Treating Cats For Worms - Signs And Types Of Parasites

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Treating Cats For Worms - Signs And Types Of Parasites
Treating Cats For Worms - Signs And Types Of Parasites

Video: Treating Cats For Worms - Signs And Types Of Parasites

Video: Treating Cats For Worms - Signs And Types Of Parasites
Video: What you Need to Know About Internal Parasites in Kittens 2024, March
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Treatment of cats for worms predetermines the use of anthelmintic drugs, which are presented in a wide range in pet stores. Remedies for worms for cats are available in the form of tablets, drops and suspensions. What dosage form of the drug to prefer is up to you.

The content of the article:

  • 1 Where can a cat get infected with worms?
  • 2 Common symptoms of worms in cats and cats
  • 3 The harm that worms do to the cat's body
  • 4 What are the most common signs of worms in cats?
  • 5 Types of worms in cats

    • 5.1 Tapeworms (cestodes)
    • 5.2 Roundworms
    • 5.3 Nematodes
  • 6 How to know for sure if a cat has worms
  • 7 How to remove worms from a cat
  • 8 Treatment of helminthiasis in cats
  • 9 Treatment of pregnant cats
  • 10 Treatment of kittens
  • 11 How to give medicine to a cat
  • 12 Folk remedies for worms for cats
  • 13 Can a person get infected from a cat with worms
  • 14 Prevention

Where can a cat get infected with worms?

Worm larvae and adult parasites are found in the environment: in the soil, on the grass, in parks and gardens. Therefore, it does not mean at all that if your cat is home and does not go outside, then he cannot become infected with worms, you yourself can bring larvae on the soles of your shoes or on your clothes.

Treatment of worms in cats
Treatment of worms in cats

Also, infection cannot be excluded:

  • when a cat eats raw fish, meat, tap water;
  • when fleas appear, there is a possibility of infection of your pet and worms;
  • upon contact with sick animals, contaminated objects (sand, earth) and feces;
  • possible intrauterine infection of kittens from a pregnant cat.

Common symptoms of worms in cats and cats

  1. The presence of fleas in a cat is a direct sign of helminths.
  2. Since invasive parasites can inhabit not only the intestines, but also the bronchi, muscles, and liver, a number of symptoms can be observed that indicate the presence of helminths. Namely: general depletion of the body, dull hair, sluggish state of the pet, refusal to eat, or vice versa, increased appetite, thirst, weight loss, vomiting in a cat and diarrhea (in the vomit or feces, you can see the presence of parasites). Also, a small rash around the anus can indicate the presence of worms.
  3. Kittens have swollen stomachs, very pale mucous membranes (due to anemia), indigestion is replaced by constipation, bloody diarrhea.

Fortunately, all of the above are rare. Usually there are not so many parasites in the body of a cat, so the disease can be almost invisible. However, this is the main danger: as long as you think that your cat is "clean", he can already pose a serious threat.

Treatment of worms in cats
Treatment of worms in cats

Treatment of cats for worms. For this reason, veterinarians recommend not to wait for any symptoms of the disease, but to carry out deworming at least once a quarter.

The procedure itself is simple: in any pet store you can buy a suitable anthelmintic drug, and then just follow the instructions. Typically, the cat is given just one tablet early in the morning, mixed with food. If there are a lot of worms (there is one or more of the symptoms listed above), then after 10-14 days it is better to give another pill.

In addition, if several animals live in the house, you need to treat them all together. In the same period, it is necessary to take the appropriate anthelmintic drugs for all family members.

The harm that worms do to the cat's body

Worms living in a pet's body harm it in different ways.

  1. Worms feed on the blood, tissue and lymph of their host.
  2. Helminths produce substances that lead to intoxication of the cat's body.
  3. When the parasite dies, its decomposition products also poison your pet's body.
  4. The suction cups that attach the worms to organs can damage the mucous membranes of internal organs. This can lead to internal bleeding.

While there are few parasites, the animal may not notice their presence in its body. But a large number of worms can significantly deplete the body. And the constant increase in the number of helminths will sooner or later lead to the death of the cat.

What are the most common signs of worms in cats?

  • Disorders of digestion and work of the gastrointestinal tract (vomiting, constipation, followed by diarrhea, refusal to feed, or vice versa, increased appetite).
  • Coughing attacks may periodically occur, especially as a result of ascaris.
  • Yellowness of the mucous membranes, enlarged liver.
  • Signs of anemia, which are especially pronounced in kittens.
  • Tousled, faded coat. Hair loss.
  • Itching in the anal area.
  • Small rash, hair loss near the anus.
  • Severe purulent or severe discharge from the eyes or nose
  • Presence of blood masses in feces
  • In severe cases, signs of intoxication are diagnosed. Hind limb paralysis may also develop.
  • Premature birth or abortion.
  • A significant increase in the abdomen.
  • Developmental delay in kittens.

It should be noted that the signs of helminthic invasion may resemble the symptoms of viral or infectious diseases. If, at the same time, deworming is carried out, it is possible to worsen the general condition of the animal, which in especially severe cases can lead to death.

Treatment of cats for worms. It is possible to establish that these are the symptoms of worms in cats only after conducting clinical and laboratory tests, therefore, at the slightest suspicion of the presence of internal parasites in the pet, you should not delay the visit to the veterinarian.

Types of worms in cats

Tapeworms (cestodes)

Tapeworms (cestodes) are long and flat, can reach a length of 70 cm. The body of these worms consists of many segments, in each of which larvae mature.

Treatment of worms in cats
Treatment of worms in cats

When the larvae mature, they separate and, together with the feces, go outside, while the segmented body of the parasite grows continuously and new segments with larvae replace the separated segments.

Cats become infected with this type of worms by eating raw meat and fish. Stray animals often become infected with cestodes when they eat rats or mice.

Infection is also possible through carriers of larvae - fleas. Helminths parasitize the walls of a cat's small intestine.

It is very common to see tapeworm segments around the anus of a sick animal - these segments resemble grains of rice or sesame seeds. Also, some parts of cestodes are found on the litter of the animal. In a more severe form of infestation with worms, parasites can be seen in vomit.

Signs of a tapeworm infection:

  • changes in the pet's body weight (the weight either increases sharply, or the cat, on the contrary, is rapidly losing weight);
  • change in appetite (the cat is insatiable or, on the contrary, refuses food);
  • large, "inflated" belly;
  • hair loss;
  • excessive licking in the anal area.

Round worms

Roundworms are the most common types of worms in cats. There are a lot of them, but the most common in our pets are roundworms. By their appearance, the parasites resemble spaghetti, from which they get their name "round". Ascaris is usually 5 cm long, but there are also longer individuals.

Treatment of worms in cats
Treatment of worms in cats

Kittens can become infected with roundworms through their mother's milk. The danger of infection lies in wait for an adult cat when eating rodents, raw meat and in contact with an infected animal.

Worms accumulate in the small intestine, injure the stomach lining, and can block the bile ducts and intestines. They can parasitize practically in all organs of the animal, exerting a strong toxic and allergic effect on the body.

Signs of ascaris infection:

  • weight loss;
  • enlargement of the abdomen;
  • vomiting;
  • diarrhea;
  • weakness.

Nematodes

Treatment of worms in cats
Treatment of worms in cats

Nematodes are small, white, filamentous worms up to 2 cm in length. The parasites feed on their host's blood by attaching themselves to the wall of the small intestine. They are less common in cats than other worms, but they pose a mortal danger to the health of the pet.

Infection with nematodes can occur when a cat comes into contact with the feces of a sick animal, as well as when it comes into contact with particles of soil infected with worm larvae.

Symptoms of nematode infestation:

  • weight loss;
  • diarrhea;
  • anemia;
  • rashes and wounds on the skin, especially on the paws, are traces of the migration of worms;
  • darkening to black color of the cat's feces, the presence of blood in the stool of the animal.

How to know for sure if your cat has worms

Treatment of cats for worms. Only a veterinarian can finally refute or confirm the suspicion of the presence of worms in your pet by taking the animal's feces or blood for analysis.

Treatment of worms in cats
Treatment of worms in cats

Please note that if newborn kittens become infected with worms, and the mother's cat has a negative fecal test for eggs of worms, then it must be borne in mind that it is in the milk that parasite larvae remain, which can lead to futile anthelmintic therapy in babies.

Fragments or whole worms may be present in feces or on the fur around the anus. The animal "rides" on the priest. The general condition worsens, appetite changes, hair loss is observed. There may be an alternation of diarrhea and constipation, vomiting.

Symptoms of infection with worms are often similar to those of other diseases, so you need to contact your veterinarian for an accurate diagnosis.

If you suspect worms, you can take a stool sample for analysis. It must be delivered to the laboratory no later than 12 hours after defecation in a glass or plastic jar, and stored in the refrigerator until the examination. But a single negative test result does not 100% exclude the presence of helminths, since they or their eggs may not get into the sample you have taken.

How to remove worms from a cat

There are a lot of remedies for worms. Veterinary anthelmintic drugs can be in the form of tablets (prazicide, caniquantel, milbemax, drontal, etc.), pastes (dirofen), suspensions (prazicide, dirofen), drops on the withers (profender, bars spot-on, prazicide-complex).

Treatment of worms in cats
Treatment of worms in cats

If you find it difficult to give your pet a pill, you can give it a suspension, or treat it with special drops by squeezing the contents of a pipette between the shoulder blades, having previously parted the fur (in a place inaccessible for licking with the cat's tongue).

Pay attention to what type of animals the drug is intended for, from what age it can be used, and what weight the dose is calculated for.

Read the instructions especially carefully if your cat is pregnant or feeding kittens (!). Modern funds are designed for all types of worms (round and tape). They must be given strictly by weight (!), So the animal must be weighed and strictly observed the dose!

Treatment of helminthiasis in cats

Treatment of cats for worms. Infected animals are prescribed broad-spectrum anthelmintic drugs that affect all types of helminths, or drugs that affect certain worms.

Modern drugs practically do not have a toxic effect on the body, but it is important to observe the dosage and take into account contraindications. Anthelmintics are available in the form of tablets, suspensions and drops on the withers.

The most effective drugs for treating cats for helminths:

  • Drontal.
  • Profender.
  • Milbemx.
  • Stronghold.
  • Pirantel.
  • Caniquantel.
  • Prosit.
  • Prazicide.
  • Pratel.

If you care about the condition of your pet, you should not try to heal the cat yourself, as this can only worsen its condition. The process of development and reproduction of worms occurs rather quickly, it can take days, especially if the animal is weakened. A veterinarian should prescribe drugs for treating cats for helminths.

Treatment of worms in cats
Treatment of worms in cats

Before taking drugs, you need to rid the animal of fleas and other external parasites. Otherwise, the treatment will be ineffective.

You can use means to simultaneously get rid of external and internal parasites, for example, drops on the Stronghold withers.

It is important to ensure that the animal swallows the tablet completely. A completely natural reaction of the cat will be the rejection of such a tasteless and unusual "treat", therefore, so that the animal does not spit out the pill, and the drug for worms enters the body in the required volume, the following methods are used:

  1. The crushed tablet is mixed with a small amount of the cat's favorite treat. Wet foods with a uniform consistency, such as industrial feeds such as pate, jelly or mousse, and homemade ground beef or chicken are best suited for this purpose.
  2. Treatment of worms in cats
    Treatment of worms in cats

    You can use a piller (indices or pill dispenser), a special device sold in pharmacies that looks like a syringe with a soft rubber tip. The tablet is fixed in the tip, the mouth of the cat is opened, the tip is placed as close to the root of the tongue as possible and the tablet is pushed out by pressing the plunger. Cover and hold the cat's mouth, while stimulating swallowing by stroking down the throat from top to bottom. A similar procedure can be performed with your own fingers, but the use of the pill is more convenient due to the small diameter of the instrument and the ability to place the tablet closer to the larynx.

  3. The crushed tablet is dissolved in a small amount of water, after which the resulting solution is injected into the cheek of the cat using a syringe without a needle. Hold the mouth until the animal swallows the medicine.

In the case of using the second or third method, profuse salivation is possible - this is a normal physiological reaction.

For greater efficiency, treatment of cats for helminths is repeated, after 10-14 days, depending on the drug and the degree of helminthic invasion. More severe cases may require longer treatment.

Treatment for pregnant cats

Treatment of worms in cats
Treatment of worms in cats

Treatment of cats for worms. It is desirable that the cat has already been treated for worms before pregnancy. Whatever they say, but the drugs have some toxicity and may affect the future offspring.

If pregnancy has occurred, and the animal has not been pretreated, then there are remedies that are not contraindicated in this situation. Some drugs can be used in the first half of pregnancy (Milbemax), others in the second (Drontal).

Treatment of kittens

Treatment of worms in cats
Treatment of worms in cats

If a pregnant cat has been infected with helminths, then kittens can become infected from a sick mother in utero or after birth. Before you start treating kittens with this or that drug, you must carefully read the instructions or consult a veterinarian.

The drug is dosed clearly by weight. An incorrect dosage can cause irreparable consequences, the worst of which can be the death of a kitten.

A good drug can be called:

  • Milbemax,
  • Drontal,
  • Prazicide suspension,
  • Dirofen.

But there are others. Usually, kittens begin treatment no earlier than ten days of age.

How to give medicine to your cat

If the diagnosis is made and treatment with anthelmintics is prescribed, you need to carefully and correctly give the pet the drug. If we are talking about a small kitten, then it is better to purchase a suspension that the kitten can lap up. If the baby refuses to drink the suspension, you can use a syringe without a needle. Draw the solution into it and inject the contents of the syringe into the kitten's mouth.

Treatment of worms in cats
Treatment of worms in cats

Treatment of cats for worms. If an adult refuses to take the medication, crush the tablet and mix it in a teaspoon of water. Place the cat with its back to you, open its mouth, pour the contents of the spoon between the jaws and squeeze them tightly. Lift the cat's head up and stroke the throat. Thus, you provoke the swallowing movement of the larynx.

To keep your pet healthy and feel great, carefully monitor the behavior of the animal. At the slightest sign of helminthiasis in a cat, take measures to remove them from the pet's body.

Only a healthy animal can enjoy life, give its love and affection, daily delighting a caring owner.

Folk remedies for worms for cats

Attention, these folk remedies are presented in the article solely for information. I personally do not bear any responsibility for the consequences for your pet that may be due to the use of these recipes at home.

  1. Give a decoction of chamomile or fennel to drink instead of water.
  2. Cut onions into 4 parts and pour a glass of warm boiled water. Give this water to the cat on an empty stomach in the morning for 7 days.
  3. Common tansy. Pour 1 tablespoon of flowers with a glass of boiling water and leave for 1 hour, then strain. Give the cat this infusion 2-3 times a day, then feed it no earlier than 30-60 minutes later.
  4. Alcohol tincture of wormwood is applied 10 drops 2 times a day. Feed the cat no earlier than 30-60 minutes.
  5. Carrot juice enemas (20 ml) once a day for a week.

Can a person get infected from a cat with worms

Treatment of worms in cats
Treatment of worms in cats

Unfortunately yes. Some types of helminths registered in cats can also parasitize humans. But don't panic! It is enough from time to time for prevention to take remedies for worms for all family members where there is a pet.

Treatment of cats for worms. Modern drugs have a rather mild effect on the body and are easy to use (they will advise you in any pharmacy, for example, the drug Vermox). Of course, one should not forget about the rules of hygiene.

Prevention

The disease is easier to prevent than to treat, and therefore, in order to minimize the risk of your cat getting helminths, we do the following:

  1. Prophylactic use of antiparasitic agents for fleas, ticks, worms once every 3 months. First, we apply anti-flea agents, after 3 days - against worms.
  2. Do not feed the animal with raw meat, drink only with boiled / settled water.
  3. Avoid contact with street animals.
  4. Regularly carry out antiparasitic treatment of the cat's place, scratching posts. Keep cat care items clean.
  5. Clean the house / apartment regularly.

Remember that most of the helminths that cats infest are dangerous to humans, so if your pet has parasites, worry about your health too.

Find out more:

  • Getting infected with worms from a cat - is it possible?
  • Cat helminths - what are the signs and methods of treatment
  • Drops from worms on the withers for cats: popular drugs

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