Your cat is a living, breathing creature, and it is essential to keep it happy and healthy. One of the best ways to ensure your cat is happy and healthy is by taking care of its health. One way you can do this is by deworming your cat or, in other terms, eliminating his intestinal parasite threats.
Deworming your adult cat can be done by giving them a pill or by feeding them de-wormer food. If you decide to use the pill method, make sure that you safely give your cat medicine so that they don’t accidentally ingest the medication. It is also essential to look for the most effective products in the market because your cat deserves the best.
This article tackles worms, worm treatment, dewormers, what to look for in dewormers, and the best dewormers you may purchase and use for your furry friend!
Let’s begin!
Worm Types and How they Affect Cat Health
Generally, intestinal worms live in the intestines, steal food from the stomach, and damage the lining of the gut as a result. There is no doubt that worms are rare causes of severe disease in adults. Still, they are just as likely to cause severe troubles in kittens, such as dehydration, anaemia, intestinal blockages, and even death.
There are two ways in which kittens get worms: by drinking their mother’s milk, while adults catch them by hunting rats, mice and birds, and by fleas. The first thing you need to do is determine what type of worm your cat has before you choose a dewormer for him. In UK cats, these intestinal worms are common:
- Tapeworms – They are flat, long worms that appear to resemble a strip of tape, hence their name ‘tapeworm’. As the virus is transmitted through contact with infected animals, outdoor cats who eat wild prey are at a higher risk than indoor cats who eat domesticated food. The flea is also a common carrier of tapeworms.
- Hookworms – In the case of your cat, a tiny worm called a hookworm will attach itself to the intestinal walls and feed on the blood supply. For kittens and cats with a weakened immune system, hookworms are especially menacing parasites since they can cause anaemia due to blood loss.
- Roundworms – Roundworms can live up to a decade in their host after being transmitted by faeces from an infected animal. Infection with roundworms can occur in cats in several ways. They can either eat an infected animal, eat roundworm eggs or larvae, or they can get them through their mother’s milk.
- Ringworm – In general, this condition is characterised by circular patches of hair loss, scaling or crusty skin, changes in colour, swelling, excessive grooming or scratching, and dandruff. Despite the name, ringworm is a fungal infection, not a worm infestation. To treat ringworm effectively, it is recommended that you utilise an antifungal medicine instead of a deworming medication.
When Shall I Deworm My Cat?
It is essential to deworm kittens at two, four, six, and eight weeks of age. Heartworm and flea preventative for cats and kittens that are old enough to be kept indoors year-round, as well as a hookworm and roundworm treatment, should be taken regularly by these feline animals.
Your veterinarian will prescribe appropriate treatment for your cat depending on the type of worms it has been diagnosed with after identifying and diagnosing it with worms. Dewormer medication may be prescribed as a pill, liquid, injection, or topical medicine.
Which Cat Wormer Shall You Use?
Cats can be treated with a variety of worming products (including tablets, liquids, pastes and spot-on treatments). Your cat’s temperament and lifestyle will determine which one is best for them.
Wormers that are prescribed – you should use worming treatments prescribed by your veterinarian whenever possible. You can usually get a worming treatment from your vet without an appointment if your cat is healthy and visits the vet regularly. For the correct treatment dose, your veterinarian will need to know how much your cat weighs. You should schedule an appointment if your cat hasn’t been examined for quite some time, if you’ve tried worming treatments that you bought at a pet shop or supermarket and they haven’t worked, or if you’ve tried more than one.
Non-prescription wormers – in addition to anti-worming treatments, many worming treatments can be purchased without a prescription. These treatments are known as NFA-VPS products, which means they can only be dispensed by a veterinarian, pharmacist, or qualified person, and they are kept in a locked cabinet. Pick them up from a shelf without talking to someone before you buy them, and they are more likely to be effective. A customer is asked to provide the weight of their cat when buying an NFA-VPS product.
Choosing the Right Dewormer
Serious issues such as malnutrition and anaemia can follow an intestinal infestation if the parasites stay around for a long time. It is even possible that this might even result in a kitten’s death, especially if he is petite and weak. It should also be noted that worms do not just affect dogs and cats. Humans can also be infected by some parasites that attack cats, which are called zoonotic.
The majority of dewormers are effective against parasites, free of severe side effects, and relatively easy to administer. However, you must choose the right one based on your cat’s circumstances. There are plenty of cat dewormers available, but deciding which one is right for your cat is not easy. Whether you select a broad-spectrum dewormer or get your vet’s approval on a worm-specific medication, make sure the dewormer you use is designed for your cat’s worm type. Your cat’s tapeworm infestation will not be treated with a deworming product that kills roundworms!
Best Non-Prescriptive Dewormers for Cats
Pro-Sense Liquid Cat Dewormer
With this convenient, low-cost piperazine-based liquid dewormer, you can get rid of roundworms and prevent them from coming back. Piperazine is a substance that is relatively mild to eat. It can paralyse roundworms in the body and allows them to pass through your cat’s body to the litter box, where they belong. Each teaspoon contains 250mg of piperazine.
There is always a risk for your cat to experience nausea, vomiting, and muscle tremors when using piperazine medications, so you should measure out the correct dose to avoid these reactions. For cats to find the formula appealing, it contains added flavouring and sugar.
Bayer Tapeworm Cat De-Wormer
There are 23 milligrams of praziquantel in each tablet, making these trusted pills the best on the market. Tapeworms are the type of parasite that are killed by these pills. If you don’t think your cat is going to enjoy the taste of the pellets, you can crush them and add them to her food, or you can administer them whole if she doesn’t like them.
Some studies show that praziquantel is an effective tapeworm treatment that is safe and well-known. According to customer reviews, these tablets are highly effective. It is also worth mentioning that they are low-priced, so they are affordable to most people.
Bayer Drontal Broad Spectrum Dewormer
Drontal is a well-respected medication that is regularly prescribed to pets, even though veterinary practices often prefer to use broad spectrum dewormers due to the boosted potential for side effects. There are three types of intestinal parasites commonly found in cats: tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms, which are treated with praziquantel and pyrantel pamoate: a combination medicine.
The tablet form of these medications can be a bit more difficult to administer than the liquid form. It is recommended that you place the tablet directly into your cat’s mouth or in a pill pocket that is attached to his collar. It is easy to provide the correct dose when the tablets are scored into quarters for easy administration.
Excel Roundworm Liquid Dewormer for Cats
Large roundworms can be treated with this medication at a low cost. Active ingredient piperazine is present in this medication, which contains 250mg per teaspoon. As a preventative measure, it is recommended that you give your cat the liquid medication two times a week, two weeks apart, and then once a month to prevent re-infestation.
Aside from the piperazine compound itself, the medication also contains flavours, colours, and sugar, which makes it palatable for your cat as well as appealing to humans. As long as your feline friend takes these pills in small quantities, this shouldn’t be a problem. However, it is something to bear in mind before taking this medication.
Conclusion
There you have it, cat owner! Worm infestations must be identified and treated immediately if you follow the instructions on the label of the deworming medication and choose the appropriate dewormer for your cat. In that case, you can safely eliminate the infestation and bring him back to health!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I deworm my cat without going to the vet?
Yes, you can. There are several ways to deworm your cat without going to the vet. You can use a topical treatment, a herbal remedy, or a homoeopathic remedy. The most common way of deworming your cat is by using a topical treatment that kills the parasites in their intestines. These treatments are available in pet stores and come in different forms – tablets, liquids and shampoos.
Some people like to use herbal remedies instead of taking their cats to the vet for deworming purposes. They believe that these types of remedies are more effective and have fewer side effects than other treatments that you can buy from the store.
Does over-the-counter dewormer work for cats?
Over-the-counter deworming drugs are safe and effective for cats. They can treat cats for tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms. This type of dewormer is not meant for internal use and should only be used on the outside of the body. Ask your vet’s advice!
What will happen if you don’t deworm a cat?
It is a common misconception that cats do not need to be dewormed. This is not true, though. Like dogs and humans, cats can also suffer from the effects of parasites. Deworming a cat is a vital part of keeping it healthy and happy. It prevents them from being infested with worms which can cause health problems like anaemia and diarrhoea.
Do cats poop out worms after being dewormed?
Cats poop out worms after being dewormed. This is because the worms are killed in the process of being dewormed.