When the owners notice that a pregnant cat has worms, they should not take any measures on their own, but rather take the pet to a veterinarian. Deworming of animals is a mandatory procedure that breeders must carry out without fail before mating, but if the animal becomes infected after mating, then the decision to poison the worms should be made exclusively by the veterinarian. Pregnancy is not the best time to take strong medications, therefore, the less toxic influence on the body of a pregnant female, the more reliably the health of kittens in the womb will be protected.
Ways of infecting a cat with worms
Unfortunately, heartworms in pregnant cats are very common. They affect not only cats that move freely on the street, but also those who do not leave the house.
There are several main ways cats become infected with worms:
- Food. Worm eggs can enter the body of a pregnant pet along with raw or undercooked meat or fish, as well as poorly washed fruits and vegetables.
- Water. The source of worm infection can be water from springs or other bodies of water. In rare cases, parasites can be contracted even through tap water.
- Human. Of course, all cat owners go outside and can bring worm eggs on their clothes or the soles of their shoes.
- Other animals. Infection can occur during mating, as well as if an already pregnant cat comes into contact with other animals that have free access to the street.
- Soil from pots with indoor flowers. Most cats love to dig in flower pots. Even soil that was purchased in a store can become a source of infection with internal parasites.
- Sand from a tray. Some owners, in order to save money, use ordinary street sand as a filler for the cat litter box. Very often, because of this filler, cats become infected with worms.
- Insects. Absolutely all domestic representatives of the cat family have a weakness for midges, flies and other insects and will not miss the opportunity to hunt for them. Sometimes such prey can be a source of helminth infection. In addition, fleas are considered the main carriers of worms, so it is very important to regularly carry out procedures to rid your pets of these insects.
Tablets and suspensions
Lovers of furry four-legged friends often wonder what to do if a pregnant cat has worms, and how to deal with them so as not to cause harm. There are many remedies, and among them a special place is occupied by tablets, which have great advantages due to the following nuances:
- are produced based on weight, so it is not difficult to determine the dosage of the drug;
- the medicine can be mixed with food or water;
- many products are produced with the taste of meat and fish;
- No special conditions are required for storing tablets.
Before using the drug in tablet form, you must weigh your pet to determine the exact dosage. An overdose can cause side effects in an animal such as:
- vomit;
- diarrhea;
- bloody feces;
- apathy;
- copious secretion of saliva.
To get rid of worms, you can give your pets the following tablets:
- Gelmimax-4;
- Trontsil-K;
- Dirofen.
The suspension is always equipped with a dispenser. In the absence of this, the suspension can be given to the cat using a syringe. The required amount of suspension is drawn into a dispenser or syringe. The animal needs to be placed on your knees, calmed, open its mouth and pour the product onto the root of the tongue. If this fails, the drug should be mixed with food.
There are several types of anti-worm suspensions:
- Prazitel;
- Prazicide Plus;
- Dirofen;
- Dironet;
- Febtal combo;
Signs of helminthiasis
Signs of infection of a pregnant pet with helminths are not easy to notice. Often, owners mistake the symptoms of helminthic infestation for vitamin deficiency, allergies, or other phenomena that occur during pregnancy.
If you suspect helminthiasis in a pregnant pet, it is better to start treatment after consulting a doctor, because some drugs cause premature birth or even death of kittens.
Typically, veterinarians recommend ridding your pet of parasites during pregnancy only in cases where the worms threaten the health of the expectant mother and her offspring. Symptoms of advanced helminthic infestation:
- perverted appetite or its complete absence;
- excessive salivation;
- frequent constipation or diarrhea;
- weight loss;
- significant deterioration in the condition of the coat;
- the presence of worms in feces;
- restless sleep;
- weakness and fatigue;
- cyanosis or pallor of mucous membranes;
- nausea;
- vomit.
Milbemax
Anthelmintic tablets for kittens contain milbemycin and praziquantel as active ingredients. Thanks to its complex action, the anthelmintic is effective in combating various parasites. The medicine belongs to the group of moderately dangerous and in recommended quantities is not toxic to a growing organism. To achieve an anthelmintic result, a kitten weighing 0.5-1 kg requires 1/2 tablet. The advantage of the drug is that it can be given to the kitten along with food without laxatives. The cost of Milbemax for kittens is from 150 rubles.
What is the danger of having parasites in the body?
Worms cause significant harm to the weakened body of a pregnant cat. They injure the intestinal walls, leading to blood loss, which increases the risk of infection with various viruses. Internal parasites also cause hypovitaminosis, anemia and exhaustion in pregnant cats.
The waste products of worms lead to intoxication of the body and disruption of the functioning of almost all vital organs.
For unborn kittens, they are dangerous due to the following consequences:
- Intrauterine infection with nematodes (roundworms). This type of internal parasite is considered one of the most common. Their larvae are able to penetrate the placenta and infect babies in the womb. With this infection, kittens are born very small. Subsequently, they are likely to be stunted and may even die within a month.
Important! Such worms pose a threat to the life of a pregnant cat only if their number has reached a critical level.
- Infection with helminths through mother's milk or saliva. Most often, nematodes penetrate the mammary glands and saliva of a pregnant cat. After birth, babies lick worms from their mother's nipples. In addition, a cat can infect her kittens when she licks them.
This type of helminthic infestation usually does not pose a threat to the life of kittens, but the lag in growth and development from their healthy peers will be significant.
Prevention measures
To reduce or prevent the risk of helminth infection, you need to regularly treat your pet for parasites - once every three months. Eliminate raw fish and meat from your diet. Only boiled and settled water is poured. Do not allow them to eat feces after other animals, protect them from contact with them.
Before mating, worming is mandatory. It is necessary to regularly clean objects with which the animal is constantly in contact (trays, bowls, toys). It is recommended to do cleaning with chlorinated solutions.
As a preventive measure, you can add 5 g of crushed pumpkin seeds or an infusion with onions to your pet’s food once every three months for a week. Wormwood helps to cope with worms. Alcohol tincture should be given twice a day - 10 drops at a time.
It is also recommended to use a remedy made from tansy inflorescences. Brew 5 g of crushed plant in a glass of boiling water for an hour. Then the product is filtered. Give the pet a syringe to drink (2-3 ml) three times a day. For prevention, procedures are carried out in a course of 3-4 days. However, during pregnancy such a remedy is prohibited. This may cause a miscarriage.
If there are no symptoms indicating the presence of worms, then treatment for worms is not carried out. Even the weakest drugs can become toxic to future kittens. But more often than not, taking illegal drugs causes the animal to miscarry.
Is it possible to give a pregnant cat anthelmintics?
Pregnancy is one of the main contraindications for the use of most anti-worm medications. That is why, when they discover signs of helminthic infestation in their pregnant pet, owners find themselves in confusion: they do not know whether it is possible to deworm a pregnant cat.
In this case, you should not try to rid your pet of worms on your own. After all, only a doctor can choose a treatment that will not harm either the cat itself or its babies.
After examining the cat and assessing its condition and gestational age, the veterinarian will prescribe the following tests:
- biochemical and clinical blood test;
- examination of urine and feces.
After identifying the type of worms, the doctor may postpone deworming measures until the kittens are born. If, according to the results of the research, the cat is infected with worms that can penetrate through the placenta to the embryos, treatment cannot be delayed.
Typically, deworming of pregnant individuals is carried out after the pregnancy reaches 6 weeks. Getting rid of worms at an earlier stage is very dangerous.
During this period, kittens develop their main organs and systems, and exposure to anthelmintic drugs can disrupt this process and lead to the development of various pathologies. In addition, in some cases, the use of anthelmintics can even lead to miscarriage.
Products for kittens
It is advisable that antihelminthic drugs for young cats be prescribed by a veterinarian. They must be safe, low-toxic and effective against parasites. It is not advisable to dilute the suspension or divide tablets intended for adult cats. Pet pharmacies have products intended specifically for kittens.
From the age of three weeks, babies are allowed to be given Drontal, Prazicide, Trontsil K, Kanikvantel for deworming. For five-week-old kittens, the deworming drug Profender is intended, with Milbemax for six-week-old kittens. When three months are reached, the permitted list is supplemented by Pratel, Febtal, Polyverkan, and Inspector.
Medicines for worms
In modern veterinary medicine, there are many drugs for removing worms, which are available in a variety of forms. Most Popular:
- Prazitel.
- Dirofen.
- Vacation.
- Milbemax.
- Drontal.
- Polyverkan.
- Helmimax.
However, not all of these medications are safe to give to pregnant cats. That is why many owners simply do not know what to do if a pregnant cat has worms.
Prazitel, Kanikquantel and Polyvercan are considered the most dangerous for the embryo. Their use can lead to the death of offspring, as well as to various pathologies in the development of children.
Drontal, Milbemax and Dirofen in tablet form cannot be given to cats in the first half of pregnancy, but are allowed in the second. Gelmimax can be given to a pregnant pet no later than 3 weeks before giving birth.
Before using drugs in the form of tablets or suspensions, you must weigh the cat to determine the correct dosage. An overdose can lead to negative consequences:
- weakness;
- salivation;
- vomit;
- diarrhea;
- presence of blood in feces;
- development of various pathologies in unborn kittens;
- miscarriages.
In addition to suspensions and tablets, a pregnant cat can also be dewormed using drops on the withers. Such drugs have a wider spectrum of action and can destroy both the helminths themselves and their eggs and larvae.
Drops should be applied only to places where the cat cannot reach, and in strict accordance with the dosage indicated in the instructions. Do not use drops if there are scratches or wounds on your pet’s body.
Profender drops are considered the most suitable for killing helminths in pregnant cats.
Safe veterinary drugs
If it is necessary to deworm a pregnant cat, it is better to use the medical product Drontal. Its dosage depends on weight, so for purrs with a body weight of 4 kg, 1 tablet is prescribed once. medications. If desired, the treatment is repeated. It is better to feed Drontal not in the evening, but in the morning during breakfast, mixing the pill into food. Another safe medicine for pregnant females is Profender, which is suitable from the first days of pregnancy, but is not permissible in the last month of gestation.
It is important for cat breeders to remember that during gestation, especially during anthelmintic therapy, purrs need maintenance therapy more than ever. An effective medication, Calcidi, which is a vitamin and mineral supplement consisting of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D. The medical product is useful during pregnancy because it eliminates stress conditions, prevents abnormal bone development and generally improves the health of the cat.
Deworming of nursing cats
If you find worms in a nursing cat, you should not rush to rid your pet of them. First of all, you need to show your cat to a veterinarian. Doctors usually do not recommend worming those who have recently given birth: at least a month should pass from the moment of birth, and preferably 6 weeks.
After examining the cat and kittens, the veterinarian will suggest action according to one of the scenarios.
Immediate deworming
This option is usually chosen if the kittens are stunted in growth and development, and their mother has symptoms of intoxication or other diseases that were caused by the presence of worms in the body.
If the owners can feed the babies on their own, then any suspensions and tablets for deworming can be used to deworm the cat. In addition to transferring to artificial feeding, kittens need to be isolated from their mother for 24–72 hours until the active substances of the anthelmintic drug are completely eliminated from the body.
If the owners do not have the opportunity to feed the kittens without the participation of the mother cat, it is better to use folk remedies for deworming:
- garlic;
- pumpkin seeds;
- papaya;
- parsley decoction.
Important! When expelling helminths using traditional methods, it is recommended to give the cat activated charcoal or Enterosgel daily. This will help reduce the negative consequences of intoxication of the body.
In addition, veterinarians advise using drops on the withers to deworm nursing pets. Stronghold, Frontline, and Advantage are considered the safest.
These drugs have a long-term effect (about a month), and the effect of their use occurs after 12 hours. In addition, they are water-based, so they do not leave marks on the wool and are absorbed very quickly.
Deworming at the end of feeding the offspring
Usually this option is resorted to if the mother has enough milk, a good appetite, feels great, and her babies are gaining weight.
Owners who want to get healthy offspring from their cat must treat it for worms before mating, and also make sure that its partner is not infected with them. This will protect the expectant mother and her babies from the unpleasant consequences of helminthic infestation and deworming.
