I have noticed some small black caterpillar type things on my cats bedding, she has been scratching herself a lot and I had recently flea'd her but this has not helped, any idea what they could be?
Answers:
THEY COULD BE DEAD ? WORMS OR FLEA LARVAE :
Flea Larvae Description,
The second stage or cycle of flea development is the worm-like larvae. Fleas go through what is called a complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult.
The female adult flea lays numerous eggs; larvae emerge from the eggs and go through a series of instars before pupating. Inside of the pupae (cocoon) the immature insect is transformed into an adult flea. When transformation is complete, surrounding conditions are right and nature signals that a host might be nearby, the completely formed adult flea will emerge from the pupal casing - ready to jump, feed, mate and continue the cycle. As a group, the egg, larva and pupa are known as the immature stages of the flea.
As you become more familiar with this immature stage of the insect (as well as other stages) you will have more information needed to effectively eliminate fleas from your home and keep them from re-infesting the area. Flea prevention is cheaper and far less time consuming than ridding your home of thousands of hungry fleas.
Larvae hatch from their eggs in as little time as 2 days and up to 14 days from the time they are laid by the adult female. Temperature and humidity play major roles in this timing. Temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of 70% or higher gives optimum conditions for the emergence of the first stage or instar of larvae. Both eggs and larvae have very little protection from drying out and have better survival rates in higher humidity levels. They also avoid light, preferring areas such as beneath bedding and furniture as well as behind baseboards inside the home; shaded areas of the lawn are more likely to far more larvae than the sunny areas of the lawn. (Flea larvae have no eyes but do respond to heat and light; they are easily desiccated, as are flea eggs.) This is important information when understanding, preventing flea larvae infestations or controlling flea populations. Knowing where they usually prefer to hide or feed helps in sanitation procedures as well as which control products to use in most likely areas.
Desiccants such as Drione Dust and Flea Stoppers take advantage of the weaknesses of flea eggs and flea larvae. These products easily dry out and kill soft, moist eggs and larvae. There are no baits used to kill adult fleas but application of Flea Stoppers to carpets does, in a sense, bait and kill their larvae. Fecal matter (larva food) is coated with Flea Stoppers which in turn kills the larvae by ingestion. Simply put, Flea Stoppers destroys flea eggs by drying them out; the material has two modes of action on larvae: it dries them out and is also ingested as they feed. Boric acid products (including borate carpet treatments) have two modes of killing: desiccation and stomach poison. Yet, when used properly, boric acid granules labeled for carpet applications are actually safer than common table salt to mammals!
The larvae break free from their egg shell with a little help from a small egg tooth located on the head of the small worm. Newly hatched flea larvae are usually about 1/4 inch long. This is the first instar or stage of the larval development. Flea larvae go through three such instars between hatching and pupating. Each instar is a little larger than its preceding instar. Depending on availability of food and optimum combination of heat and humidity, flea larvae can take from as little as 6 days and up to 2 weeks or more from egg emergence to the more dormant pupae stage of the life cycle.
As this worm-like stage develops it will molt, leaving behind casings that resemble the larvae. These casings are found in the vicinity of the larvae since the immature stages of the flea are not nearly as mobile as their adult counterparts. Both larvae and their empty casings (castings) are usually found close to areas where flea hosts rest or frequent and are often found in dirty pet bedding materials. They will also crawl under nearby beds, furniture and behind baseboards as they search for debris and food and follow their instinct to avoid light.
Flea larvae have no legs but do have a single row of hair-like bristles around each segment of their body. These bristles aid in maneuvering, as do the anal hairs. There are a total of 13 body segments - 3 thoracic and 10 abdominal sections.
Larvae have no eyes but they can still locate the adult fecal matter (dried blood from the host animal) which flea larvae feed on for survival. Larvae will feed on other types of organic debris but have best survival rate when they feed primarily on dried blood. There are species of fleas whose larvae can feed on certain dead animals for blood meals (instead of droppings of their adult counterpart) but this is a rare occurrence that is not seen with cat fleas. The blood meal of the cat flea larval stage is derived solely from adult flea droppings which are made up entirely of undigested blood.
Coloration of newly hatched larvae is usually a creamy white. This color changes as the larvae feed, changing to darker shades of yellow to brown.
Adult fleas, flea larvae and developed fleas that have not emerged from their pupal casings all respond to vibrations. Vibrations (in combination with movement, carbon dioxide, heat and humidity) will help developed fleas to emerge from their pupal casing and adult fleas jump to find a warm blooded host. The movement of dogs, cats, squirrels (and other hosts) causes flea eggs and adult flea fecal material to fall in various areas close to the original host. Flea larvae also respond to vibrations and movement, but in entirely different ways.
Flea larvae have been known to fake death when they detect movement but their most interesting behavior is clinging to certain when vibrations are felt. As dogs or cats scratch the larvae picks up on the motion, wrapping itself around the animal's hair. Larvae have also been noted to do the same thing in carpet. When vacuum cleaners are close by, the larvae have been seen clinging to carpet fibers - but they are not too successful. Vacuuming usually picks up these larvae, despite their efforts.
As the end of the third instar larval stage draws near, flea larvae will begin to build the pupal casing in which they will develop into fully developed adults. A portion of the casing is made up of a silky material that is used to hold together all other parts of the cocoon. Larvae gather debris from their immediate surroundings with which they build their pupal case. Indoors, the tiny bits of debris include animal hair, human hair, dust, lint and small fibers of furniture, carpet and rugs. The materials used end up as the perfect camouflage as they blend in with their surroundings. If we could plainly see the pupae, they would be easier to locate and remove. Our only choice is to vacuum thoroughly and regularly to remove as many of the pupae as possible.
For more about the pupal stage, go to the flea pupae information page.
By themselves, fleas are not as mobile as one would believe. Adult fleas are designed for jumping (to locate and mount a warm blooded host) and crawling forward through the fur of animals. The eggs easily fall off of an animal as it moves. Flea larvae are capable of movement but do not stray far from where they emerge from the eggs. Their food sources are very close by as are the materials they need to spin and build their pupal casing. Warm blooded, nesting animals not only serve as the food source but also as a source of mobility, with adults, eggs and larvae food dropping off in various locations frequented by their host. This dependence on the host for moving about helps insure that the insect is scattered about an area. In nature's scheme you will find many such examples of this "scattering of the species" which helps insure the propagation of the species. Certain spiders, ticks and fleas are examples of this phenomenon.
Understanding the makeup, feeding and ability to create the perfect pupal casing exhibited by the flea larvae should give you a better feel for the control or prevention of flea populations. Knowing that the larvae are not very mobile helps narrow down specific areas to include in the most important aspects of IPM for fleas: inspection, sanitation and the safe use of proper pest control products.
As you will see in preventing flea infestations, sanitation, the use of an insect growth regulator and a safe desiccant flea powder are your best and safest means of controlling flea larvae.
Early diagnosis for the presence and type of intestinal parasite is very important. The stool (only about a teaspoonful is needed) is mixed with a special solution to make the microscopic eggs more visible. Depending upon which kind of worm is present a certain type of wormer may have to be used. For example, if a cat has roundworms the veterinarian will want to prescribe a certain kind of medication specific for the elimination of roundworms. If tapeworms are present, a different wormer will be used. Not all worms respond to the same treatment and no single wormer works against all kinds of parasites. And some non-prescription wormers are quite ineffective in removing worms from the dog or cat. Your veterinarian will have available for you the best kinds of wormers for the particular type of parasite your pet has. Therefore, stool samples should be taken to the veterinarian for microscopic examination for the worm eggs if worms are suspected. Many veterinarians include the stool check as part of the annual health examination.
Giardia and coccidia are single celled organisms that can cause loose stool, gas production and poor health.
Why does the veterinarian want to check a stool sample? Dogs and cats are victims of several internal parasites frequently referred to as worms. The most common are the roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. Of these four only two are commonly seen in the stool with the unaided eye.roundworms and tapeworms. Look at the photo on the right and you can see that roundworms can assume different sizes. Plus when they are fresh they are whitish in appearance. The single entire tapeworm in the photo usually will not be seen externally, and all you might see in the stool or attached to the fur would be the small segments that detach from the end of the tapeworm. (See the photo below.) Hooks and whips are so small that they seldom are seen in the stool. That's precisely why a stool sample is often required in order to discover which parasite is present; the EGGS of all these worms can be seen under the microscope and that's how their presence is detected.by looking for their eggs under the microscope! Keep in mind that it is the goal of each parasite to stay in the safety of the intestinal tract; if they come out, they'll die! They don't want to be detected!
Most worm infestations cause any or all of these symptoms: diarrhea, perhaps with blood; weight loss; dry hair; general poor appearance; and vomiting, perhaps with worms in the vomit. However, some infestations cause few or no symptoms; in fact some worm eggs or larvae can be dormant in the dog's body and activated only in times of stress, or in the case of roundworms and hookworms, until the later stages of pregnancy when they activate and infest the soon-to-be-born puppies and kittens.
Prevention (CAT'S )
Remove dog feces from back yards at least weekly, use the correct wormer under veterinary supervision, and have the dog's feces checked frequently in persistent cases. Do not mix wormers and do not use any wormer if your dog is currently taking any other medication, including Heartworm preventative, without consulting the veterinarian. In persistent reinfestations, some veterinarians will prescribe worming treatments on a routine basis all year long. Generally, prescription wormers will be safer and more effective (although often more expensive) than over-the-counter worm medications.
When walking the dog in a neighborhood or park, remove all feces so that the dog does not contribute to contamination of soil. Dogs and cats that are in generally good condition may not act threatened by worm infestations and may not even show signs of having worms. However, it's a good idea to keep your dog and cat as worm-free as possible so that if disease or stresses do occur, the pet has greater reserves and defenses to handle the crisis.
could be fleas, or maybe just insects that have crawled up there. But U should be more specific in ur description
They are small black caterpillar type insects associated with our feline friends - go to the vet and pay loadsa of money for some remedy. This will both assist your cat and make the fat cat vet very rich.
if they are on your cat they may be some type of inntestinal worm, check the cats stool and take it to a vet!
i would get her to the vet asap and take one of the caterpiller things in a small tub to show the vet.
sounds like fleas uh
Have you noticed any worm type things in her poo's?
If you haven't seen any worms in the poo's and you clean her bedding and don't see anymore then I'd say it was something she'd brought in with her.
If they continue to appear get her to the vet and see if you can take any of the bodies of the things with you.
could be worms! Get her to the vet ASAP!
probably catterpillars
It's a type of worm/ parasite. Your vet can get rid of them.
if they are not moving and are longish and black i wud guess at saying that they were flea feces .. try defleaing again and get something for your carpets and bedding etc .. fleas are a pain in the *!
caterpillars?
Flea lavre. Fleas are ready to hatch, as these little things move and jump.
Buy a proper household insecticide such as Zodiac and kill off the eggs the lavre the pupae and the flea. BReak the cycle completely.
For every live flea 100 others exist at some stage of development in your home. Also the flea only spends 5% of its life on your cat.
If in doubt take your cat and a sample of these caterpillar like thngs to the vet in an air tight jar.
I Personally find the above product gives 12 months protection and is prohibitive of any development during that time. If you want to temporarily treat your cat Johnson's 4fleas tablets work wonders.
Good luck.
I don't know the medical term for the worms on kitty's bed.
Have you tried cleaning kitty's bedding, toys and blankets thoroughly? And then see what happens. Also try cleaning your kitty w/ kitty shampoo and water. Replace her flea collar/decorative collars.
If ALL of this fails then by all means bring kitty to the vet w/ a stool sample. After kitty poops look at her booty hole. I know it sounds gross but that is how I figured out that my kitty Foxxy had worms. I got a liquid medicine and I had to put 15 drops in her food 1x a week for 3 weeks. I also had to give her 1 pill. I had to coat it in butter and hold her mouth shut to swallow.
Kitty WILL be pissed at you for the pill incident BUT it is better to keep her healthy than give in to a temper tantrum. Kitty will be right back with you after an hour of sulking. :)
Good luck with your baby~
~Ciao~
this wont be fleas - that stage of development is so fast that you would see fleas too
If she walks through long grass, that's the likely source
will she cope with bath? (don't laugh, same cats will let you), if not, comb thoroughly like de-fleaing) and wash all bedding
collect a sample, perhaps on sellotape, and ask for advice at your local pet shop (much cheaper than a vet) he may have a solution for you.
Don't think it is fleas. Maybe you should consult your vet.
Sounds like flea larvae, you'll probably also notice non-moving black specs.this is flea dirt. Frontline is the best thing to keep them off your cat - only available from your vet. You'll need to wash all the bedding and spray your house with flea spray too. We had fleas in the house this summer and although it's an upheaval it's best to move everything and spray everywhere - if you leave any alive they'll just keep coming back.
take her to a vet. Nobody can cyber diagnose without even seeing the things you describe which could be maggots, tapeworm, roundworm flea larvae. Wash all the bedding on a hot wash, clean and disinfect the area. What worming regime and flea regime do you have in place?What products do you use and when were they last used?
Nverer ever use flea collars or over the counter pet shop flea and worm stuff. They don't work and can even kill your pet.
i think they are flea eggs hatchiing pick one up and squash it if its full of blood its a flea
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