Symptoms and treatment of ascariasis in cats

Ascariasis is a common parasitic disease in juvenile cats with wide prevalence and distribution. It is characterized by malnutrition, emaciation, digestive dysfunction and anemia, and often causes stunting and slow growth, which can lead to death in severe cases. The main cause of feline ascariasis is Toxoplasma gondii, which is parasitic in the small intestine of cats. The eggs of Toxoplasma gondii are excreted in the feces and develop into infective eggs in about 10-15 days under proper conditions. After the cat eats the infective eggs, the larvae escape in the small intestine, burrow into the intestinal wall, go through the lymphatic system to the mesenteric lymph, and then reach the lungs via the blood. 5 days later the larvae in the lungs reach the pharynx with the alveoli, fine bronchi and bronchioles, and are swallowed through the pharynx into the esophagus to the stomach, where they further develop into adults in the small intestine. Symptoms In the early stage of infection, cats have a slight cough and loss of appetite. When the infection is severe, the kitten will have an enlarged abdomen, stunted growth, pale mucous membranes, anemia, lethargy, a low purr, inactive movement, a coarse, hard and disorganized coat, loose and inelastic skin, no redness in the oral mucosa, a pale tongue, and sometimes a heterophilia, but not good for feed. Kittens with cough and breathing difficulties as obvious symptoms, and even pneumonia symptoms. This is due to the roundworm larvae that penetrate the lungs and enter the stomach and intestines while wandering in the cat, causing damage and irritation to the lung tissue, plus pneumonia caused by infected bacteria, which can easily cause death in kittens with this level of infection. Diagnostic criteria 1. Diagnosis can be confirmed based on the clinical symptoms of the sick cat and the presence of excreted roundworms in its vomit and feces. 2. Laboratory examination: The diagnosis can be confirmed by using the saturated saline floating set method or direct smear method to examine the eggs in the feces. Treatment 1. internal anthelmintic, 125 mg per kg of body weight each time. 2. internal Haikuansen, 10-25 mg per kg of body weight each time. 3. internal fenbendazole, 50 mg per kg of body weight per day for 3 days. Note that regular deworming protocols are recommended to prevent roundworms. Timely cleaning of pet waste and preventing pets from eating rodents will also help prevent cat roundworm infection.