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Fleas and other parasites

By: Guido Nussbaum

We all love our cats and we treat them as good as we can. There are still diseases and parasites that your cat can get no matter how good you take car of the cat. Once you know that your cat has a parasite or a disease you need to take it to a vet. Some parasites or diseases remain uncovered but if you control you cat on a regular basis, you discover most parasites and diseases early.

This article gives you a small overview about some parasites and diseases that cats can get. There are far more diseases out there way to many to cover them all in one article but it should be enough for a short overview.

Fleas

Cats can get fleas and if you don't get rid of them, they will reproduce and can become to a real plague. This can happen even to well-groomed cats and needs to be eliminated as fast as possible.

There are different cat supplies like spray, powder or a shampoo that will help you to get rid of the parasites. Adult fleas spend most their time on pets but their eggs can be found on your carpet, bedding and rugs. Therefore you need to treat the environment of the cat as well as the cat. If you fail to do so the next generation of fleas will be born and your cat re-infected.

Ticks

Ticks can be a serious threat to your cat, they can transmit a number of diseases like tick paralysis or Lyme disease.

Researches have shown that one out of 5 ticks is infected with some kind of disease. A frequent tick control needs to be done with cats that go outside the house. Keeping your cat out of grasses and woods will reduce the risk for them to get infected.

As with fleas you need to also clean the environment of your cat in oder to get rid of the ticks. For removing ticks you should use a pair of tweezers. Grab the tick and then carefully pull it out without twisting. Do not grab the tick too hard otherwise it might crush and leave harmful bacteria in your cat's bloodstream. Once the tick is removed you should clean and disinfect the wound.

Ear Mites

These are mites that live in your cat's ear. They are extremely contagious and can be passed from cat to cat but also from other pets like dogs, hamsters, mice... These mites are very common but they are still very dangerous.
They can cause permanent hearing lost if left untreated. You need to go to a vet and have your cat's ears examined. There are a number of very effective medications, but you need to make sure you are also using a flea control medication since these ear mites can sometimes be found on the cat's body as well.

Heart worm

Cats can get infected by a heartworm. This parasite lives in the cat's heart and can cause a sudden cat death. Heartworm is a preventable disease, there are medications for it.

Round worms

This up to 4 inch long worm is the most common type of worm to infect pets. Roundworms can cause diarrhea and other signs of illness. Signs of a worm infection include weight loss, black looking stools, pale color, weakness and others. You should consult a vet to get some worm remover medications.

Tape worm

Tapeworms can be a treat to your cat and they need to be removed as quick as possible. You should go to a pet-doctor if there are certain symptoms. Cats can get Tapeworms by eating infected mice or other small animals. If you pet has a tapeworm you need to be very careful because some can infect humans as well.

Giant Kidney Worm

This worm rarely infects pets but it can happen. The worm lives in the kidney and can grow up to 1 yard long. It can cause different kind of diseases and even destroy the hole kidney.

Skin-fungus

Almost all kind of pets can get serious skin-diseases like rash or fungus. Some symptoms are loss of hair, continues
scratching on one body part and others. If your cat shows these symptoms you should consult a doctor. Ringworms are one of the diseases caused by fungus. Ringworm can be transmitted to people by direct contact with pets.

Always consult a vet, don't try self medication on your pet. Control your cat on a regular basis for parasites like mites, fleas and ticks. The earlier you find them, the better for your cat's health.

Article Source: http://www.simplepetcare.com/pet-articles

Guido Nussbaum, a 28 year old cat-friend from Germany. I run the website cat urine cleaner

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