Cat Hospital
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Written by Dr. Nora McCaffrey of VCA Barcroft: Just as the tourists return to Washington DC, the parasite population explodes in springtime. Your cat can be at risk from these disgusting freeloaders all year long, but the risk increases as the temperature does. The good news is that they can be prevented!!!! There are many different types of parasites. The first one I want to discuss with you is Intestinal Parasites. These can take the form of worms, such as Roundworm, Hookworm and Tapeworm , or they can be one-celled organisms like Giardia and Coccidia. Most of these worms are transmitted by cats coming in contact with the eggs or cysts of the parasite, then the cat ingests them and becomes infected. Unfortunately, even cats that live indoors can be at risk. Some cats can be carriers for parasites like Giardia, and will always have a small level of infection present. This is troubling as some species of this parasite can be infectious in human beings, causing gastrointestinal problems especially in children and the elderly. There is widespread soil contamination in the US with Roundworm eggs, caused by lack of parasite treatment and poor hygiene among pet owners, and also by wild animals like foxes. These eggs are very hardy and can live for two years in the soil. Indoor cats can be at risk even from potting soil in our household plants. Again this parasite can be a major health risk for children, and even causes blindness in a few children in the US every year. External parasites infestations are often seen at this time of year. Fleas are found year-round of course in our temperate climate but the population explodes as the weather gets warm. I have seen many indoor cats get bad cases of fleas, because they are just so common, it is easy for us to bring one into our house from the yard. Or if you live in an apartment or condo complex, you never know how vigilant your neighbors are about flea control! It only takes a couple of fleas a short amount of time to produce millions of eggs and these infest your carpet and soft furnishings. Fleas famously carry the Bubonic Plague which is luckily only found now in certain areas of the country, but more commonly they can carry the bacterial infection that causes Cat Scratch Fever. They also carry Tapeworms which can infect your cat. Ticks can be a problem as well in this part of the country, and sadly this area is a Lyme Disease hotspot. They lie in wait for us in tall grasses and then attach on to suck our blood! Cats rarely get Lyme Disease but this disease is quite dangerous to people and there are other less-famous tickborne diseases that can affect your cat. We are discovering more and more about how serious Heartworm Disease can be in cats. These parasites are carried by mosquitos and can cause life-threatening lung disease in our feline friends. Again, being indoors does not mean that your cat is not at risk, as both of our housecats that live here and never go outside have been exposed to Heartworms. I personally have found mosquitos in my house in November! All of the above parasites are dangerous and disgusting, but luckily for us now we have effective and safe products that can treat and prevent them. Please call and make an appointment with myself or Dr. Paradise to discuss treatment and prevention. Toxoplasmosis is a concern for women who are pregnant or may become pregnant. It is a parasite that cats get from eating small rodents or rare or raw meat, and that humans can get from ingesting infected cats feces or from eating rare or raw meat. Sadly this parasite can cause severe problems for a developing baby, and for this reason women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant are recommended by their Drs to avoid cleaning the litterbox. If you are worried about this problem, please consult your personal physician, and also call us to discuss testing your cat for this parasite. There are also strategies to minimize your risk if you cannot avoid cleaning the box. The good news is that casual contact with cats cannot transmit Toxoplasmosis. You will all be happy to know that even after owning cats for years (and eating lots of rare steaks) that I tested negative for Toxo recently! There are many excellent web resources out there for more information, and of course contact me or Dr. Paradise if you have any questions. Two good websites are: The Companion Animal Parasite Council: www.petsandparasites.org The American Heartworm Society and the American Association of Feline Practitioners: www.knowheartworms.org The Centers for Disease Control www.cdc.gov/toxoplasmosis/ 
We are happy to announce that Paws and Claws photography will be at Barcroft from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday, November 23, right in time for holiday greeting cards. Schedule a time for your feline friend’s or friends’ photo session now by calling us at 703-941-2852. |
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