The life of a little kitten directly depends on the actions of its owner. Poor living conditions or simple neglect of disease prevention can lead to a common and dangerous problem for a small organism - infection with helminths. The absence or delay in treatment of helminthic infestation can lead to serious complications, poisoning of the body and even death.
Ways of infecting a kitten with worms
Little pets can become infected with worms, even if they have never gone outside in their lives. Street kittens are 100% likely to be susceptible to this disease.
Pets can become carriers of worms:
- having become infected from a mother cat while still in the womb or through mother’s milk;
- by eating low-quality raw meat or fish;
- playing with your outdoor shoes or clothes;
- contacting other animals that carry worms;
- hunting for flies and mosquitoes;
- If a kitten is infected with fleas, then worms will most likely be added to this disease, because Direct fleas are carriers of worm larvae.
What helminths should cats be treated for?
Even if your cat does not leave the house, there is always a chance to bring round helminth eggs (the same Toxocara, for example) on her shoes from the street. You can also bring fleas, which are carriers of tapeworms (cucumber tapeworm). If you also have a dog, the risks increase. If the cat has access to the street (for example, when going to the country), the chances of infection begin to increase. The higher the risk, the more often it is worth treating for parasites. The recommended frequency of use of Broadline Spot-On for cats going outside is monthly, throughout the year.
RCV-FEL-0106-2021
How do worms affect the body?
By parasitizing the animal's body, worms and their larvae take away most of the useful substances and vitamins from the kitten, quickly depleting the kitten's vitality.
Parasites can infect not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also the liver, heart and other organs. By affecting the kitten’s organs, helminths cause irreparable harm to the fragile organism. If left untreated, there is a high probability that the kitten will die from poisoning by helminth waste products or from intestinal obstruction due to the huge number of worms.
As a result of infection, the following occurs:
- Severe intoxication of the entire body. Helminths and their larvae poison the pet with the products of their vital activity, and when they die, they become a source of harmful toxins.
- Harmful substances released by parasites can cause serious allergic reactions.
- By multiplying rapidly, worms can initially cause constipation and bloating, and in more severe cases, blockage of the digestive tract and intestinal obstruction.
- Located inside hollow organs, they injure the walls, causing irritation, ulcers and even such a serious disease as tissue necrosis.
- A kitten's fragile body, infected with helminths, becomes easy prey for infections and viruses. Often helminthiasis serves as an impetus for the development of other dangerous diseases.
What are worms and what are the signs of their appearance?
Unfortunately, the kitten cannot tell us about its problems, so it is imperative to monitor changes in its behavior, health and habits.
In addition, it is necessary to deworm a baby or adult cat regularly in order to prevent and prevent the spread of worms throughout the body. Before you begin direct treatment of worms in a kitten, it is worth deciding how their presence manifests itself :
- serious problems with nutrition, complete lack of appetite or, conversely, gluttony of the cat;
- a kitten infected with worms may constantly meow, often even in the middle of the night;
- excessive discharge, diarrhea or constipation;
- feces mixed with blood or white bodies of worms that look like rice groats;
- redness, allergic reactions and rashes in the kitten's anus;
- signs of worms such as purulent discharge from the eyes;
- frequent nausea and stomach upset, including vomiting of worms.
More popular symptoms of worms in a kitten, obtained as a result of observations of the owners, are a constant desire to rub his butt on the carpet or floor in your apartment . This can only mean one thing - your kitten has definitely become infected with parasites such as worms, and should be immediately sent to a veterinary clinic for examination.
In any case, be vigilant and extremely attentive, constantly monitor the kitten and study all the changes that occur in its behavior, all the signs of potential diseases. In addition, care should be taken when pets come into contact with small children, since the latter are very difficult and painful to endure all kinds of infections and infestations with worms.
At what age should a kitten be treated for worms?
The pet is treated upon reaching 6 weeks of age. But if the kitten shows signs of infection: a swollen belly, a lethargic appearance, faded fur, you should not delay treatment. There are drugs that allow you to treat an animal from the age of three weeks, but they should only be given with the permission of a veterinarian and under his supervision.
It is easier to protect your pet by carrying out timely prevention of helminth infection. It is much easier to prevent the development of a dangerous parasite infestation than to treat it.
Prevention must be carried out periodically to protect the animal throughout its life.
Treatment for parasites is mandatory if you plan to vaccinate your kitten. An infected animal has a weakened immune system and vaccination will be ineffective.
It is necessary to carry out treatment and prevention of helminthiasis 10 days before the scheduled vaccination.
During the treatment process, an important point is the correct dosage of the drug. You must strictly follow the instructions. It is so easy to harm a kitten’s small body by exceeding the amount of medication, which in large doses will cause as much harm as good.
What to do? Of course, take it out!
For prevention (even for the most “domestic” animal), anthelmintics are given twice a year. If there is a high risk of infection, deworming can be done once every three months. It is necessary to remove worms 10-14 days before vaccination.
The anthelmintic should be given twice with a period of 10-14 days. A single dose destroys only the adult, but not the eggs. In 10-12 days, new worms hatch from the eggs, and repeated administration will destroy them. If after this the animal still shows signs of infestation, you should consult a doctor. Some drugs destroy all phases of helminth development at once, so they are given once (Milbemax, Profender).
Pregnant animals are prescribed in the last third of pregnancy, lactating animals - 2-3 weeks after birth, only those drugs that have appropriate indications in the instructions (for example, Milbemax), otherwise they can harm the health of the offspring. It would be correct to drive away worms 10-14 days before mating. If this has not been done, kittens should be wormed no earlier than 21 days after birth. Unfortunately, infection of kittens with worms can even occur in utero, during childbirth and breastfeeding.
If the animal has a severe helminthic infestation (the kitten was picked up on the street), parasites are visible in the feces, the animal is vomiting worms, then anti-worm medications should be given under the supervision of a doctor, since the simultaneous death of a large number of helminths can cause poisoning of the body and there will be a need for an IV. In the warm season, deworming must be combined with treating the animal for fleas, since some types of worms spread through them.
A special position among internal parasites is occupied by heartworms - helminths that live in the heart and blood vessels of our pets. How to deal with them - about it here
Opisthorchiasis is very dangerous - a chronic invasion that destroys the liver, bile ducts and bladder, and pancreas of cats.
And if your pet has a cough, then one of its possible causes may be worms that live in the lungs, bronchi or trachea of the animal. About lungworms - here
Anti-worm medications for kittens
There are many medications for worms. Each pharmacy is ready to offer a wide range of various drops, suspensions, tablets and vaccines to treat your pet. But when treating a kitten, you need to be very careful in choosing means to combat helminths.
Behind the various commercial names of drugs lies a certain set of chemicals, the effects of which can be dangerous for a small organism. It is important to give medications appropriate to the kitten's age. It is better to choose time-tested drugs.
The classic deworming remedy contains two main components that affect:
- round parasites (active ingredients pyrantel, fenbendazole, piperazine or milbemycin);
- tapeworms (active ingredient praziquantel).
The most well-known products, identified by release form:
| Pills | Suspension | Drops |
| Pratel Febtal Trontsil K Milbemax | Prazitsid-plus Dirofen-paste | Profender Stronghold |
The most common release option is tablets. For the smallest kittens, Prazicide-plus, produced in the form of a sweet suspension, is best suited. This medicine is considered the safest and is suitable for kittens from 3 weeks of age.
Important! Do not give deworming medications to your kitten yourself. For safe treatment, consultation with a veterinarian is required. Only a doctor will be able to determine possible kidney and liver diseases, the weight category of the kitten and assess the general condition of the animal in order to safely prescribe medication.
What to do at home
After visiting a doctor, you need to purchase the medications prescribed by him as soon as possible and begin treatment. Under no circumstances should you select anthelmintic suspensions or tablets on your own, since they all have different effects depending on the type of parasites and their habitat.
The deworming product should be designed specifically for kittens. This is due to the fact that medications for adult animals have their own dosage, which a small pet may not be able to withstand.
After correct and successful selection of the medicine, treatment should be started immediately. The kitten should be given the product in the amount recommended by the doctor or as indicated in the instructions. The drug is often used with meals.
Also, for faster and more successful treatment, the following rules should be followed:
- provide your pet with a quiet, warm place to rest;
- ensure constant access to fresh boiled water;
- wash the animal with anti-flea shampoo.
Ways to give the product to a kitten
The easiest way to give a medicine in the form of a suspension is to a kitten by pouring a sweet liquid into the animal’s mouth using a syringe without a needle. In addition, there are the following ways to feed your pet medicine:
- Dissolve the tablet in milk and inject using the same syringe.
- Crush the tablet and add to food.
- Add a whole tablet to dry food, and the kitten will eat everything without noticing the fraud.
- Open the animal's mouth, put the tablet on the tongue, close and lift the animal's muzzle up, while stroking its throat. This is a violent method and it is better to use it as a last resort if other methods do not work.
Pros and cons of each type of funds
From the many medications for kittens, it is better to choose products that have proven themselves to be safe and used to treat small pets for a long period of time.
Active ingredients such as pyrantel and praziquantel are the basis of many well-known drugs for helminths; they have a mild effect on the animal’s body, do not expose it to unnecessary intoxication and act on parasites by destroying their outer shell.
Ready-made sweet suspensions, for example, Prazitsid-plus , are the best option for kittens. They are taken once, so it is difficult to make a mistake with the dosage. Giving the suspension to a kitten is much easier than giving a tablet.
It is easiest to apply products in the form of drops to the withers, but you need to drip it strictly on the animal’s withers, otherwise there is a high probability that the animal will lick it off.
, which is distinguished by its wide spectrum of action, is popular Its chemical composition differs from the classic combination and consists of two active components: niclosamide and oxybendazole. The medicine comes in the form of a cube, which easily dissolves in liquid and is given to the pet using a syringe. This deworming remedy is approved for use in kittens from one month of age. A specialist will help you determine the dosage of the drug.
Attention! Protect your kitten from counterfeits. Do not buy “miracle remedies” in markets or secondhand. Buy proven medications only in pharmacies!
Toxocariasis and toxascariasis
Toxocariasis is more common in kittens aged two to three months. Toxascariasis mainly affects young cats and kittens aged six months and older.
Kittens become infected with these diseases when they ingest worm eggs along with food or water. In the stomach of the animal, a larva emerges from the eggs, which penetrates the intestinal mucosa, enters a blood vessel and, together with the blood, is transported to the heart, then to the lungs.
In the lungs, the larvae grow and develop, then migrate to the bronchi and trachea, and from there, along with a cough, they enter the oral cavity. The pet swallows them again, and the nematodes reach sexual maturity in the intestines. The full development cycle of these parasites lasts about a month. Kittens can also become infected with Toxocara when suckling milk from a sick mother.
Toxocara
A kitten infected with roundworms exhibits the following symptoms:
- Decreased appetite;
- Cachexia (emaciation, weight loss);
- Swollen, painful stomach;
- Anemia of the mucous membranes;
- Cough.
If a kitten is infected with any type of helminth, treatment is necessary. For this, anthelmintic drugs are used.
Useful video
How to rid a kitten of worms:
Before starting treatment, be sure to take your kitten to see a veterinarian. The specialist will examine the animal, determine the degree of infection or prescribe medication for preventive purposes if the animal is healthy. The type of drug and dosage will depend on the age of the kitten and its general condition at the time of administration by the veterinarian.
If you have the slightest suspicion that your pet has worms, do not delay a visit to the veterinarian. The further course of the disease and the severity of possible consequences for the pet’s fragile body will depend on timely assistance.
When deworming is not recommended
Prevention of worms is a mandatory measure for all responsible owners. But there are situations when medications can harm a pet. Deworming tablets are not recommended for use in the following cases:
- the cat is pregnant or feeding kittens with her milk;
- The kitten is less than 3 weeks old.
During these periods, the animal’s body is weakened, and the medicine can have a toxic effect. A possible exception is a pregnant cat with obvious signs of severe parasite infestation (lack of appetite, worms in the feces). In lactating animals, treatment for worms can be carried out no earlier than 6 weeks after birth.
