Need help my kitten coughed up a maggot like living thing.

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nuglobe - 27 Sep 2004 08:47 GMT

I searched the web and cant find anything on this. I heard my kitten
hacking and I turned on the light. I went over to him and he was
coughing really badly. I tried helping him by opening his mouth and
making sure it was clear. After a couple mintues he stopped coughing I
noticed something on the floor. It looked like flem until I look
closer. It was moving. It looked similar to:

http://www-aes.tamu.edu/doug/ipm/fig_02.jpg

I cleaned it up and was looking on the floor. I found a total of three
of these things along the path that he was coughing. He seemes fine
now, but Im not sure what to do. I am making an appontment with a vet
tomorrow morning. However, after reading threads, it seems that vets
have a hard time diagnosing worms that are well known. As I couldnt
find any information about maggot looking things being coughed up by
cats, I want to get more information from people who might know what
this is.
Please help ASAP. I really love this cat and don't want to lose him.

Thank you.

Andrew

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MaryL - 27 Sep 2004 11:41 GMT

> I searched the web and cant find anything on this. I heard my kitten
> hacking and I turned on the light. I went over to him and he was
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>
> Andrew

You need to get to a vet, just as you indicated. However, does this cat go
outdoors or does it have access to any food source other than food that you
provide? I ask because maggots feed on dead flesh, so there is a
possibility that your cat ingest something that contained maggots. There is
also a type of fly that lays its eggs on animals, and the larva looks like a
large, disgusting worm. The ones I remember seeing as a child were often in
the neck area, but you describe yours as being coughed-up. Either way, a
vet will probably be able to make a probably identification based on your
description. (Best, incidentally, would be to collect the "evidence" if
this occurs again and place it in a tightly-sealed glass or plastic
container; take that to the vet.) These are easily treated if this involves
the type of larvae I suspect.

MaryL

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Wendy - 27 Sep 2004 12:26 GMT

> I searched the web and cant find anything on this. I heard my kitten
> hacking and I turned on the light. I went over to him and he was
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>
> Andrew

Collect one of these and take it to the vet.

Has your cat had fleas? I've had a cat hack up a tape worm before.

W

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CatNipped - 27 Sep 2004 22:12 GMT

How large was it? If it was about this size of a grain of rice, it could be
a tapeworm (although these are usually seen in the stool or in the hair
around the anus). Tape worms are contracted by the cat swallowing a flea.
You may need to treat your cat for fleas along with the treatment for the
tapeworm if this is what it is. A vet should be able to help you identify
the parasite.

Hugs,

CatNipped

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