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Pet Internal Parasites
Most pet internal parasites, commonly called worms, live in a cat’s intestines where they feed and reproduce. Some parasites, such as hookworms and roundworms, can be transmitted from the mother to her kittens before birth or during nursing.
Types of internal parasites
Coccidia is a common parasite of cats, especially kittens. Eggs passed in the feces of infected animals become ineffective to other animals within one to several days, depending upon the temperature. The most common symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, dehydration, weight and appetite loss. However, coccidia may present no symptoms.
Giardia is one of the most common parasites infecting cats. Young cats are more likely to have severe infections. Infections can be acquired by direct contact with fecal matter containing the parasites as well as from contaminated food and water. Symptoms can be intermittent or continuous and include foul-smelling feces which may contain mucus, loss of appetite and weight loss.
Hookworms are among the most dangerous of all internal parasites, especially in kittens who can be infected from their mother during nursing. Hookworms attach themselves to the intestinal wall and suck blood, causing severe anemia which can be fatal. Kittens with a heavy hookworm infection can die from blood loss within a few weeks. Their presence is less severe in older cats, but may lead to chronic anemia.
Roundworms are a common parasite among young kittens. They are infected by way of the placenta during birth. After birth, kittens can become infected by larvae in the mother’s milk. In the small intestine, roundworms compete with the kitten for nutrients, resulting in stunted growth and poor health. Roundworms often make a kitten look “potbellied.” Other signs include diarrhea, poor haircoat, listlessness and poor growth.
Tapeworms can be contracted by a kitten’s or cat’s swallowing tapeworm-carrying fleas, or by eating an infested rodent or raw fish or meat. The most common symptom is a ravenous appetite with no weight gain and, possibly, weight loss.
Whipworms are passed in the feces and are difficult to eliminate. Generalized symptoms include weight loss, nervousness, diarrhea with blood and mucus, and dehydration. Treatment with anti-whipworm medication must be repeated at regular intervals until the cat is completely cleared of whipworms.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
One of our customers commented about how fast she got of her puppies worms using grapefruit seed extract. She is a veterinarian from Columbus Ohio. It is multipurpose (broad spectrum) compound that is used to effectively fight many types of internal and external infections caused from parasites (single and multi-celled), viruses, bacteria and fungi.
Parasites: Add our recommended dose to 1-cup drinking water every day for a week. Repeat after 2 weeks and then again after 4 weeks. You can then use the maintenance program after this to help keep pet in good health.
