast to classic worming treatments with chemical active ingredients, it cannot trigger any resistance, even when given regularly.
Fox tapeworm in cats: Hygiene is important
If your cat is an outdoor cat, you will never be able to completely exclude an infestation with fox tapeworms and other worm species. It is therefore all the more important that you maintain good hygiene in the household.
Always remove cat faeces promptly, clean the litter tray regularly and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards every time. Also, do not eat unwashed fruit or vegetables that grow near the ground, as worm eggs can sometimes be found on them.
These measures will at least help you to reduce the likelihood of getting infected with fox tapeworms yourself.
Fox tapeworm in cats - our conclusion
As you can see, fox tapeworms are also a potential health risk for cats. However, the much greater danger is for humans, in whom infection with fox tapeworm can cause irreparable organ damage.
For this reason, it is very important that you pay sufficient attention to the topic of parasite prophylaxis for your four-legged friend, always treat a possible worm infestation in your cat promptly and ensure adequate hygiene.
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