How to make cats take deworming medicine
As a cat owner, regularly deworming your cats is an important part of ensuring their health. However, many cats are very resistant to the taste or texture of deworming medicines, making the process of feeding them difficult. This article will combine the hot topics and hot content on the Internet in the past 10 days to provide you with scientific and practical methods to help you easily solve this problem.
1. The necessity of deworming cats
Deworming is an important part of cat health management. Parasites not only affect the growth and development of cats, but can also be transmitted to humans. Here are the common types of cat parasites and their dangers:
| Parasite type | Main hazards | route of infection |
|---|---|---|
| roundworm | Causes diarrhea, vomiting, malnutrition | maternal transmission, environmental infection |
| tapeworm | Causes anal itching and weight loss | Flea borne, raw meat infestation |
| hookworm | Cause anemia and skin inflammation | Skin contact, oral infection |
2. Reasons why cats resist deworming drugs
Understanding why cats resist deworming medicine can help us better solve the problem. According to recent pet behavior research, the main reasons include:
| Reason Category | Specific performance | solution direction |
|---|---|---|
| Taste sensitivity | Extremely repulsive to bitter-tasting drugs | Mask the taste and choose drugs with good palatability |
| difficulty swallowing | Pills are too big to swallow | Cutting pills, using pill feeders |
| negative memory | Unpleasant medication experience in the past | Establish positive associations and improve medication feeding methods |
3. 8 ways to help cats take deworming medicine smoothly
Combining veterinary advice and experience sharing from cat owners, here are proven and effective methods:
1. Hiding method
Hide the pills in your cat's favorite food, such as cat strips, cans, or nutritional pastes. Be careful to choose foods with strong flavors that coat the tablets completely.
2. Medicine feeder assistance
Use a special medicine feeder to deliver the tablets directly to the base of the cat's tongue to reduce the contact time between the medicine and the taste buds. This is the professional method most recommended by veterinarians.
3. Mix medicinal powder with food
Grind the anthelmintic into powder and mix evenly into the wet food. Pay attention to whether the medicine is suitable for grinding. This method cannot be used for some sustained-release tablets.
4. Reward mechanism
Give the cat a favorite treat or pet immediately after giving the medicine to establish a positive association. Long-term persistence can improve the cat's acceptance of the drug.
5. Choose drugs with good palatability
There are beef-flavored, fish-flavoured anthelmintics on the market. When purchasing, you can consult your veterinarian to choose a product with better palatability.
6. Liquid medicine replacement
For cats that are extremely resistant to pills, consider using drops or an oral liquid preparation that can be absorbed through the skin or given by syringe.
7. Behavioral training
Usually, through the "open mouth-reward" training, the cat can get used to being touched in the mouth and reduce the resistance when feeding medicine.
8. Seek professional help
If you still cannot succeed after trying multiple methods, you can take your cat to a pet hospital for professional treatment to ensure the deworming effect.
4. Precautions
When giving deworming medicine to cats, you need to pay special attention to the following matters:
| Things to note | Detailed description |
|---|---|
| Medication time | It is best to choose a time when the cat is relaxing, such as after a meal or playing |
| dose control | Calculate the dose strictly based on body weight and do not increase or decrease at will. |
| drug interactions | If your cat is taking other medications, consult your veterinarian |
| Observe reaction | After giving the medicine, observe whether the cat has any abnormal reactions such as vomiting. |
5. Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What should I do if my cat vomits deworming medicine?
A: If the spitting time is within 15 minutes, the same dose of supplementary feeding is required; if it exceeds 15 minutes, no supplementary feeding is required, and the next deworming can be carried out according to the original plan.
Q: Can I forcefully open a cat’s mouth to give medicine?
A: This is the last option and may cause strong resistance to the cat. It is recommended to try other gentle methods first, and if necessary, two people can work together.
Q: Can deworming medicine be mixed in water and given?
A: Not recommended, because the cat may refuse to drink water, resulting in insufficient dosage of medicine, and some medicines will affect the effect when exposed to water.
Through the above methods and techniques, I believe you can find the best way to feed your cat. Remember, patience and positive guidance are key. Regular deworming not only protects your cat’s health, it is also a sign of responsible pet ownership. If you are still having difficulty, do not hesitate to seek professional veterinary advice.
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