Cat deworming is a measure that cat owners must take, and it is of great help to the health of cats. However, many owners will have many questions or misunderstandings about cat deworming. Only by understanding these can we correctly deworm cats. Below are answers to some common questions about cat deworming. ​​​​​​

Q: What kind of insects should be driven out?

A: General routine deworming refers to nematodes and tapeworms. The most common nematodes are roundworms and hookworms.

Q: How old do kittens need to be dewormed?

A: Kittens can be dewormed for the first time after they are 28 days old, but only nematodes can be dewormed at this time. It is best to deworm tapeworms after they are two months old.

Q: How often should I deworm?

A: This must depend on the cat’s activity range. If your cat is kept completely indoors, routine deworming can be performed every six months to one year. If your cat can go outside When walking around and coming into contact with stray cats outside, it is best to carry out routine deworming every 2-3 months. If a beloved cat that was originally raised indoors accidentally gets lost outside, routine deworming should be carried out when it is found. If a new cat is introduced to the original cat group, in addition to isolation, routine deworming should also be carried out; Before deciding to breed, it is best to carry out body worming to avoid worms from spreading to future generations.

Q: Can deworming and vaccination be done at the same time?

A: When vaccination is given, the veterinarian will conduct a complete physical examination and fecal examination. If everything is normal, the spirit and appetite are OK, and deworming becomes just a preventive medication, then this The two can be carried out at the same time; if a cat is found to have a large number of worm eggs in the fecal examination, the veterinarian will consider doing the two separately. The deworming part should be carried out first to confirm that the parasite infection has been relieved. time, and then vaccinate. Of course, these views are only personal suggestions, and there will be different considerations in different situations. Each doctor or hospital has its own deworming plan, and the recommendations of family doctors should be the main ones.

Q: Will worms come out after taking deworming medicine?

A: If there are really parasites in the intestines, the worms may come out within a few days of administration of anthelmintics. Some worms will keep squirming, some will appear dead, and some will be encapsulated. They are buried in the feces and cannot be seen, and some are digested by the digestive juices in the intestines and the complete worm cannot be seen. When the number of parasites infected is large, the cat may vomit the worms. This situation is most common in severe roundworm infections. Under normal circumstances, tapeworms will continue to discharge body segments from the cat’s anus, which will They show amoeba-like wriggling, some will adhere to the surface of the stool, and some will adhere to the anal opening. After drying, these body segments will appear like white sesame seeds and scattered in the living environment.

Q：How do you get infected with parasites?

A: Ascaris infection is transmitted by kittens sucking the milk of an infected female cat, or by licking the feces of an infected female cat. Adult cats are infected by roundworm infection by ingesting food and drinking water contaminated with eggs. , and feces discharged by infected persons.

Hookworm infection is mainly caused by ingestion of infected feces or other parasite-carrying hosts (such as mice). Occasionally, hookworms can be infected through the skin, but they will not be infected through the placenta or breast milk.

Fleas are the intermediate hosts of tapeworms. Tapeworms must develop to a certain stage in the body of fleas before they can infect cats. When cats are infected with fleas, most cats will chew their skin and lick their fur, and they may ingest fleas. If When this flea happens to have a tapeworm infection in its body, it will successfully infect the cat with tapeworms. Therefore, when a cat is infected with tapeworms, it must have a flea infection on its body, or it must have been infected with fleas before. There are other tapeworm infections that are contracted by cats hunting other small mammals, but such cases are very rare in Taiwan.

Q: What symptoms will cats experience after being infected?

A: Infection with roundworms: vomiting, or vomiting of roundworms, diarrhea, or pulling out roundworms, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, weight loss, or failure to gain weight, cough, or rare intestinal obstruction.

Hookworm infection: diarrhea, melena, vomiting, weight loss, or the kitten is not fat, or the kitten is weak and lethargic due to anemia.

Tapeworm infection: There are no obvious symptoms. The main reason is that the owner will find the tapeworm segments adhered to the feces, the hair in the anus, or dry segments scattered in the environment.

Q: No eggs were found in fecal examination, do I still need to deworm?

A: The most commonly used sampling method for fecal examination is to use the feces attached to the thermometer when measuring body temperature for examination under a microscope. Therefore, such sampling cannot represent the exact true state. If insect eggs are found, , indicating 100% possibility of infection. If no eggs are found, it does not mean that there is really no parasite infection in the body. Therefore, so-called routine deworming is generally used, that is, regular deworming is performed regardless of whether there is a parasite infection or not. Deworming program can provide an extra layer of protection for your cat’s health.

Q: My cat hasn’t even gone out, does it still need to be dewormed regularly?

A: It is said that things are unpredictable. Even if deworming drugs have been administered before, it does not mean that they are 100% effective. Regular deworming can make up for this loss. Furthermore, your cat will always go to the beauty salon and the hospital. Is it possible to make friends with other cats through the screen window? Is the soil in the potted plants at home contaminated by the feces of infected cats? There are always too many questions. There are many possibilities, and deworming is a simple, cheap, and safe task. For the health of your cat, it is better to deworm regularly!

Q: Can it be transmitted to humans?

A: Ascaris: can feel itThe roundworms that infect cats do not easily infect humans.

Hookworms: Certain rare species of hookworms (braziliense) can be transmitted to humans.

Tapeworm: Not directly transmitted to humans.

Q: How do you know if there are parasites in your cat?

A: Owners should pay attention to any abnormality when cleaning cat litter. You may be able to find such internal parasites that are visible to the naked eye. When combing, you should pay attention to whether there are amoeba-like particles attached to the hair around the anus. When cleaning the environment, you should pay attention to dry tapeworm segments that look like white sesame seeds. Pay attention to whether there are traces of fleas on the cat and whether there is black fine sand-like flea excrement. If you cannot distinguish between black sand and flea excrement. When removing the feces, you can place the black sand-like thing you find on wet toilet paper. If it is flea excrement, the color will slowly fade into reddish brown. If it is confirmed that there is a flea infection, it is best to use tapeworm repellent. medicine and carry out flea removal work at the same time.

When a cat has relevant clinical symptoms, the veterinarian will conduct a careful microscopic fecal examination, or directly administer comprehensive anthelmintics to rule out the cause of parasitic infection. Whether your cat is vaccinated or is seeing a doctor due to gastrointestinal symptoms, the veterinarian will conduct a fecal examination. Only through constant and careful examination and regular deworming can you ensure that your cat is not infected with this type of internal parasite. Infected by parasites.