Cats are very clean animals, they pay great attention to their hygiene but that does not mean that they are protected against parasites such as fleas. If your cat goes outside or lives with other animals, it is susceptible to suffering from them. These internal and external parasites can affect our cat and cause serious illnesses.
For this reason it is essential to deworm our pet regularly. Keep reading and discover how you can protect your cat against parasites.
In this article on our site you will discover the importance of correctly deworming your cat. It is a key element in our cat's he alth and with the right treatment we can forget about these problems.
External deworming
Fleas and ticks are the main parasites that can affect your cat. If you go outside regularly, it is more exposed, but even if your cat does not leave the house, it is convenient to protect it. These parasites can be seen with the naked eye and the cat will scratch more than usual. It is important to clean the blankets or beds you use if we notice that you have fleas or ticks.
There are several ways to deworm externally on the market and each one protects in a different way:
- Pipettes: Administer to the back of the cat's neck where it cannot be licked. It is not necessary to extend it, it protects the whole body after a few minutes. It serves as a treatment to eliminate possible existing parasites and as prevention. Depending on the brand, the time between doses can vary and is usually presented in three measures or more depending on the weight of the cat. The latest are the pipettes that deworm both externally and internally.
- Shampoo: Used as a treatment, they eliminate an infestation but are not useful as prevention.
- Antiparasitic collars: Prevents fleas from sticking but does not protect for a long time. If your cat is not used to wearing a collar it can be a problem.
- Pills: The tablets are used in special cases such as very small puppies or pregnant cats.
- Sprays: The sprays are sprayed over the entire body of the animal. Its effectiveness is between 2-4 weeks and is usually used in small cats.
Choose the one that best suits your cat's needs. There may be differences in composition depending on the brand, but most protect effectively.
Internal deworming
Internal parasites affect the digestive system of cats, causing serious problems if not acted upon. Flatworms such as tapeworms and roundworms are usually the most common in cats and can trigger severe deficiencies. In addition, a cat with internal parasites can infect others and itself through feces.
A stool test will reveal the presence of such parasites.
The existing methods on the market do not prevent against these parasites, they only eliminate the existing ones, that is why we will administer them more regularly:
- Pills: This is the most widely used method, your vet will indicate the most appropriate for your cat. You can mix it with food to make it easier to take.
- Injections: In special cases your veterinarian can administer the drugs via blood.
- Liquid: Orally, given with a needleless syringe directly into the mouth.
- Pipettes: There are pipettes that deworm both internally and externally.
When do I start treatment and how often?
External deworming:
We must protect our cat against external parasites from a very young age. Talk to your vet and choose the one that best suits your cat. You can use a spray in the first months of life and in adulthood use pipettes.
Depending on the product chosen, the protection time may vary. If your cat lives indoors and does not usually go outside or interact with other cats, you can apply a pipette every 3 months If your cat goes out a lot and interacts with others you can shorten the time between doses to 1, 5 months
Internal deworming:
The first shot will be at 6 weeks of life. If your cat is a puppy, your veterinarian will indicate the schedule for deworming and vaccinations. The animal must always be dewormed internally before each vaccination.
Your veterinarian will inform you of the recommended doses for your puppy. Remember that in the first 3-4 months of life is when your cat receives the most important vaccinations. For the first 6 months he will be dewormed monthly, then every 3 monthsis enough
If you have just adopted an adult cat, you can carry out both external and internal deworming at home. Even if it is an apparently he althy cat, we must make sure that we eliminate any parasite that it may have. In this way we not only protect the other cats in the house but also humans since there are diseases such as feline toxoplasmosis that can affect humans.
