Worming pills for cats

There are many veterinary antihelminthic drugs designed to destroy almost all types of helminths. Among them are anthelmintic tablets for cats.

When purchasing any of the drugs, make sure they are suitable for the age and weight of your pet. Of course, it would be better if you consult a veterinarian before treating your cat, but this is not always possible, so we provide you with brief introductory information on this topic.

Indications for the use of anthelmintic tablets for cats

Anthelmintic drugs are prescribed to cats for the treatment or prevention of helminthic infestations.

What are the indications for the use of worm tablets for cats? These may be sudden signs indicating the possibility of helminthiasis:

• appetite disorders - the cat eats reluctantly or refuses to eat at all; sometimes the appetite takes on a perverted form when the cat tries to eat foods or objects around it that are inedible;
• external signs - the cat may lose weight, quickly get tired of playing, and develop a desire for solitude; an enlarged and bloated abdomen may be observed;
• coat condition – the coat may be tousled, sometimes becoming too oily and matted; long-haired cats may experience clumps of hair loss;
• eye condition – lacrimation and yellowing of the sclera may be observed;
• digestive disorders – diarrhea, vomiting regardless of food intake;
• coughing and sneezing may occur;
• Sometimes itching is observed after defecation, and blood or the helminths themselves can be seen in the feces.

Worms significantly weaken the animal's immunity by absorbing nutrients and releasing toxins and waste products into the blood. If a sick cat is not given timely treatment, the condition may worsen over time, even to the point of death.

Release form

There are quite a lot of anthelmintic drugs, the form of release can be different, as well as the names of the tablets for worms for cats. Modern veterinary medicine offers tablet anthelmintic drugs (like prazicide, drontal, milbemax, caniquantel), paste-like agents (dirofen), suspensions (dirofen or prazicide), skin drops (like profender, prazicide-complex, bars spot-on).

The form of the drug does not affect its effectiveness; the leading role in choosing a drug is played by the convenience of using the drug for the animal.

Not all cats like to swallow pills, and not all owners know how to give them to their pets correctly. To make a cat swallow a pill, first you need to hold the animal, open its mouth and put the medicine on the base of the tongue. If the procedure fails and the cat stubbornly spits out the pill, in such cases other forms of anthelmintic drugs come to the rescue: you can try mixing a suspension into the cat's food, or use drops that should be squeezed onto the skin in the interscapular region, parting the fur beforehand. The drops should be applied to a place so that the cat cannot reach the medicine with its tongue and lick it.

The drug must also be selected taking into account the age and weight of the sick animal.

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Pharmacodynamics of anthelmintic tablets for cats

Anthelmintic drugs, produced in tablet form, usually have a broad spectrum of action, destroy all stages of invasion development, simultaneously affecting nematodes, trematodes and cestodes. Modern drugs are used for intestinal and tissue forms of parasitic invasion, they are effective against larvae, eggs and adult helminths.

The mechanism of action of the drugs is similar to polymerization inhibitors and destructors of the cellular structure of the digestive tract of worms. The ability of these drugs to inhibit glucose absorption, block the motor activity of elements in the muscle cells of roundworms, which provokes the death of helminths, is noted.

Almost all preparations are equally effective against the pathogens of diphyllobothriasis, dipylidiosis, alveococcosis, toxascariasis, ancylostomiasis, paragonimiasis, opisthorchiasis. They destroy cysts or significantly reduce their size in animals with detected cysts of granular echinococcus.

Pharmacokinetics of anthelmintic tablets for cats

Tablet forms of anthelmintic drugs for cats are adsorbed in the digestive tract. The degree of bioavailability when administered internally is low (25-35%).

Metabolism is determined mainly in the liver, residual metabolites have only partial activity of the main therapeutic substance. The maximum concentration of anthelmintic drugs in the blood serum can be achieved in the period from two to five hours after taking the tablet. Serum proteins bind the drug by 60-70%. The active substance is distributed almost throughout the entire body: its traces can be found in the liver, blood plasma, bile and urine secretions, cerebrospinal fluid.

The time of partial elimination of drugs from the blood serum is about 10 hours; the drugs are excreted as various metabolites mainly through the urinary system or with feces.

Impaired liver function in an animal increases the maximum concentration of drugs in the blood serum by two times.

Method of administration and dosage

The best option is when the method of application and doses of anthelmintic tablets are prescribed by a doctor. If this is not possible, then you need to take into account the fact that the dose of the drug is calculated individually depending on the weight of the cat. The dosage features must be read in the annotation to the drug. For example, the popular drug Drontal is dosed at the rate of 1 tablet per 4 kilograms of animal weight, and the Pratel tablet is used half per 5 kg of weight.

Taking anthelmintic tablets as a preventive measure is carried out once in the morning before meals. Treatment of helminthic invasions requires repeated administration of the drug one week after the first.

During pregnancy, cats are given deworming tablets 14-20 days before the expected birth or 2-3 weeks after.

Small kittens are given tablets as needed from 2-3 weeks of age.

Preventive administration of anthelmintic tablets should be repeated every 3-6 months, especially in cats that have access to the outdoors or regularly eat raw meat or fish.

The crushed tablet can be mixed with the main food, or given to the cat whole, placing it in the open mouth of the animal on the base of the tongue: this will trigger the conditioned swallowing reflex, and the cat will quickly swallow the drug. For small kittens, the required part of the tablet is mixed with food or milk.

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Using worming tablets for cats during pregnancy

Many animal lovers often wonder if it is possible to use deworming tablets for cats during pregnancy.

In the first half of pregnancy, it is not recommended for a cat to take antihelminthic drugs, as this may harm the developing embryos or provoke an abortion. In such cases, it is better to wait a little and use an anthelmintic drug 10-15 days before the cat's expected labor. After the birth of the kittens, they must also be treated, as infection can occur from the mother during labor, but not before they reach three weeks of age.

In relation to a cat in the second half of pregnancy, it is permissible to use only those anthelmintic drugs that contain an indication in the instructions for the possibility of their use by pregnant and lactating cats. Such drugs include, for example, milbemax, biheldon. A very good drug is "kanikvantel-plus", prescribed in a dosage of ½ tablet per 5 kg of the animal's weight.

In general, if your pet is planning to mate in advance, the best way to prevent helminthiasis is to have the cat take any anthelmintic drug 14 days before the planned pregnancy.

Contraindications to the use of anthelmintic tablets for cats

Since all anthelmintic drugs are quite diverse both in their chemical composition and in dosage and manufacturer, accordingly, contraindications for the use of anthelmintic tablets for cats may differ slightly. When buying any medicine, including veterinary, before use, it is necessary to read the instructions.

However, among the main contraindications that are most common, the following can be highlighted:

• inadequate reaction of the animal to the drug (hypersensitivity occurs not only in humans, but also in animals; if you notice that the cat's body "does not accept" the drug, it is better to replace it, after consulting with a veterinarian);
• the kitten is less than 2-6 weeks old;
• pregnancy of a cat, especially the first half of the period;
• infectious diseases of animals in the acute and remission stages;
• weak, emaciated cats weighing less than half a kilogram;
• functional disorders of the liver and urinary system.

Side effects of deworming pills for cats

Side effects of anthelmintic tablets for cats depend on the degree of toxicity of the drug, its dosage, age and condition of the sick animal. Adequate use of drugs and correct selection of the dose in most cases do not reveal side effects on taking anthelmintic drugs.

In rare situations, hypersensitivity to the tablet may occur, which is expressed in foaming from the animal's mouth, allergic itchy dermatitis and other characteristic signs of an allergic reaction.

Also, sometimes gastrointestinal disorders may be observed, which manifests itself in the form of profuse and loose stools, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.

Side effects usually go away on their own within 24 hours after taking the anthelmintic. If the side effects do not go away, you should consult a veterinarian.

Overdose

Cases of overdose of anthelmintic tablets in cats are extremely rare. Only small kittens, for whom it is more difficult to calculate the correct dosage, often receive a large dose. In such situations, manifestations of general intoxication are possible, but not from the tablets themselves, but from the mass decomposition of a large number of simultaneously affected helminths.

If you suspect that you have incorrectly administered the dosage of the deworming tablet, and your cat has developed convulsions, trembling paws, or shortness of breath, try to urgently consult a veterinarian.

Interactions of anthelmintic tablets for cats with other drugs

There have been no cases of interactions between cat anthelmintic tablets and other medications: modern medications have a low toxicity level and are compatible with any veterinary medications. It is not recommended to use several different anthelmintic tablets at once to avoid toxic effects on the cat's body. Also, drugs intended for humans should not be used to treat helminthiasis in animals, due to the unpredictability of possible consequences for the cat's body and effectiveness against parasites.

Storage conditions for deworming tablets for cats

It is recommended to store anthelmintic tablets for cats in individual original packaging, in a dry, dark place at room temperature. It is necessary to limit the access of children and pets to the place where the drugs are stored, and also to avoid possible contact of medicines with food products. Do not allow moisture and direct ultraviolet rays to get on the packaging with tablets.

Best before date

A tablet taken from a blister pack without packaging can be stored for no more than six months after opening. The shelf life of packaged tablets for feline helminthiasis is from three to five years.

At the moment, a large number of means for combating helminthiasis are known. Pills for worms for cats are available in all veterinary pharmacies and pet stores, it is recommended to use them after consulting a veterinarian and carefully reading the annotation for the use of the drug.