You may have seen recent articles discussing the overuse of worming products, often referred to as parasiticides. This research has been brought to our attention due to the harm these chemical products are having on rivers, the environment, and non-targeted invertebrates. With the number of people owning pets increasing rapidly and many of these receiving monthly preventative parasiticide treatment, the amount of damage we may be causing has increased. So, especially in the current economy, it’s certainly tempting to skip worming your cat… but is that a good idea?

Table of contents

How do I know when to worm my cat?

Well, the simple answer is: seek veterinary advice from your local veterinary practice! 

However, it’s important to remember that one of the main reasons we worm cats is to protect you, and us, and all our families. Many of the worms that cats carry are zoonotic (meaning that they can infect humans). And we use wormers to reduce the risks. But we still do want to reduce unnecessary use of wormers, because of their environmental consequences. So, the key question becomes…

How often is it necessary to worm your cat?

That’s a really complicated question, depending on a wide range of factors. This is why your vet is best placed to advise you, and to put together a personalised worming plan for our cat as an individual, rather than giving you a generic “one size fits all” answer.

Below we will discuss a few conversational topics to ask about in your consultation with your vet. Ensure you get an up-to-date weight for your cat – the amount of worming product given is based upon their weight, so they should be popped onto the scales in order to dose appropriately.

Are there specific products I should use to worm my cat?

Your vet will normally prescribe a specific worming product for the worm or worms which are most likely to cause a problem. This avoids any broad-spectrum products which kill lots of different creatures, thus helping to protect them. In some cases, broad spectrum, multi-purpose parasiticides may be needed, but these must be reserved for those cases only. 

The more products we use, the more likely a resistance to products will develop. This means we would not kill the target species but could still be polluting rivers and damaging ecosystems. Pet shops are not able to sell all the products a veterinary practice is able to due to strict licensing laws. This helps us to protect specific drugs and chemicals from becoming overused and misused helping them to work effectively for longer; in addition, only your vet or your SQP is qualified to advise you on the most effective parasite control.

When should I worm my cat?

You should worm your pet if you feel they are showing any clinical signs to suggest a worm burden may be present. Different worms will show different clinical signs. 

Thinking about the seasonality of worms can be important. Some worms need warm weather in order to hatch and thrive. Whilst a worm is growing within your pet’s body, this is when you will witness clinical signs. Worms can often live within a cat’s body happily causing no clinical signs until they start to migrate or grow in large numbers,;while their eggs may well be being shed into the environment. However, in the UK, most of the problem worms are “all year round” parasites. So we tend not to see a dramatic drop off in the winter, like they do in some other countries.

Your vet or SQP will have the best knowledge of which worms are most prominent in your area. Different worm species like different environments. Therefore, even within the UK, we see a wide range in case numbers for different worm related illness. 

Factors affecting how frequently you should worm your cat

Aside from seasonal changes and geographical location the following factors may mean more frequent worming is required:

  • Outdoor animals are more prone to worms
  • Cats which hunt are more likely to get worms. This is more likely in the summertime as cats are more likely to pick up a mouse, a bird or other prey which is suffering from a worm burden. 
  • If your cat suffers from any other diseases, you may need to worm them more often. Worms can cause further disease so if your pet is immunocompromised, your veterinary surgeon may ask you to worm your pet, even through the winter months.

What signs should I be looking out for?

Common clinical signs to look out for include weight-loss, itchiness around the rectum, blood in the diarrhoea (melaena) and wanting to eat more. Commonly, worm burdens will affect multiple animals within one household; so ensure you are checking for symptoms in all pets. But also remember that different animals are more susceptible. Typically, the very young and the very old are more likely to show symptoms, while healthy adults often look quite healthy, even with a high parasite burden.

How else can I prevent my cat from getting worms?

Worms are most often caught from eating contaminated soil, faeces, or from contaminated prey. Minimising their access to these things will grossly reduce the risk of your cat getting worms, but in most cases – especially with outdoor or indoor-outdoor cats, there’s little we can do: we just have to make sure they are wormed frequently enough to prevent the worms reaching maturity. 

To conclude, worming your pet is important but we must be selective over which products we use and when. Due to the negative environmental impact we are creating, we are moving away from mass treating all animals for worms excessively frequently, and start prescribing what is needed, when it’s needed, for the individual animal.

You might also be interested in: