Milbemax in cats is a widely used antiparasitic product, since it manages to effectively eliminate a large part of the internal parasites that most we can often find in our cats, with the ease that only a single pill is required.
In this article on our site we are going to talk about the usefulness of milbemax in cats, how often to administer it or what possible side effects our cat could suffer after consumption.
What is milbemax used for in cats?
As we have said, milbemax is a product whose usefulness is internal deworming, killing parasites such as the following:
- Flatworms or cestodes, being the tapeworm one of the best known of this group.
- Roundworms or nematodes, among which Toxocara cati stands out for its wide distribution and ability to affect humans.
- Dirofilaria immitis, better known as heartworm due to its location in this organ and in the pulmonary arteries. In this case, milbemax is used in preventive treatment.
In addition, it should be noted that milbemax has the advantage of being used in pregnant or lactating cats.
How to administer milbemax in cats?
For sale we will find the following presentations of milbemax for cats:
- Milbemax for kittens and small cats, with tablets for felines between 500 grams and 2 kg of weight, administering medium tablet up to a kilo and the whole tablet in cats from 1 to 2 kg.
- Milbemax for cats 2-8 kg, so that half a tablet is administered for cats weighing between 2-4 kg and one whole for 4-8. If the cat weighs more, it will need one and a half tablets. We should not use this presentation in cats weighing less than 2 kg.
We see that it is possible to administer milbemax in very small cats but, even so, those weighing less than 500 grams and/or less than six weeks old are outside the range of use of this product. age. To deworm these kittens, the vet will prescribe another more suitable product. Likewise, it is essential to weigh the cat.
Side effects of milbemax in cats
Milbemax is a very safe product, this means that it is difficult to produce adverse reactions, even in high doses. If it had any negative effect, especially in younger kittens, it would be symptoms such as the following:
- Lethargy.
- Incoordination.
- Tremors.
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
If an overdose occurs, in addition to finding signs such as those mentioned above, the cat could hypersalivate, a sign that normally subsides from spontaneously in about 24 hours. If this is the case, it is a good idea to mention it to the veterinarian in case his intervention is required and to take into account the reaction in case it is advisable to change the antiparasitic product.
How often do I give my cat milbemax?
Milbemax in cats can be used as a frequent-use dewormer Although there are caregivers who consider that if their cats do not have access to the outside, they they need to be dewormed, the truth is that we ourselves could transport parasites to the interior of the home. For this reason, regular deworming is still recommended for cats, regardless of their lifestyle.
Every 3-6 months we can administer milbemax, also before vaccination and, of course, if we discover that our cat has parasites, This is why it is advisable to go to veterinary check-ups at least once a year, since many parasites are asymptomatic and it will be the veterinarian who will be able to detect them by examining a stool sample.
How to give a cat a pill?
Milbemax in cats comes in the form of a small tablet that, in addition, can be broken The tablet does not lose its effectiveness although let's mix it with food, which helps to administer it to those cats that are more difficult to handle. For more information, see the following article: "Tips for giving a cat a pill."
Even so, some refuse to swallow pills, they squirm if we try to put them in their mouth, they detect them in the plate and they don't eat or spit them out if we try to give them dissolved in water. If this is our case, we will have to turn to other antiparasitics such as those applied in pipettes.