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Most cats will battle a parasite of some sort at some point in their lives. There are four types of hookworm that may possibly infect your cat. Ancylostoma tubaeforme is known as the feline hookworm, and Ancylostoma braziliense is known as the canine and feline hookworm. Uncinaria stenocephala is known as the northern canine hookworm. Ancylostoma caninum, or the canine hookworm, is said by some authoritative sources not to infect cats, but rather only foxes, dogs, and perhaps humans.

Hookworm risks — As with other parasites, environment and hygiene are critical risk factors, and indoor cats are far less likely than outdoor cats to contract the worm. Cats that are regularly allowed to hunt or roam are at higher risk for infection. Overcrowding and poor sanitation in shelters may contribute to the spread of the worm as well. Hookworms tend to thrive in warm, moist environments, so incidents may be higher in warmer climates. The exception to this might be U. stenocephala, which is more commonly seen in colder climates.

What they do to your cat — In contrast to roundworm, which swim freely in the cat’s intestines, the hookworm will anchor itself to the cat’s intestinal wall and suck blood from the tissue. In order to ensure a constant supply of blood flow and nutrients, they inject an anti-coagulant at the feeding site to keep the blood from clotting. Clever, huh? One of the problems that can occur is that if the hookworm moves its feeding location, the old location may continue to bleed into the bowel. All this blood loss results in anemia.

Signs and symptoms of cat hookworms — In kittens or cats in ill health, the anemia caused by the blood loss is usually more serious than in otherwise healthy adults. In rare, but severe cases, a blood transfusion may be required, and there may be a risk of death. Hookworms in your cat may cause any of the following symptoms: anemia, weakness, pale gums, poor coat, black tarry stools, bloody diarrhea, and weight loss. Infected kittens may also exhibit stunted growth.

Methods of transmission and lifecycle — An animal can become infected by ingestion of larvae. This can be through contaminated water or soil, or by eating an infected transport host (such as when a cat eats a rodent). Larvae can also infect your cat by penetrating the skin (usually the feet). In addition, infected mothers may pass the disease on in their milk.

In contrast to some other parasites, hookworms have a direct life cycle. In other words, they don’t necessarily need a host for transmission.

Adult hookworms hook themselves to the intestinal wall and begin feeding. They pass microscopic eggs into the bowel of the cat, which ultimately end up in the cat’s stool. The eggs hatch and develop into larvae (immature worms). The Centers for Disease Control state that under the right conditions of moisture and temperature, eggs can develop into the infective larvae stage in as few as five days. Time varies, though, and this process may take up to three weeks or so. According to most sources, the larvae can exist in the soil and remain infective for many months.

If the hookworm larvae enter through skin penetration, they’ll migrate via the circulatory system to the lungs. From the lungs, they’ll find their way to the throat, where they are swallowed. The cycle begins again when they may mature and begin producing eggs in the intestine.

It’s known that in dogs, prenatal infection via transplacental blood flow occurs, but this has not been established in cats. According to some reference sources, kittens can become infected via the milk of an infected queen (transmammary infection), but this has not been definitively established.

Diagnosis and treatment of cat hookworm — Hookworm eggs cannot be seen withouth the aid of a microscope, and otherwise healthy cats may not show any signs of infection. For these reasons, your vet will test your cat yearly by examining your cats’s stool. At least two treatments of deworming medication are needed in order to completely rid your cat of hookworm. Treatments are usually given at 2 - 3 week intervals. Kittens, regardless of test results, are typically treated for hookworm during their kitten vaccination series.

Tags: Cats

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