Worms maybe???

[Abb]

Can anybody tell me what this could be? I am thinking maybe a tapeworm or hookworm? It's on the back of his heel. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you

 

[fionasmom]

Tapeworms usually appear a little more segmented than that picture; only my opinion, but the ones I have seen usually appear as grains of rice that move. A hookworm infestation, if that were to be what you are seeing, can be more debilitating to a cat, so you should probably call the vet and bring in a stool sample.

 

[Abb]

I'm not 100 percent sure that it is any such worm, do you think that it could be?

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

It doesn't really look like a worm to me, although I can't enlarge the picture much. It looks almost like some sort of a sprount, like a bean sprout or something like that. And you did say it's on his leg, not something that appears to have come out of his anus, right? So I'm thinking it's just something that was possibly on the floor, or in the grass if he goes outside and it got stuck in his fur. Did you pick it off of him and examine it further?

 

[Abb]

It's stuck on his fur or in his foot sort of I can't really see much he won't let me touch for long. Would a worm come off if I was to clean it let's say? I did try to brush over it with his brush to see if that would dislodge but it doesn't move, doesn't feel tough either and he is an indoor cat so doesn't go outside I can't really recall what it would/could possibly be off within the house

 

[Abb]

It's stuck on his fur or in his foot sort of I can't really see much he won't let me touch for long. Would a worm come off if I was to clean it let's say? I did try to brush over it with his brush to see if that would dislodge but it doesn't move, doesn't feel tough either and he is an indoor cat so doesn't go outside I can't really recall what it would/could possibly be off within the house

It feels hard to pull, I just had a little feel and it feels like it would take a hell of a yank to get out.. obviously I'm not going to do that

 

[LTS3]

Can you gently cut off the thing from the heel? A worm wouldn't stick out body part that doesn't have an opening unless there is an open skin wound.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I don't know what it might be, but it does not seem to be a worm. Personally speaking, first separate the hair around it to take a better look - if need be, take a pic of that. Then I would just try something like a flea comb to dislodge it. I personally think it is a spike of some sort, be that whatever it might be from - 'needles' from a plant, or some decoration, for example. You can cut it off, as suggested above - keep what you cut off. If more 'comes out' after cutting it, repeat and also keep those parts as well. They can be analyzed by a vet, if need be. I am not inclined to think this is a 'big' issue, but that all depends on how the area around the spike looks. Do some more investigation and let us know what is going on.

 

[Abb]

Update for people, today I find that it's gone! I feel so silly now but it was most definitely some debris stuck to his fur I had a good inspection and it looks like he went into the bathroom I was doing up and some how got silicone stuck to his fur...but like I said it's gone now! thanks so much for everyone's input

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Update for people, today I find that it's gone! I feel so silly now but it was most definitely some debris stuck to his fur I had a good inspection and it looks like he went into the bathroom I was doing up and some how got silicone stuck to his fur...but like I said it's gone now! thanks so much for everyone's input

Better to ask and not have it something serious than not to ask! Glad it's no big deal.