Anthelmintics for cats and kittens 💊

Inconvenient worms can be for our animal companions. Maintaining your cat’s health should be your first priority, whether they are an active kitten or a contented adult. The preferred method for treating these bothersome parasites is anthelmintics.

We’ll go into the definition of anthelmintics and their importance for your cat’s health in this post. You will discover the various kinds of deworming drugs, their mechanisms, and the appropriate times to use them. We’ll also talk about the warning signs that your cat may require medical attention.

The health and happiness of your cat can significantly improve if you know how to keep them free of worms. Let’s investigate this crucial subject together!

Symptoms of helminth infection

Physiological and behavioral symptoms arise when parasites infiltrate an animal’s body and start to multiply actively. There are indicators that point to the possibility of a helminthic invasion. Traditionally, they are separated into two categories: general symptoms and specific symptoms, or symptoms unique to the illness brought on by a particular pathogen. The type of parasite, the cat’s age and body weight, the length of the helminthiasis, and the cat’s overall health all affect how the symptoms manifest. Typical indicators consist of:

• change in appetite;
• weight loss;
• periodic convulsions;
• lethargy and apathy;
• hair loss;
• lightening of the skin;
• eye discharge;
• changes in digestion.

Developmental and growth delays can occur in kittens. When compared to other healthy kittens of the same age, this becomes particularly apparent. Alongside these general deviations, the cat also displays unique symptoms that could point to the presence of a specific pathogen within the body. Many symptoms are similar to one another:

Rash surrounding the anus

You need to get in touch with a veterinary clinic so they can collect a sample and identify the illness if even one symptom shows up.

A blood, feces, saliva, or smear laboratory test is recommended by the veterinarian. The use of helmintho-ovoscopic and helmintholavoscopic techniques aids in the creation of a precise clinical image. Cats with functional diseases may exhibit a variety of symptoms, so a veterinary examination is necessary to determine the underlying cause.

This article will discuss the value of anthelmintics for cats and kittens, emphasizing the ways in which these drugs aid in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of parasitic infections. Maintaining the health and happiness of your furry friends depends on your ability to use these treatments when and how they should. In order to guarantee your pets thrive, we’ll go over the various kinds that are available, their efficacy, and safe administration techniques.

Why are parasites dangerous?

When parasitic worms enter a cat’s body, they seriously compromise its health. Internal bleeding and pain result from intestinal helminth damage to the stomach and intestines’ mucous membranes. Worms can obstruct the intestinal tube if they reproduce excessively. The animal loses weight and immunity when parasites remove a large portion of the nutrients. Toxins for the host animal are among the many waste products secreted by worms. The liver, among the other affected organs, starts to deteriorate and become intoxicated.

At a certain point, pulmonary helminths affect the respiratory system and result in coughing, wheezing, and dyspnea. Breathing is made more difficult by this. Cats with heartworms have impaired blood flow to the body. Once inside the heart, dirofilariae remain there and eventually cause cardiac arrest, which results in the animal’s abrupt death.

Family members who interact with a sick pet may receive a diagnosis of "helminthiasis."

When is it necessary to deworm a cat

A cat may contract worms from a variety of sources throughout its life. These include unclean water and unprocessed animal products (meat, fish, and eggs). The threat comes from bloodsucking insects, whose saliva allows parasites to enter an animal’s bloodstream. When a domestic cat interacts with a street cat, the risk increases. Helminth eggs can be found on the surface of any object found on the street. In this sense, the importance of prompt deworming is known to all conscientious pet owners. When to give an anthelmintic to a cat is a question that comes up.

If the diagnosis is verified, anthelmintics must be prescribed. The animal’s age and body weight are taken into consideration when choosing the anthelmintic medication dosage. An adult animal should have preventive deworming four times a year, or once every three months. The cat walking on the street does not specifically violate this scheme. Because the symptoms of helminthiasis in adult cats don’t always show up to a noticeable degree, even watchful owners become less aware of them. As a result, even for fully housed pets, routine preventive anthelmintic medication administration is necessary.

Since their active ingredients only kill adult worms and have no effect on eggs, some anthelmintics can be given to the animal again after ten days. Larvae emerge from eggs that perish due to a second dose of poisoning after 10–14 days.

Degelmintization outside of the schedule is required prior to a scheduled procedure or immunization. The cat’s immunity is weakened by parasites, so to prevent adverse effects, an antihelminthic medication must be used approximately 10 days prior to vaccination administration.

Anthelmintics are given to kittens starting at two months of age. After a month, some anthelmintics can be used.

Contraindications

Certain anthelmintics have unique usage limitations. Before you buy the medication at a pet store, you should read the instructions as they prescribe them. Recovering from illness and infectious diseases are general contraindications for anthelmintics.

Pregnancy and lactation are the two times when most anthelmintics are not recommended. The age of the kittens should receive special consideration. Generally speaking, babies can start receiving medications at three weeks old. Some anthelmintics, such as Bars and Profender, are not recommended for kittens younger than two months or three months (Azinox).

A short list of anthelmintic medications that haven’t been shown to have any contraindications in clinical trials—aside from age—has been suggested by pharmacists. Drontal, Pratel, Troncil-K, Panacur, Dironet, and Cestal Cat are a few examples of these medications. Nevertheless, it is prohibited to mix medications that contain piperazine with the final two medications, which are anthelmintics. To ensure that deworming goes smoothly, it’s important to determine the kittens’ precise age.

Can anthelmintic drugs be given to pregnant cats

A lot of cat anthelmintic medications contain ingredients that are harmful to a developing fetus and young kittens. Therefore, deworming is frequently contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation. However, helminth infection still poses a risk to the mother’s health.

Pregnant women must take anthelmintics that are safe to use in order to prevent diseases and problems. Dironet, Febtal, Cestal, Troncil-K, Profender, Pratel, and a few other medications are among the approved ones. Certain medications, like Azinox, are only allowed to be administered during the final third of pregnancy.

It’s crucial to comprehend anthelmintics if you want to maintain your feline friends’ health. By assisting in the removal of dangerous worms that may impact cats and kittens, these drugs guarantee that they have happy, active lives. It’s important to remain knowledgeable about when and how to treat your pets because regular deworming can prevent major health problems.

Before giving out any medication, always check with your veterinarian. Based on your cat’s age, weight, and overall health, they can advise you on the appropriate dosage and timing. To guarantee your cat receives the best care possible, it’s imperative that you carefully adhere to their recommendations.

Recall that prevention is essential. Worm infestation risk can be reduced by keeping your cat’s environment clean and paying attention to its behavior. Your pets will have the best defense against these bothersome parasites if you continue to be informed and proactive.

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