Tablets from worms for cats

There are many veterinary anthelmintic drugs, designed to destroy virtually all types of helminths. Among them are tablets from worms for cats.

When buying any of the drugs, make sure they are suitable for the age and weight of your pet. Of course, it will be better if before consulting a cat you consult a veterinarian, but this is not always possible, so we give you a brief introduction on this topic.

Indications for the use of tablets against worms for cats

Anthelminthic drugs are prescribed to cats for the treatment or prevention of helminthic invasions.

What are the indications for the use of tablets against worms for cats? These may be sudden signs that indicate the possibility of helminthiasis:

• appetite disorders - the cat eats reluctantly, or refuses to eat at all; sometimes the appetite acquires a perverse form when the cat tries to eat inedible foods or the objects surrounding it;
• external signs - a cat can lose weight, quickly get tired of games, there is its desire for solitude; may show an increase and bloating;
• the condition of the coat - the coat can be ruffled, sometimes it becomes too greasy and stuck together; in long-haired cats, loss of pieces of wool may occur;
• the state of the eyes - can be observed lachrymation, yellowness sclera;
• disturbances in digestive processes - diarrhea, vomiting, regardless of food intake;
• can appear coughing and sneezing;
• Sometimes there is an itch after the act of defecation, in fecal masses you can notice an admixture of blood or directly the helminths themselves.

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

Form of issue

Anthelminthic drugs are produced quite a lot, the form of release can be different, as well as the names of tablets from worms for cats. Modern veterinary medicine offers tableted antihelminthic drugs (such as prazicides, drontal, milbemax, kanikvantel), paste-like agents (dirofen), suspensions (dirofen or prazitsida), skin drops (such as profender, prazicid complex, leopard spot).

The form of the drug does not affect its effectiveness, the leading role in the choice of the agent is the convenience of using the drug for the animal.

Not all cats love to swallow pills, and not all masters know how to give them properly to their pet. To make a cat swallow a pill, first you need to hold the animal, open her mouth and put the medicine on the base of the tongue. If the procedure fails and the cat stubbornly spits out the pill, in other cases, other forms of anthelminthic preparations come to the rescue: one can try to mix a suspension with cat food, or use drops that should be squeezed onto the skin in the interblade area, pushing the hair before it. Drops should be applied to such a place that the cat can not reach the tongue and lick the medicine.

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

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Pharmacodynamics tablets from worms for cats

Anthelminthic drugs, released in the form of tablets, usually have a wide range of action, destroy all stages of development of the invasion, while simultaneously affecting the nematodes, trematodes and cestodes. Modern means are used in the intestinal and tissue form of parasitic intrusion, they are effective against larvae, eggs and adult helminths.

By the mechanism of action, the preparations are close to inhibitors of polymerization and destructors of the cellular structure of the digestive tract of worms. The ability of these drugs to inhibit the absorption of glucose, block the motor activity of elements in the muscular cells of round worms, which provokes the death of helminths.

Almost all drugs are equally effective against the causative agents of diphyllobothriasis, dipilidiosis, alveococcosis, toxaxaridosis, ankylostomiasis, paragonimosis, opisthorchiasis. They destroy cysts or substantially reduce their size in animals with cysts of granular echinococcus.

Pharmacokinetics of tablets from worms for cats

Tablets form preparations from worms for cats are adsorbed in the digestive tract. The degree of bioavailability with internal application is low (25-35%).

Metabolism is determined mainly in the liver, residual metabolites have only a partial activity of the main therapeutic substance. The limiting concentration of anthelminthic drugs in serum can be achieved in the period from two to five hours after taking the pill. Whey proteins bind the drug to 60-70%. The active substance is distributed practically throughout the body: its traces can be found in the liver, blood plasma, bile and urinary secretions, cerebrospinal fluid.

The time of partial excretion of drugs from blood serum is about 10 hours, the drugs are excreted as a variety of metabolites mainly through the urinary system or with the feces.

Dysfunction of the liver in an animal increases the limiting concentration of drugs in the blood serum twice.

Dosing and Administration

The best option when the method of administration and dose of anthelmintic tablets 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. Dosage features must be read in the annotation to the drug. For example, a popular drug drontal is dosed at the rate of 1 tablet per 4 kilograms of animal weight, and the tablet pratel is used in half for 5 kg of weight.

Admission of anthelmintic tablets as a prophylaxis is carried out once a day before meals. Treatment of helminthic invasions requires repeated administration of the drug one week after the first.

At pregnancy of a cat glistovannye tablets give for 14-20 days prior to prospective labors or after them in 2-3 weeks.

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

Prophylactic intake of anthelmintic tablets should be repeated every 3-6 months, especially in cats that have access to the street, or constantly eat raw meat or fish.

A tablet in the shredded state can be mixed into the main food, or given to the cat whole, by 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 swallow the drug quickly. To small kittens the necessary part of the tablet is mixed with food or with milk.

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Use of tablets from worms for cats during pregnancy

Many animal lovers often wonder whether it is possible to use tablets from worms for cats during pregnancy.

In the first half of pregnancy, it is not recommended to take a cat with antihelminthic drugs, as this can harm developing embryos, or provoke an abortion. In such cases, it is better to wait a little and apply the anthelmintic remedy 10-15 days before the alleged birth of the cat. After the birth of the kittens, it is necessary to treat them as well, since infection can occur from the mother during childbirth, but not before reaching the age of three weeks.

In relation to the cat in the second half of pregnancy, it is permissible to use only those anthelmintic preparations that contain an indication in the instructions that they can be used by pregnant and lactating cats. To such means concern, for example, preparations milbemax, biheldon. Very good means - "kanikvantel-plus", prescribed in a dose of ½ tablets per 5 kg of animal weight.

In general, if the binding of your pet is planned in advance, the best way to prevent helminthiasis will be to take any anthelminthic drug by the cat 14 days before the planned pregnancy.

Contraindications to the use of tablets from worms for cats

Since all anthelmintic agents are quite diverse both in their chemical composition, and in dosage and manufacturer, respectively, contraindications to the use of tablets against worms for cats may be somewhat different. When buying any medicine, including veterinary, before using it is necessary to read the instructions.

However, among the main contraindications that occur most often, we can distinguish the following:

• 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 organism "does not take" the drug, it is better to replace it, having consulted with the veterinarian beforehand);
• the age of the kitten is less than 2-6 weeks;
• pregnancy of a cat, especially the first half of the period;
• infectious diseases of the animal in the stage of exacerbation and remission;
• weak exhausted cats, weighing less than half a kilogram;
• functional disorders of the liver and urinary system.

Side effects of tablets from worms for cats

Side effects of tablets from worms 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 proper dose selection in most cases do not show any side effects on the administration of anthelmintics.

In rare situations, hypersensitivity to the reception of the tablet is possible, which is expressed in the foam from the mouth of the animal, allergic itchy dermatitis and other characteristic signs of an allergic reaction.

Disturbances of the gastrointestinal tract can also sometimes occur, which manifests itself in the form of abundant and loose stools, impaired appetite, nausea and vomiting.

Side effects usually go away on their own within a day after taking the anthelmintic preparation. If the side symptomatology does not pass, you should consult a veterinarian.

Overdose

Cases of overdose of anthelmintic tablets in cats are extremely rare. The greater dose is usually received only by small kittens, in which it is more difficult to correctly calculate the dosage. 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 the dosage of the anthelmintic tablet has been incorrectly performed, and the cat has convulsions, trembling in the legs, inconsistent breathing, try to urgently consult a veterinarian.

Interactions of tablets against worms for cats with other drugs

Cases of interaction of tablets from worms for cats with other drugs are not fixed: modern drugs have a low toxicity and are well combined with any veterinary drugs. It is not recommended to use several different anthelmintic tablets at once to avoid toxic effects on the feline organism. Also, do not use drugs intended for human consumption for the treatment of helminthiases in animals, because of the unpredictability of possible consequences for the cat's organism and its effectiveness against parasites.

Storage conditions for tablets from worms for cats

Tablets from worms for cats are recommended to store in an individual original package, in a dry, dark place at room temperature. It is necessary to limit the access of children and pets to the place of storage of drugs, as well as to avoid the possible entry of medicines into food. Do not allow moisture and direct UV rays to enter the package with tablets.

Shelf life

A tablet, taken from a blister pack, can not be stored for more than six months after opening. The shelf life of packaged tablets from feline helminthiases is between three and five years.

At the moment, a large number of agents for controlling helminthiases are known. Tablets from worms for cats are available in all veterinary pharmacies and zoological shops, use them is recommended after consultation with a veterinarian and careful reading of the annotation for the use of the drug.