Traditionally, before vaccination, a deworming procedure is carried out. Simply put, the cat needs to be dewormed and treated for other parasites. Many people believe that helminths weaken the animal’s body, making it difficult for it to fight off vaccinated pathogens.
Let's find out how many days before to vaccinate a cat with anthelmintic and whether it is necessary to do it.
Is it necessary to worm a cat before vaccination?
Whether it is necessary to worm a cat before vaccination is a very controversial question, since if the pet is clean, there is no need to do this.
Anthelmintic drugs should be given before vaccination.
Anti-parasite medications are most often given to animals for preventive purposes. However, if vaccination is planned, and your pet is found to have worms, it is necessary to deworm it in advance.
The doctor will refuse to vaccinate the owner if the parasites are not removed from the cat’s body. What exactly is the reason? The fact is that parasites weaken the animal’s body. Accordingly, the vaccine introduced during this period will not help, but, on the contrary, will worsen the pet’s condition. It is for this reason that it is necessary to worm the cat in advance.
The myth about the need to take anthelmintic drugs
Deworming is extremely important for keeping pets healthy, but is it necessary to do the procedure before vaccination? There is no scientific evidence that the presence of parasites reduces post-vaccination immunity and prevents a pet from fighting infections against which it will be vaccinated. As for allergies when the vaccine reacts with parasites, it can occur in rare cases.
Another misconception is that after a vaccine, “weakened immunity” is susceptible to a rapid increase in the number of helminths in the pet’s body. In fact, parasites do not reproduce so quickly, so it is not necessary to worm the cat before vaccination.
Important! There is no urgent need to treat the pet for helminths before vaccination, however, if the owner carries out prophylaxis against parasites, the cat will not get any worse.
If the animal undergoes scheduled treatment throughout the year, then it is not necessary to give the cat anthelmintic 10 days before vaccination. Veterinarians recommend anthelmintic treatment for cats before vaccination if the owner does not worm the pet regularly.
Common parasites in cats
When to worm a cat before vaccination
How long before vaccination should a dog be wormed?
How many days before vaccination should I give my cat anthelmintic? According to the established rules, you will need to give the anti-parasite pill twice. The first time this is done 2-3 weeks before the injection is given. The second procedure will need to be carried out after vaccination in 10-14 days.
For your information! The bottom line is that it is necessary to destroy not only adult helminths, but also the subsequently hatching larvae. Parasite eggs can remain in the pet’s body for some time.
When to worm a cat?
Some people don’t understand why a cat should be wormed before vaccination. Since the body of an animal infected with parasites is weakened, and during vaccination, weakened microorganisms that cause pathology are introduced into the body, resistance to infection weakens. Because of this, the introduced microorganisms can multiply, causing illness in the animal. In some cases, the disease can be fatal.
To avoid unpleasant side effects, you should know how to properly deworm an animal. If the owner is sure that his pet does not have helminths, the drug is given once for prophylactic purposes 10-12 days before vaccination.
If there is no such confidence, the animal will have to be dewormed twice: after the first dose, 10-12 days should pass before the second. A second run is necessary to kill parasites emerging from the eggs, since medications only kill adult parasites. After the run, vaccination is carried out 10-14 days later.
If it is determined that the pet is infected with worms, more doses of the drug may be required. Veterinarians often recommend giving sick cats the medicine three times.
In cases where a rabies vaccination is given, a month must pass from the last vaccination: since this vaccine is difficult to tolerate by the pet’s body, it needs to fully recover before vaccination.
How to prepare a cat for vaccination
Having found out how many days after deworming a cat can be vaccinated, you should also understand how the animal prepares for vaccination. It also matters what type of vaccination will be given.
How to give a cat deworming tablet and how often to give it
Veterinarians most often ask owners to adhere to the following rules before vaccinating:
- if vaccination is carried out only once, taking medications against worms should end no later than a week before the injection;
- when it is planned to vaccinate against several types of diseases at once, the cat’s body should be cleansed at least 2-3 weeks in advance, depending on the type of tablets that are given to the pet;
- You can vaccinate against rabies only a month after the cat has been dewormed;
- if it is necessary to re-vaccinate against several types of diseases, cleansing is carried out 21 days before the injection.
Important! How you can understand how long before vaccination you need to worm a cat depends on the specific case. Therefore, when you bring your pet for an examination, you should discuss this issue with your veterinarian in advance.
Preparing the cat for the procedure
Features of deworming kittens
The time frame for worming kittens before vaccination differs from that suitable for adult cats. If the kitten is not yet 2 months old, it is not recommended to give it parasite-killing medications. But some products can be used from the age of 3 weeks. The medicine is given only to healthy animals.
You should use medications prescribed by your veterinarian. Medicines used to treat adult cats can have a negative effect on an incompletely formed organism, causing various adverse reactions. It is recommended to use products with a broad spectrum of action.
Before vaccination, the kitten is dewormed 10 days before. If the kitten is infected, runs are carried out according to the same scheme as for adult animals.
How to properly deworm cats and kittens
First of all, the deworming procedure should begin with the destruction of external parasites, that is, fleas. They are carriers and can add additional problems to the animal.
How many days does a cat walk: examples for the first time and how long in time
Both adults and kittens can be dewormed only if they are healthy. A sick animal cannot be cleared of parasites until it has fully recovered.
Note! It is very important to follow the dosage, especially when the issue concerns children. It is best to ask your doctor about the type of drug that will suit your particular animal. Not every substance is suitable for both adults and kittens.
Most medications are given to the pet in the morning and on an empty stomach, that is, before the pet has breakfast.
In what cases is it necessary to “worm” a cat?
Some pet owners think that pets that have never left the apartment cannot become infected with worms. Experienced breeders and veterinarians know that this opinion is wrong. A person can bring worm eggs home on the soles of shoes or on dirty hands. For this reason, it is recommended to deworm cats in the following cases:
- At the age of 3 weeks, when there is a risk of infection of babies from the mother. Also, at three weeks, anthelmintic drugs are given to babies born from a street cat.
- Before vaccinations. The presence of worms in the animal’s body can affect the effectiveness of vaccination, so cats are vaccinated only 10 days after deworming.
- Every six months, anthelmintic substances are given to cats that do not go outside and eat only heat-treated foods or ready-made industrial food.
- Once a quarter, the procedure is recommended for pets that come into contact with other animals, eat raw meat, as well as purebred cats taking part in exhibitions.
- 14 days before mating. During the period of bearing and feeding kittens, it is not recommended to treat the female, as this may affect the development of the offspring.
- For the treatment of helminthic infestations. In such cases, you need to visit a veterinarian and find out the degree of infection in order to choose the optimal comprehensive remedy.
Is it necessary to worm again after 10-14 days?
If the cat has already been vaccinated after deworming, and no further vaccination is planned, the question arises: is it necessary to re-give the medicine to the cat? As already mentioned, after 10-14 days the cats are given anthelmintic again to destroy any larvae that may have remained in the body.
However, this issue should be approached with caution. First of all, you should carefully observe your pet. If after the injection he feels well: eats, drinks, plays, additional cleansing will not harm him. If your pet is experiencing any health problems, such as vomiting, diarrhea, or other symptoms, you should consult with a veterinarian before reintroducing medications.
Anthelmintics for cats before vaccination
Medicines intended to deworm cats are available in the form of tablets, suspensions, solutions for giving injections or drops on the withers, and there are also sugar cubes.
Important! Under no circumstances should medications intended for human use be given, even in small quantities. The cat’s body may simply not accept such substances, which will lead to great harm to the pet.
List of the most popular tablets prescribed to cats:
- azinox. The active substance is praziquantel;
- febtal. Active ingredient fenbendazole;
- Alben C;
- Caniverm;
- dronzite.
If your cat has a negative reaction to taking the tablets, a suspension may be used as an alternative. The most popular medications:
- prazicide;
- prazitel;
- Ddirofen.
For your information! The active ingredients in all medications are praziquantel and pyrantel pamoate. The only difference is the dosages used.
The use of drops on the withers is allowed only if taking the medicine orally is simply impossible. The most suitable substances for this are Profender and Stronghold. Both of these drugs have a complex effect and are designed to kill both fleas and worms. The substance is often applied to the area of the shoulder blades so that the cat cannot lick it off.
Another alternative is sugar cubes. Polyvercan is intended for oral administration, and cats readily lick them off. It is also possible to give an injection, but this will require certain skills from the owner.
Popular remedies for parasites
Important! Small kittens should not be given the same medications as an adult pet. In this case, a special anthelmintic type of medicine with a lower content of active substances is used.
The most effective anthelmintic drugs
The medicine that needs to be used to worm the cat before vaccination is selected by the veterinarian. The drugs have similar effects, the effect is no different; the choice is made based on the active substance that is best suited to the individual case and the price.
Drontal tablets help a lot. Produced in the form of a suspension, the Parasiticide can be used to treat not only adult animals, but also young ones. Cats often willingly eat Cestal tablets themselves, since the medicine has a strong liver odor. Milbemax can be given from 1.5 months; This remedy copes not only with adult helminths, but also with their eggs. Pyrantel does not help against all types of helminths; it can be used to treat kittens, since it is mildly toxic.
Deworming with folk remedies
The use of traditional methods of deworming is most often justified by causing less harm to the pet’s body. This is especially true during pregnancy or breastfeeding. There are quite a lot of folk recipes against worms:
- decoction of chamomile and fennel. Dry grass is poured with boiling water and infused for 20-30 minutes. The decoction is added to the drinking bowl or poured into the animal’s mouth once a day for a week;
- onion decoction. Fresh onions are poured with boiling water and left for 20-30 minutes, and then filtered. The cat is given the decoction in the morning on an empty stomach for a week;
- alcohol tincture of wormwood is sold in pharmacies. Give 5-10 drops in the evening before meals. Course - 1 week;
- freshly squeezed carrot juice 10-20 ml every day for a week;
- fresh garlic. 1 slice is added to the food. Course - 1 week.
Note! Such treatment options are only partly safe. Decoctions and juices cannot cause intoxication, but can cause an allergic reaction or stomach upset.
Garlic for worms - an old-fashioned method
Preparation
It is recommended to take blood and a swab from the oropharynx and nasopharynx in the morning on an empty stomach or during the day, no earlier than 2-3 hours after the last light meal.
Avoid drinking alcohol 24 hours before the test.
Eliminate physical and emotional stress 30 minutes before the test.
Do not rinse your mouth with disinfectant solutions 4 hours before collecting a sample from the oropharynx.
Do not dissolve antiseptic tablets 4 hours before collecting a sample from the oropharynx.
Avoid smoking for one hour before sample collection.
How to evaluate the effectiveness of an anthelmintic procedure
You can evaluate the effectiveness of the procedure and understand that the pet actually ate the drug and did not spit it out after 1-3 days (depending on the type of medication). As a rule, if the cleansing is successful, then fragments of dead parasites can be seen in the animal’s feces. However, if this does not happen, you should not re-administer the drug to avoid an overdose.
In most cases, deworming for a cat goes unnoticed. Rare exceptions such as loss of appetite or changes in stool are attributed to a side effect of the medication.
Important! Sorbents reduce the effectiveness of anthelmintic drugs, so it is not recommended to give them during the cleansing period.
When deworming is contraindicated
Experts prohibit giving cats medications against parasites in the following cases:
- there is an acute allergic reaction;
- the cat is pregnant;
- urolithiasis was diagnosed;
- the cat is significantly underweight;
- there is a viral disease or infection;
- The kitten is less than 2 months old.
Small kittens should not be wormed
Having considered the features of the anthelmintic procedure, we can draw conclusions. First of all, owners should remember that if parasites are present, the procedure is mandatory before vaccination. It is also very important to choose the right drug and follow the dosage. If difficulties arise, it is best to consult a specialist.
