Lungworm in cats
Written by Mara |
Lungworm is a worm that we are seeing increasingly often in cats in the Netherlands. Cats that enjoy hunting are particularly at risk of becoming infected with this worm. What is lungworm? And what can you do to treat your cat? Find out here!
Which lungworm occurs in cats?
The lungworm that mainly makes cats ill is the feline lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus. This worm does not always cause symptoms in cats. The following symptoms may only appear in a severe infection:
- Coughing
- Difficulty breathing
- Fever
- Poor appetite and weight loss
This lungworm can even occur in cats without producing larvae. A cat may therefore have been infected for a very long time but only develop symptoms years later. If your cat is stressed or becomes ill for another reason, the worm can become active again and start producing eggs. As a result, a seemingly healthy cat may even die suddenly.
How does your cat become infected with lungworm?
Your cat can become infected with lungworm by eating snails, frogs, mice, birds or reptiles.
Lungworm larvae need snails to become infectious. A cat can therefore become infected by eating snails or other animals that eat snails, such as mice, birds and reptiles. The larvae travel from the intestines through the liver to the lungs, where they develop into adult worms within 5 weeks. These adult worms lay eggs. Larvae at the L1 stage hatch from these eggs and crawl upwards through the windpipe. The cat coughs up and swallows these larvae. The larvae then pass back into the environment through the faeces. Snails ingest the larvae, completing the cycle.
What are the symptoms of a lungworm infection in cats?
The symptoms of a lungworm infection are caused in part by the eggs that are laid. These cause small areas of inflammation in the lung tissue. Larvae hatch from the eggs, crawl upwards through the windpipe and are coughed up. The eggs and the migration of the larvae cause the respiratory symptoms that a cat may display. A fever may also develop. Asymptomatic lungworm infections can also occur.
How is lungworm diagnosed in your cat?
Your cat’s symptoms often already provide an indication of a lungworm infection, especially if your cat frequently goes outdoors and hunts.
A faecal examination is needed to confirm the infection. Eggs and worm larvae can be detected in the faeces. The worms do not lay the same number of eggs every day. It is therefore advisable to examine faecal samples collected over 3 days. An X-ray of the lungs will also often show changes.
