How to give a cat a worm pill: 5 ways

Cats are inherently creatures that are difficult to tolerate treatment. The owners of four-legged friends know firsthand that it is not easy to get a pet to swallow a medicine. The feline family resists treatment more than other animals. In most cases, the owners have to ask the help of relatives or friends for the procedure to be effective. In fact, giving a cat a pill from worms is much easier than it might seem at first glance.

Symptoms of worms in a cat

1. The fundamental sign characterizing the presence of worms are larvae. You can replace them in the feces or vomiting of the animal. At the slightest sign of parasites, proceed to deworming, do not delay with the procedure.
2. To recognize helminths, observe the general condition of the cat. If she refuses food and water or, on the contrary, is very thirsty and overeating, there are parasites in the body.
3. In small kittens, signs of worms are difficult to detect. Touch the belly of the pet, if it is swollen and hard, take the pet to the veterinarian. The doctor will select the drug based on body weight and age.
4. Cats do not always feel unwell with an excessive amount of worms. However, there are still changes in habitual behavior. If a cat hides in a dark corner, sleeps a lot and does not play, he has worms.
5. In no case should parasites be ignored. In severe cases, the worms cause an increase in body temperature, severe apathy, cough, diarrhea, and vomiting lumps of helminths.

How to give a cat a pill

The essence of the procedure is not to cause either moral or physical harm to the animal. Experienced breeders have come up with several effective ways to carry out the procedure. If you still have a fear of deworming yourself, contact your veterinarian.

Method number 1. Mix the pill with meat

The task does not change from this, try to mix the drug so that the pet does not feel it. Many housewives prefer to mix a patty or sausage with an anthelmintic, use this option.

Method number 2. Induce the swallowing reflex
We are talking about the root of the tongue of an animal. As a result of the effect of the pill on this area, the pet swallows the drug reflexively. To carry out the procedure correctly, take your pet in your arms and fix its body well. Open your pet's mouth, then place the medicine on the root of the tongue.

At the end of the procedure, gently squeeze the jaws and wait a while for the animal to trigger the swallowing reflex. The easiest way to carry out manipulations is if you first break the anthelmintic drug into 2-4 parts, and then feed them to the cat in turn.

Method number 3. Explore the list of "tricky" products
There are a number of specific foods that overshadow the bitter taste of the medicine. Use chicken / beef liver paste, cream cheese, butter. Mash the tablet into crumbs using two tablespoons, mix with one of the following formulations.

Put the medicine in the jaws of the pet and call the swallowing reflex (the method is described in method No. 2). It will seem to the animal that you gave it a treat, therefore there should not be any resistance. However, there are certain breeds that have an increased level of smell.

Method number 4. Work on the sinuses
The swallowing reflex is associated with both the tongue and the nasopharynx. Putting the pill in the mouth of the pet, close it and gently blow it into the nose. As a result of such manipulations, the cat will swallow the anthelmintic drug by inertia.

To make the procedure more effective, you can grind the tablet into powder and dilute it with a small amount of water. After that, pour the medicine on the root of the tongue, close the pet’s mouth and scratch the neck (throat). Your actions will provoke swallowing.

Method number 5. Add a tablet to sour cream
You can achieve a “peaceful” solution to the problem of taking the medicine. Grind the tablet to a powder state and mix with sour cream of high fat content (preferably homemade, fat content from 25%).

After that, smear the pet's paws or tip of the nose. Perform such manipulations in order to provoke your pet to start washing. He licks the medicine without noticing the trick. Similarly, butter or other dairy products are used.

Method number 6. Feed the medicine by force
There are frequent cases when the cat flatly refuses to swallow a pill. If the above methods were ineffective, proceed to operation "X". Prepare a blanket or plaid, wrap your pet completely. Only the head should stick out in the cat, this way you will eliminate scratches and kicking.

Most often, veterinarians use this method when they wish to vaccinate obstetric cats. Lock the animal's paws so that it cannot break out, then put a tablet in his mouth. You can grind the drug into powder and mix with sausage, butter and other tasty foods. Also, the medicine is allowed to be fed in its original state.

Practical recommendations

1. Prevention from worms should be done in any case, even for those animals that constantly live in the house, without going out into the fresh air. If you contain more than one pet, then this procedure needs to be done for all animals.
2. Try to get an anthelmintic drug in the form of a suspension. Be sure to buy the medicine taking into account the age of the pet and its position (for kittens, neutered cats, pregnant cats, etc.).
3. It is important to remember forever that anthelminthic animals need 1 time every six months, observing 2 stages. The first procedure takes place with the use of a full dose, the second 10 days after the first (if the parasites are not completely eliminated). Further manipulations are carried out in turn 6 months.
4. The dose of taking the medicine is calculated based on the weight of the pet, read the instructions before use. Depending on the manufacturer, the volume varies. In no case should you exceed the specified rate.
5. No matter how strange it sounds, but the older the animal, the more difficult it is to get him to take the medicine. Try to accustom cats to deworming from an early age. In the future, it will not be difficult for you to give your pet medicines.
6. It is important to understand that a cat’s negative reaction to medication is completely normal. Try to replace the tablets with drops or with an injection. Be sure to ask the veterinarian what drug is available in a liquid state. In this case, you will ease your task. An injection for the prevention of worms is also effective, but this method is used extremely rarely.

Precautionary measures

1. It is worth remembering forever that the deworming procedure can only be carried out by completely healthy animals. To do this, measure the temperature of the cat with a rectal thermometer before driving out the worms. If the indicator exceeds the mark of 37-38 degrees, take the pet to the veterinarian. The doctor must identify the disease and completely rule it out. Otherwise, deworming of a sick animal will lead to complications.
2. Unscrupulous manufacturers produce low-quality anthelmintic drugs. If you drink your pet with such medicine, poisoning is possible in some cases. It manifests itself in vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, refusal of food and water. Take your pet to the veterinarian so that the doctor rinses the gastrointestinal tract and removes toxins formed after the decomposition of helminths.
3. The main condition under which you can worm a pet is the presence of the date of the last procedure. Without it, you can’t give the animal water with medicine, since it is possible to over-saturate the body with potent substances. It is also important to consider the weight, age and health of the animal. Pregnant and lactating cats should be given special care.
4. If you have purchased a quality product, side effects should not occur. The drug performs the complete extermination of worms on the first attempt, therefore, repeated administration of the drug is excluded automatically. You should not buy medicines like "Barca", experienced breeders have deduced a number of negative factors affecting the health of the pet.
5. If you teach your pet to swallow pills or drops from an early age, then the cat will stop kicking. She will be able to sit out 2-3 approaches, while independently and calmly swallow the drug. Deworming at home is a common thing for most breeders. Do not panic, otherwise fear will be transmitted to the pet.

As mentioned earlier, many cats have a negative attitude towards the prevention of pasture worms. To perform manipulations without prejudice to the pet's psyche, mix a powdered tablet with your favorite pet treat. Choose quality medicines that have a minimum of side effects. Get a notebook, mark in it each performed procedure. Anthelmintic cat 2 times a year with equal intervals.

Video: how to give a pill to a cat