Confused Over Fecal Float Results

And looking for some input from more experienced cat owners please.

This is the voicemail I received from the vet we visited last week after Si puked up a worm.  I will add that she did discuss the "lung worm" possibility with us; however all the symptomatic questions she asked us - the answer was no.  I have been researching way more than I cared to know about lung worms and there is nothing that even remotely applies to Si, or his behavior, that would make me think it was a lung worm.  And if it matters in the thought process:  this vet is a Board-Certified Specialist in Internal Medicine for dogs and cats, and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). 

The fecal float we sent off came back negative for worms.

That could happen for a number of reasons.  There could be a one sex type of infection.  In other words - all females or all males, or they are just not reproducing yet.

The other possibility is it was a lung worm that I discussed with you two.  It could be the lung worms are just emerging from the trachea and resulting in stimulating the gag reflex that caused the vomiting.

Either way, from what we saw yesterday, we'll just stick with the de-wormer (StrongID) I gave you for now, but the results do not show positive for intestinal parasites which I think is surprising if we do have enough parasites to vomit adults.  I would have thought it would test positive.  So either it's not an intestinal parasite, in other words, a lung worm, that stimulate the gag reflex, or we have an infection of worms that are not producing eggs for some reason - all males, or all females.

We were unable to document what type of worm it was.

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We took them, of course, a fresh stool sample and the worm he barfed up.  I realize I'm not a veterinarian, but it looked just like the first one that he threw up in March that another vet told us was a roundworm.

Any thoughts or suggestions?   She gave Si one round of StrongID and sent us home with 2 more syringes full to administer every 10 days.  I have seen no dead (or live) worms come out in any stools as yet.

Thanks for all input!

I've never googled lung worm, so have no idea what symptoms would be associated with it.

But when we rescued Flowerbelle, she was sick with a lot of things. In fact, she had to stay at the hospital for about 2.5 weeks before she was able to come home. But the idiot vet did not check her stool before she came home. She had a cough that we didn't like,even though she was supposedly treated for a URI while at the hospital. She was also supposedly dewormed. (Though the treatment for lung worm is different anyway). Gary suggested we take her to see a new vet. We went for the 2nd opinion.

Thank goodness.... because the vet used a little tool to remove a fecal sample. He came running into the exam room all excited, and said to Gary, you have GOT to come see this. He'd never seen a stool sample so packed with parasites - ever. (In fact, we just saw him for Flowerbelle's annual last week, and her 10th year anniversary of her Gotcha Day was Saturday - and he said that to this date, he'd never seen a fecal THAT packed with parasites).

He'd never seen the parasite before. They had to look it up. It was lung worm. They see it all the time now. It's from eating snails or slugs, and can't be passed from cat-to-cat (which isn't a concern for you as Si is an only kitty), but HAS to go through a host, like tapeworm.

Flowerbelle was literally drowning in lung worm. He said it was if she had a terrible pneumonia. She probably would have survived another three days or so if not treated - she was not getting enough oxygen. Her infection was so bad, she had permanent lung scarring, that has resulted in high blood pressure as an adult (for which she is on medication).

I don't know how a fecal would turn up negative if there were lung worm. But my understanding is that a "not bad" lung worm infection would have no symptoms. :dk:

Whenever the ferals have a cough, but no other signs of a URI (no sneezing, no runny eyes), we take them in for a shot of Ivermectin. There are a lot of slugs here. But by the time they have a cough, the infection (infestation) is pretty bad. I assume most of them have a low grade infestation of lung worm happening. :dk: My understanding is that the only thing that treats lung worm is Ivermectin.

They can't do an x-ray to see? :dk: I've never asked the vet. It's worth asking about though? :dk:

Oh - and when we treated our cats and rescues for round worm, I never saw the worms, other than when they hadn't been treated and threw them up. But I doubt you'd seem them when treating for them. If in their stomachs and dead, they probably digest them. It's the OTC meds that cause cats to expel them alive.

Every site I have found shows the following symptoms .. and these were pretty much the questions she asked us.

• Dry Cough
• Dyspnea (shortness of breath), especially upon exertion.
• Lethargy or exercise intolerance
• Anorexia
• Fever

But Si has never coughed that we've heard, other than the 3 times he's thrown up (twice a worm) and once just liquid. 

Si does not exhibit any shortness of breath, except from a hard play session with 'da Bird

He is far from lethargic or intolerant of exercise.  He will howl non-stop several times a day wanting to play Bird (or one of the other attachments).  He still plays chase with us, etc.

At 11lbs 5oz when they weighed him last week, I think our boy has anorexia beat

His temperature was 102, but even the vet and vet tech stated he was highly agitated/stressed from taking his temperature so they weren't overly concerned.

I'm just stumped.  Will certainly give him the other doses of the StrongID.

Yeah, weird! I guess just keep it in mind... no point in throwing more toxins in him if he doesn't have it. :dk: