Roundworms and hookworms

Giardia

Coccidiosis

Toxoplasmosis

Tapeworms

Fecal examination for persistent diarrhea

Your lab test is wrong.  I know my cat has worms, I can see them. 

Intestinal Parasites

Cats can harbor a variety of intestinal parasites, some of which are important to human health:

Roundworms and hookworms

Even if she has been wormed, a mother cat can transmit roundworms (ascarids) and hookworms to her kittens. Although these worms occasionally cause diarrhea or other symptoms of illness, most infected kittens appear normal. Because the worms cannot always be detected in the laboratory and since they can be harmful to children's health, we automatically prescribe worming medicine for all kittens

Giardia

Giardia is an uncommon but potentially serious parasite that can affect humans as well as dogs and cats.  The organism is difficult to detect on an ordinary fecal exam and is not eliminated by most worm medications.  Any pet with diarrhea persisting longer than a day or two should be tested for giardia.  

Coccidiosis

Coccidia, microscopic parasites that attack the lining of the intestine.  Most cases go unnoticed, but coccidiosis is a common cause of diarrhea in kittens. Any pet with persistent diarrhea should have a fecal test performed to check for coccidia and other parasites. 

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis attacks many parts of the body, causing serious illness and death. It affects cats of any age and is particularly important because this organism is also a human parasite capable of causing birth defects and other problems.

Cats get Toxoplasmosis by eating rodents or uncooked meat of any kind. The parasites live mostly in the host's intestine and are spread from cat to human or other animals through the feces. You can reduce the possibility of transmission by wearing disposable gloves when cleaning the litter box and being careful to avoid fecal contamination of other objects. Since it takes one or two days for feces to become infectious, it's a good idea to clean the litter box every day. Pregnant women should let some other family member tend the litter box.

We worry about litter boxes and household contamination, but the most likely source of human infection is from outdoor areas where cats have defecated.  Don't let children handle dirt that may have served as a cat's bathroom area.  If cats poop in your vegetable garden (they do, by the way) thoroughly wash produce before eating. 

Tapeworms

If you see a worm or something you aren't sure about, put it in a baggie along with a piece of moist paper towel and bring it to the office.

Little short white worms (1/2 inch long or less) are probably tapeworm segments. When the segments dry they look like grains of brown rice and may stick to your cat's hair. If you see anything like this, let us know and we will dispense tapeworm medicine to use at home. We don't really worry much about tapeworms - unless a kitten is already weak from other disease or severely undernourished, tapeworms do little harm, and Dipylidium caninum, the common tapeworm of cats and dogs, is practically never a problem for people. If you see segments under your cat's tail or in the litter box, let us know. Prescription tapeworm drugs are extremely effective and cause no discomfort whatever. Non-prescription tapeworm medications are very unpleasant for the cat and don't work well.

Fecal examination for persistent diarrhea

There are a few parasites that aren't eliminated by the usual worming medication. If your kitten has diarrhea, first try the dietary changes discussed under feline health problems. If that hasn't solved the problem in a day or two, please bring a fecal sample. We will test it for worm eggs, Giardia and protozoan parasites such as coccidia. Bring in a small sample, about the size of a marble, still reasonably soft and not more than a day old. If it is real soft, scrape up what you can. It's ok if there is some kitty litter mixed in.

Your lab test is wrong.  I know my cat has worms, I can see them.

Although you may be seeing worms at home, our lab results will usually be negative if your cat has tapeworms. Tapeworm segments crawl away, and since tapeworm eggs are found only inside the segments, we seldom  see them on a fecal exam.