Checklist from veterinarians - Treating cats for parasites

The life of a little kitten directly depends on the actions of its owner. Poor living conditions or simple neglect of disease prevention can lead to a common and dangerous problem for a small organism - infection with helminths. The absence or delay in treatment of helminthic infestation can lead to serious complications, poisoning of the body and even death.

Ways of infecting a kitten with worms

Little pets can become infected with worms, even if they have never gone outside in their lives. Street kittens are 100% likely to be susceptible to this disease.

Pets can become carriers of worms:

• having become infected from a mother cat while still in the womb or through mother’s milk;
• by eating low-quality raw meat or fish;
• playing with your outdoor shoes or clothes;
• contacting other animals that carry worms;
• hunting for flies and mosquitoes;
• If a kitten is infected with fleas, then worms will most likely be added to this disease, because Direct fleas are carriers of worm larvae.

Prevention

A truth as old as time says that the best way to treat a disease is prevention. It must be systematic, on an ongoing basis, and in cases of combating parasites - comprehensive and mandatory for all inhabitants of the house - both animals and people.

The larvae of parasites cannot be seen with the naked eye, but they are common in untreated water, they are brought into the house on clothes or shoes, they are carried by animals themselves, after a walk, or by flies, cockroaches, mosquitoes and other insects, which, unfortunately, should be completely excluded contact is not possible.

If a cat or dog lives in the house, then, even if the animal never leaves the premises, regular wet cleaning and disinfection of the home is a prerequisite for keeping them. This will protect not only animals, but also people from invasion.

How do worms affect the body?

By parasitizing the animal's body, worms and their larvae take away most of the useful substances and vitamins from the kitten, quickly depleting the kitten's vitality.

Parasites can infect not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also the liver, heart and other organs. By affecting the kitten’s organs, helminths cause irreparable harm to the fragile organism. If left untreated, there is a high probability that the kitten will die from poisoning by helminth waste products or from intestinal obstruction due to the huge number of worms.

As a result of infection, the following occurs:

• Severe intoxication of the entire body. Helminths and their larvae poison the pet with the products of their vital activity, and when they die, they become a source of harmful toxins.
• Harmful substances released by parasites can cause serious allergic reactions.
• By multiplying rapidly, worms can initially cause constipation and bloating, and in more severe cases, blockage of the digestive tract and intestinal obstruction.
• Located inside hollow organs, they injure the walls, causing irritation, ulcers and even such a serious disease as tissue necrosis.
• A kitten's fragile body, infected with helminths, becomes easy prey for infections and viruses. Often helminthiasis serves as an impetus for the development of other dangerous diseases.

What are worms and what are the signs of their appearance?

Unfortunately, the kitten cannot tell us about its problems, so it is imperative to monitor changes in its behavior, health and habits.

In addition, it is necessary to deworm a baby or adult cat regularly in order to prevent and prevent the spread of worms throughout the body. Before you begin direct treatment of worms in a kitten, it is worth deciding how their presence manifests itself :

1. serious problems with nutrition, complete lack of appetite or, conversely, gluttony of the cat;
2. a kitten infected with worms may constantly meow, often even in the middle of the night;
3. excessive discharge, diarrhea or constipation;
4. feces mixed with blood or white bodies of worms that look like rice groats;
5. redness, allergic reactions and rashes in the kitten's anus;
6. signs of worms such as purulent discharge from the eyes;
7. frequent nausea and stomach upset, including vomiting of worms.

More popular symptoms of worms in a kitten, obtained as a result of observations of the owners, are a constant desire to rub his butt on the carpet or floor in your apartment . This can only mean one thing - your kitten has definitely become infected with parasites such as worms, and should be immediately sent to a veterinary clinic for examination.

In any case, be vigilant and extremely attentive, constantly monitor the kitten and study all the changes that occur in its behavior, all the signs of potential diseases. In addition, care should be taken when pets come into contact with small children, since the latter are very difficult and painful to endure all kinds of infections and infestations with worms.

At what age should a kitten be treated for worms?

The pet is treated upon reaching 6 weeks of age. But if the kitten shows signs of infection: a swollen belly, a lethargic appearance, faded fur, you should not delay treatment. There are drugs that allow you to treat an animal from the age of three weeks, but they should only be given with the permission of a veterinarian and under his supervision.

It is easier to protect your pet by carrying out timely prevention of helminth infection. It is much easier to prevent the development of a dangerous parasite infestation than to treat it.

Prevention must be carried out periodically to protect the animal throughout its life.

Treatment for parasites is mandatory if you plan to vaccinate your kitten. An infected animal has a weakened immune system and vaccination will be ineffective.

It is necessary to carry out treatment and prevention of helminthiasis 10 days before the scheduled vaccination.

During the treatment process, an important point is the correct dosage of the drug. You must strictly follow the instructions. It is so easy to harm a kitten’s small body by exceeding the amount of medication, which in large doses will cause as much harm as good.

Anti-worm medications for kittens

There are many medications for worms. Each pharmacy is ready to offer a wide range of various drops, suspensions, tablets and vaccines to treat your pet. But when treating a kitten, you need to be very careful in choosing means to combat helminths.

Behind the various commercial names of drugs lies a certain set of chemicals, the effects of which can be dangerous for a small organism. It is important to give medications appropriate to the kitten's age. It is better to choose time-tested drugs.

The classic deworming remedy contains two main components that affect:

• round parasites (active ingredients pyrantel, fenbendazole, piperazine or milbemycin);
• tapeworms (active ingredient praziquantel).

The most well-known products, identified by release form:

The most common release option is tablets. For the smallest kittens, Prazicide-plus, produced in the form of a sweet suspension, is best suited. This medicine is considered the safest and is suitable for kittens from 3 weeks of age.

Important! Do not give deworming medications to your kitten yourself. For safe treatment, consultation with a veterinarian is required. Only a doctor will be able to determine possible kidney and liver diseases, the weight category of the kitten and assess the general condition of the animal in order to safely prescribe medication.

Ways to give the product to a kitten

The easiest way to give a medicine in the form of a suspension is to a kitten by pouring a sweet liquid into the animal’s mouth using a syringe without a needle. In addition, there are the following ways to feed your pet medicine:

• Dissolve the tablet in milk and inject using the same syringe.
• Crush the tablet and add to food.
• Add a whole tablet to dry food, and the kitten will eat everything without noticing the fraud.
• Open the animal's mouth, put the tablet on the tongue, close and lift the animal's muzzle up, while stroking its throat. This is a violent method and it is better to use it as a last resort if other methods do not work.

How to give a cat a pill?

It is important to correctly calculate the dosage of the medicine. How to do this is indicated in the instructions. Most often, 1 tablet is designed for 4 kg of pet weight, less often - for 10 kg.

Before feeding the medicine, the animal must be weighed. To do this, you can use human scales. First, the owner weighs himself, and then together with the cat in his arms. The difference between the numbers obtained is the weight of the pet.

When asked how to properly give a cat a deworming pill, veterinarians answer:

1. This should be done in the morning on an empty stomach. Before taking certain medications, the animal should not be fed since the evening of the previous day.
2. You can give food 30 minutes after taking the tablet.
3. Dairy products should not be given during the day, because... they are sorbents and remove the active substance from the body.
4. The next day, it is advisable to give your pet a drink of activated carbon or Atoxil diluted with water to reduce the load on the liver.

If there are a lot of helminths, and the cat develops vomiting or diarrhea with worms, the drug is given again after 10 days.

Mixing tablets with meat

The medicine must be crushed to form a powder, which must then be added to the cat’s favorite treat. Suitable for this purpose:

• wet food;
• pate;
• cutlet;
• boiled minced meat;
• chopped boiled meat;
• sausage.

The tablet with meat or food is given only on an empty stomach. You can mix the drug with a small amount of food (no more than 25% of a single serving). Otherwise, the anthelmintic may not work.

An effective method is when the medicine is given along with a piece of butter.

Some cats are difficult to fool. They hear the unpleasant smell of the pill even in tasty food. In this case, it is better to choose another way to give the medicine.

Effects on the sinuses

Feeding an anthelmintic tablet is easy using the cat's unconditioned reflexes. For example, you can target the sinuses. To do this you need:

• open the animal's mouth;
• put the medicine on the root of the tongue;
• close your pet's jaws;
• blow lightly into his nose.

You can use the stroking method, which is also based on the unconditioned reflex. To do this you need:

• place the tablet on the root of the animal’s tongue;
• close his mouth;
• stroke the neck from top to bottom (from the chin to the chest).

The above actions trigger the swallowing reflex in your pet.

Syringe method

You can give anthelmintic to your cat in liquid form. However, before doing this, you need to carefully study the instructions. There are drugs that are effective only in the form in which they are produced.

If there are no contraindications, you can use the syringe method.

Crush the medicine to a powder and dilute with 5-10 ml of water. After this, draw the resulting mixture into a syringe and pour it into the kitten or adult animal’s mouth through the toothless edge (on the side).

Pros and cons of each type of funds

From the many medications for kittens, it is better to choose products that have proven themselves to be safe and used to treat small pets for a long period of time.

Active ingredients such as pyrantel and praziquantel are the basis of many well-known drugs for helminths; they have a mild effect on the animal’s body, do not expose it to unnecessary intoxication and act on parasites by destroying their outer shell.

Ready-made sweet suspensions, for example, Prazitsid-plus , are the best option for kittens. They are taken once, so it is difficult to make a mistake with the dosage. Giving the suspension to a kitten is much easier than giving a tablet.

It is easiest to apply products in the form of drops to the withers, but you need to drip it strictly on the animal’s withers, otherwise there is a high probability that the animal will lick it off.

, which is distinguished by its wide spectrum of action, is popular Its chemical composition differs from the classic combination and consists of two active components: niclosamide and oxybendazole. The medicine comes in the form of a cube, which easily dissolves in liquid and is given to the pet using a syringe. This deworming remedy is approved for use in kittens from one month of age. A specialist will help you determine the dosage of the drug.

Attention! Protect your kitten from counterfeits. Do not buy “miracle remedies” in markets or secondhand. Buy proven medications only in pharmacies!

Toxocariasis and toxascariasis

Toxocariasis is more common in kittens aged two to three months. Toxascariasis mainly affects young cats and kittens aged six months and older.

Kittens become infected with these diseases when they ingest worm eggs along with food or water. In the stomach of the animal, a larva emerges from the eggs, which penetrates the intestinal mucosa, enters a blood vessel and, together with the blood, is transported to the heart, then to the lungs.

In the lungs, the larvae grow and develop, then migrate to the bronchi and trachea, and from there, along with a cough, they enter the oral cavity. The pet swallows them again, and the nematodes reach sexual maturity in the intestines. The full development cycle of these parasites lasts about a month. Kittens can also become infected with Toxocara when suckling milk from a sick mother.

Toxocara

A kitten infected with roundworms exhibits the following symptoms:

• Decreased appetite;
• Cachexia (emaciation, weight loss);
• Swollen, painful stomach;
• Anemia of the mucous membranes;
• Cough.

If a kitten is infected with any type of helminth, treatment is necessary. For this, anthelmintic drugs are used.

Useful video

How to rid a kitten of worms:

Before starting treatment, be sure to take your kitten to see a veterinarian. The specialist will examine the animal, determine the degree of infection or prescribe medication for preventive purposes if the animal is healthy. The type of drug and dosage will depend on the age of the kitten and its general condition at the time of administration by the veterinarian.

If you have the slightest suspicion that your pet has worms, do not delay a visit to the veterinarian. The further course of the disease and the severity of possible consequences for the pet’s fragile body will depend on timely assistance.

Side effects

After taking Pirantel, in some cases undesirable symptoms occur that require additional intervention. Possible:

1. Decreased appetite and apathy go away on their own. No additional assistance is required.
2. Vomiting, loose stools - discontinuation of the drug and drinking plenty of fluids are necessary.
3. Allergic reactions - be sure to stop taking the medicine. It is necessary to consult a doctor, undergo further examination and treatment.

The drug is toxic, which limits its use.