Properties, principle of operation
The drug has an effect against the main types of roundworms and tapeworms that parasitize the body of cats.
Deworming tablets Dirofen
The substances included in the tablets lead to the failure of metabolic processes in the body of worms and the destruction of cells. As a result, the helminth dies in a short time.
The additional active components of the tablets paralyze the parasite, which accelerates its death and prevents the laying of eggs. The medicine is active against parasites at all stages of their development.
The drug is classified as moderately dangerous.
When given according to the instructions, it does not lead to negative consequences for the cat’s health. The composition is easily tolerated by animals, regardless of age and breed. The medication does not disrupt the pet’s intestines and does not require taking laxatives or following a diet.
Limitations and negative consequences
Dirofen is a safe anthelmintic drug, but it should not be given to animals that exhibit allergic reactions to one or more components of the drug, pregnant cats in the first half of pregnancy, and kittens under 4 weeks of age. The reasons for replacing the drug are:
- infectious diseases and the recovery period after them;
- exhaustion.
Important!
The drug has restrictions on combined use with anticholinesterase drugs and piperazine.
An overdose is fraught with unpleasant consequences, including:
- nausea and vomiting;
- refusal of food;
- depressed state;
- increased salivation;
- intestinal disorders.
If the dose is slightly exceeded, unpleasant symptoms may go away on their own; in case of a large overdose, it is necessary to contact a veterinary clinic for gastric lavage and special therapy.
Indications for use
Dirofen is used to prevent helminthic infections in cats and treat them. Helminth infections pose a serious danger to the animal, causing severe infestation, which without urgent treatment can lead to death.
Indications for the use of tablets are as follows:
- lesions by roundworms;
- lesions by tapeworms;
- complex infection with flat and round worms;
- prevention of helminthiasis.
Important! Kittens should not be given medicine intended for adult cats.
Veterinarians strongly recommend using the composition regularly to prevent the appearance of worms. Parasites are dangerous not only for animals, but also for humans, as they are quickly transmitted from cats to people through constant contact with the animal.
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Precautionary measures
Dirofen can be used for 3 years after production. After this period, the tablets become unsuitable for use.
Store the medication in a dark place in a blister. The optimal temperature is 0–25°C.
The medicine must be hidden from children. It should not be stored next to food or animal feed.
When interacting with the drug, a person must follow these rules:
- do not consume drinks or food;
- no smoking;
- do not touch the mouth or mucous membranes;
- rinse your skin or eyes if the product comes into contact with the indicated areas;
- After completing the procedure, wash your hands with warm water and soap.
Important! Allergy sufferers are prohibited from contacting Dirofen tablets. If you suspect an allergy or accidentally swallowed the drug, you should consult a doctor, who should show the packaging or instructions.
Dirofen for cats must not be combined with drugs that contain piperazine (including anthelmintics). Its combination with cholinesterase inhibitor medications is undesirable. The latter are used to treat pathologies of the nervous system (inflammatory, degenerative).
Directions for use, dosage for cats
The anthelmintic should be given in the morning, mixed into the food. You can use both ready-made pet food and natural food. The product into which the medicine will be mixed will not affect its effectiveness.
Typically, a single use of the product is sufficient. In case of severe damage, to obtain a guaranteed result, treatment against worms is carried out twice with a gap of 10 days.
The drug tablet is designed for an animal weighing up to 5 kg.
Dirofen for kittens
The dose is the same for cats older than one year. Kittens are given a product intended for their age, also in most cases in the amount of one tablet. In Dirofen for kittens, the amount of the active component is reduced by 4 times compared to the adult drug.
For prevention, the drug is given once a quarter. Additionally, deworming may be required before vaccinations. The procedure is carried out 10 days before the injection.
It is allowed, if necessary, to use medication for cats during pregnancy. According to veterinary indications, the composition can be given 20 days before the birth of kittens. The dose is read individually by a specialist. In case of urgent need, lactating females are given the composition only 3 weeks after birth.
Owner reviews
Marina, owner of a 6-year-old cat:
“We constantly worm our beauty, but this procedure is painful. Stuffing medicine into the mouth is another test. Once we tried giving Dirofen paste. It is easy to dose the drug, but it is difficult to feed it to the animal. We were unable to do this forcibly (the cat spat it all out). They decided to mix it with food, but she flatly refused to eat it. It’s difficult to judge the effectiveness of the product, but I won’t buy it again.”
Andrey, owner of a 3-month-old kitten:
“We used the medicine in the form of a suspension to deworm a kitten. I ate it with food without any problems. After more than a week I was treated for severe diarrhea. The next time I had to select a different drug, although the veterinarian spoke well of Dirofen.”
Contraindications and possible side effects
There are contraindications to the use of the product. Their compliance is strictly mandatory. Violations will lead to a serious deterioration in the animal’s condition and may even cause death.
Do not use the medicine for the following conditions:
- first half of pregnancy;
- the first 3 weeks after lambing;
- infectious pathologies;
- recovery period after illness;
- less than 3 weeks old;
- exhaustion;
- weight less than 500 g;
- intolerance to the components of the tablets.
Side effects from using the drug may occur in case of overdose.
When intoxication develops in an animal, the following symptoms are noted:
- oppression;
- loss of appetite;
- vomit;
- salivation;
- digestive disorders.
In case of such phenomena, you should immediately consult a veterinarian. Self-medication poses a serious danger to your pet.
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In cases where it is not possible to visit the clinic, the animal must be given sorbents and antiallergic drugs. The most effective administration of Suprastin is subcutaneous in an amount of 0.5 ml per adult cat.
Dosage form and composition
Dirofen is produced in three dosage forms:
- pills;
- suspension;
- paste.
Suspension and paste for oral administration have almost identical composition. The active ingredients are praziquantel and pyrantel pamoate. Dirofen 20 suspension and paste are available for adult cats and kittens. The main difference between them is in the auxiliary components and appearance. The suspension is a viscous liquid of light yellow color, which is packaged in polymer bottles of 6 or 7 ml. The paste has a paste-like consistency and is packaged in polymer syringe dispensers, which is very convenient for use. There are different packaging - 6 and 7 ml.
The composition of the active components of the tablets is supplemented with febantel. They also contain auxiliary substances:
- talc;
- microcrystalline cellulose;
- calcium stearate;
- lactose;
- colloidal silicon dioxide.
Round, light yellow tablets have two dividing grooves located at right angles to each other. They allow you to divide the tablet into 4 equal parts. Thanks to this, you can accurately measure the required amount of anthelmintic even for small pets. Tablets are packed in 6 pieces. There are two types:
- 120 mg are intended for kittens;
- 200 mg each are developed for adult cats.
The main difference between them is the concentration of active substances.
Note! The drug is available in several versions for cats and dogs. When purchasing, select Dirofen intended for cats or kittens, and carefully study the instructions for use to avoid overdose.
Cost and analogues of Dirofen
The medicine is inexpensive. Its cost, depending on the dosage, ranges from 100 to 150 rubles.
Dirofen is an inexpensive drug
If the use of the drug is contraindicated for some reason, then its analogues are prescribed.
The main ones are:
- Prazicide;
- Drontal;
- Pyrantel;
- Febantel;
- Praziquantel;
- Profender.
Before using the analogue, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian.
General information
According to the instructions, 1 tablet of Dirofen (120 mg, 200 mg and 1000 mg) contains the following active ingredients:
- febantel - 15 mg, 75 mg, 300 mg, respectively
- pyrantel - 15 mg, 75 mg, 300 mg, respectively
- praziquantel - 5 mg, 25 mg, 100 mg, respectively
- excipients: lactose, calcium stearate, silicon dioxide, talc, cellulose
Dirofen for cats is produced packaged in 6 tablets in strips made of laminated paper or in jars made of polymer material with lids with first-opening control and packaged individually in cardboard boxes complete with instructions for use.
Store Dirofen tablets for kittens and cats in the manufacturer's sealed packaging, in a place protected from direct sunlight, separately from food and feed at a temperature of 0 °C to 25 °C.
Dirofen should be stored out of the reach of children. According to the instructions for use, unused drug is disposed of in accordance with legal requirements. Conditions of release: without a veterinarian's prescription.
Praziquantel is the second active ingredient of Dirofen
Praziquantel is a compound of the pyrazinisoquinoline group, active against gastrointestinal cestodes at all phases of development. By increasing the permeability of the parasite's cell membranes to calcium ions, it causes depolarization of the membranes, muscle contraction and destruction of the tegument, which leads to the death of helminths and promotes their elimination from the cat's body. The compound is rapidly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, reaching a maximum concentration in the blood plasma after 1-3 hours, reversibly binds to serum proteins (70-80%), is partially metabolized in the liver in cats, is re-excreted into the intestines, and is mainly excreted from the body with urine (up to 80%) within 24 hours.
Composition of the medicine, its packaging
"Dirofen" is an anthelmintic suspension intended for oral use. Its international non-proprietary name is “pyrantel pamoate and praziquantel”. It is these components that the veterinary medicine contains as its main ingredients. It also contains pumpkin seed oil.
“Dirofen” is a suspension packaged in 10 ml polymer bottles, which, together with stickers for a veterinary passport and a dosing syringe, are packed in cardboard boxes.
Prohibitions on the use of veterinary products
Treating animals with the anthelmintic drug "Dirofen" is allowed only under strict indications and in recommended dosages. It should be borne in mind that this medication should not be used if the animal is highly individually sensitive to its main and auxiliary components.
It should also be noted that it is highly not recommended to deworm kittens and puppies younger than three weeks of age. The same applies to exhausted and recovering animals and pets suffering from infectious diseases.
It is strictly forbidden to prescribe the Dirofen suspension together with piperazine derivatives and other drugs that have an inhibitory effect on cholinesterase.
What are helminthiases?
Worm infestations are common in domestic dogs and cats - intestinal parasites are found even in pets that do not go outside and do not interact with other animals. Helminth eggs enter the gastrointestinal tract:
- on a walk - with street mud or water from puddles/street ponds;
- with food – raw fish/meat;
- upon contact with a sick animal;
- through intermediate hosts - ticks and fleas.
Common symptoms of helminthiasis are:
- causeless loss of appetite;
- digestive disorders - vomiting, diarrhea or constipation;
- bloating;
- decrease in body weight with a constant amount of food;
- lethargy, low physical activity;
- itching and rash in the anal area;
- difficulty swallowing, hiccups/cough;
- dull coat and excretion of helminths in feces.
These signs are nonspecific; the presence of parasites can only be confirmed by testing at a veterinary clinic.
Helminth infections are dangerous because they can:
- proceed without pronounced symptoms, “undermining” the health of an adult pet for a long time or disrupting the development of a puppy/kitten;
- give a clear clinical picture, making it difficult to identify other diseases.
“Unscheduled” destruction of existing parasites is necessary:
- 14 days before vaccination or surgery;
- when worms are detected in excrement;
- after eliminating fleas/ticks that carry helminth eggs;
- 90 days before mating (taking into account the expected date of vaccination).
Efficiency
Dirofen paste 20 has a broad spectrum activity due to its multicomponent composition.
- Praziquantel, which is contained in the drug, not only potentiates the membrane permeability for calcium ions, but also inhibits fumarate reductase. The result is a contraction of muscle fibers, which gradually turns into a paralytic state. The second component, pyrantel, blocks the transmission of impulses from nerve cells to muscle cells, which also provokes the development of paralysis. The maximum content of the drug in the cat’s blood is observed after 1-3 hours from the moment of its administration. After 24 hours, the body is cleared of drug residues. Pumpkin oil, which is also part of the Dirofen paste, enhances the local protective reaction and accelerates the healing reactions of intestinal lining cells damaged during the life of parasites.
Side effects
In most cases, while taking Dirofen, the development of negative consequences is not observed.
Sometimes dysfunction of the digestive system organs can be diagnosed, which can be accompanied by short-term bouts of vomiting, hypersalivation and loose stools. This clinical picture does not require therapeutic intervention and goes away on its own.
If you do not follow the instructions and allow an overdose of the drug, the following symptoms cannot be ruled out in your animal:
apathetic state;- lethargy;
- complete or partial lack of appetite;
- intestinal disorders.
In such situations, measures are required to remove Dirofen from the pet’s body.
As a result of the first dose of medication, cats may have increased salivation.
Reviews of the drug Dirofen for cats
Kira: “The yard cat gave birth and we decided to take the most charming kitten for ourselves. Already at home we noticed that his tummy seemed to be inflated. We purchased Dirofen at the veterinary pharmacy, which, according to the pharmacist, will act gently and confidently. I gave the pill at lunchtime, and by the evening a ball of worms came out. And then it started - lack of appetite, photophobia, even partial baldness! This went on for several days, and then the kitten returned to normal.”
Lydia: “We brought a cat from the dacha and before vaccinations, which we do once a year, I decided to drive away the worms just in case. We usually bought anthelmintic in the form of tablets, but here I decided to try the paste. I didn’t see any difference - a cat with foam spits everything out equally. But in the morning I saw a lot of “threads” in my stool. These were dead worms. For the first time I encountered them in reality and received such a range of emotions that I realized that I would be deworming regularly!”
Marat: “We took a Thai kitten and decided to do everything according to the rule - remove the parasites, get vaccinated. We stumbled already at the stage of removing parasites. They gave Dirofen at 8 a.m., at 12 p.m. the kitten began to thrash about, crawling with its butt on the floor, and then a piece of intertwined worms fell out of it. A disgusting sight!
Compatibility with other drugs
According to the manufacturer's existing recommendations, the drug should not be used in combination with Piperazine and other medications that help slow down the synthesis of cholinesterase enzymes in the body.
Important! To achieve the desired effect, it is necessary to avoid violating the above-described regimen for using Dirofen Plus. If you are unable to comply with the required time between doses, you need to administer the product as soon as possible, but the interval between subsequent applications should not be changed.
