Getting rid of fleas one or two: an overview and benefits of popular vaccinations

Parasites such as fleas can bring a lot of trouble to both animals and people. In addition to the presence of constant scabies from bites and scratching, the pet can become infected with dangerous diseases (for example, distemper), which are carried by ectoparasites. What to do if conventional products such as shampoos, drops and sprays are ineffective? In this case, veterinarians recommend using injections, which are very effective. It is about them that we will talk. We recommend that you read our article and weigh the pros and cons before using flea injections.

How do flea injections for cats work?

After the injection of the medicinal solution into the cat's body, the substance enters the body of the parasite through the bite. As a result, there is a complete paralysis of their nervous system and almost all organs, which leads to inevitable death.

Reference!

Flea injections contain an active substance that has a strong effect on many parasites at any stage of their development.

Thus, if a pregnant female even has time to lay eggs, then her offspring will not be viable. And the larvae, which will be born before the moment the injection was introduced, will be active until the first meal.

Possible complications, reactions

An injection is a medical manipulation, which means it cannot be absolutely safe. When should you pay attention to changes in well-being after the injection and take action?

Bad state of health

Skin puncture pain and anxiety are normal reactions that actor cats may exaggerate somewhat.... There are drugs that are painful when administered or after them - these are no-shpa, some antibiotics. In such cases, your doctor will recommend mixing them with an anesthetic or solvent (saline, Ringer's solution, water for injection). Do not do this at your own peril and risk, some pain relievers, for example, lidocaine, are not tolerated by cats.

Lameness after injection

If the cat squeezes the pricked paw a little, it is not scary and passes quickly. A limp gait is possible after injections with certain drugs, for example, antispasmodics. The situation should return to normal within three days after the end of the course. Additionally, you can help your pet with a light relaxing massage with a pricked foot.

If the cat begins to drag a limb, it may mean getting into a nerve node. Such a condition will need to be treated with novocaine blockades - you cannot do without a doctor.

Bleeding of the injection site

If a few drops of blood come out after the injection, do not be alarmed. If you are worried about the amount of it, apply the cold to this place for 15-20 minutes. Does the blood stop poorly? See a veterinarian immediately.

When to see your veterinarian

Whenever you have questions or doubts! Sometimes a phone consultation is enough. Immediate treatment after, it seems to you, an unsuccessful injection is necessary in the following situations.

1. The cat has bleeding at the injection site that could not be stopped after 10 minutes.
2. The cat drags its paw like a whip, or does not stand on it for more than half an hour after the injection.
3. A bump, swelling, or other change appears at the injection site.
4. You are worried about strange or unusual behavior of your pet.

Important! Cats are powerful empathics: they emotionally feel the state of the owner and react to it sharply. Therefore, during the injections, you need to be calm, firm, and at the same time affectionate. Resistance, if any, should be overcome not by force and rudeness, but by patience and confidence in helping.

Advantages and disadvantages of this method

The advantages of this method are:

• ease of use;
• efficiency and speed;
• safety for cats;
• painlessness;
• action not only on fleas, but also on many other parasites;
• duration of action.

• toxicity of drugs;
• the possibility of using only for adults, healthy individuals.

Important!

Do not use flea injections on pregnant or lactating females!

Composition or active ingredients

Each drug presented in veterinary pharmacies for fleas has different components. However, the active ingredients are always the same. Injections from skin parasites may contain the following elements:

• eprinomectin (a drug containing this element is injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously and repeated only as directed by a veterinarian);
• lufenuron (the drug with lufenuron is more forgiving and is recommended for use with other drugs);
• ivermectin (injection with this active substance is administered twice at intervals of at least a week).

In addition to the active ingredients, preparations often contain various vitamins. At the same time, not only the effectiveness of the drug in the fight against parasites increases, but also the benefits for the animal's body.

How often is deworming of an animal carried out?

Currently, a wide variety of anthelmintic drugs are produced. They differ in the form of release of the drug and the method of action on parasites. There are medicines that destroy only one type of worms, there are also those that have a complex effect.

Anthelmintics come in the following forms:

• pills - usually cheaper, but more difficult to give to a cat;
• suspensions and pastes - can be sold with a special syringe, with which the agent is injected into the mouth of the animal (you can use a disposable syringe without a needle);
• drops applied to the skin of an animal are sold in pipettes and are easily applied to a part of the body that is inaccessible for licking (withers), usually they are a complex remedy to combat external and internal parasites;
• solutions for injections, both intramuscularly and subcutaneously, are practically not used at home.

To force the cat to swallow the pill, the medicine is placed on the root of the tongue and lightly stroked the neck so that the animal makes a swallowing movement Paste or suspension is injected with a syringe without a needle on the cheek of the cat After spreading the fur, drops are applied to clean skin in places that the cat cannot lick. better to exercise in the clinic

The selection of treatments for your pet must be approached carefully, taking into account not only the convenience of their use, but also his health and age. Not all preparations are suitable for kittens, pregnant and lactating cats. It is necessary to take into account chronic diseases, intolerance to any substances and a tendency to allergic reactions.

Drugs that affect only one type of helminths are less toxic, act faster, are more effective, but to use them, you need to know exactly what your pet is infected with. If you have not previously done the analysis in a veterinary clinic, then it is better to choose a means of complex exposure. You choose the type of medicine based on the ease of use and its cost.

Pills

The tablet is one of the time-tested dosage forms that is also used to treat pets. It has some advantages over other products:

• tablets for worms are made based on a certain weight of the animal (this item must be prescribed in the instructions for use), so it is not difficult to determine the exact dosage of the drug;
• such a medicine is easily divided into parts, if necessary, it can be crumbled and mixed with food or drink for the cat;
• many manufacturers, taking into account the characteristics of consumers, produce products with the taste of fish or meat;
• tablets have a long shelf life and do not require special conditions for this.

The disadvantages include the fact that in the event of allergic reactions to any components of this remedy, the action of the pill cannot be canceled. In severe cases, you need to go to the clinic.

If you picked up a cat on the street, you need to start fighting worms right away (unless the animal is too emaciated). In case of severe parasite infestation, re-deworming is recommended after ten days. For preventive purposes, a pet is treated once every three months (some veterinarians advise once every six months).

When do shots work?

When to use injections and when is it better to refrain from using them? It is recommended to use injections when the cat's fleas do not go away for a long time and all other drugs do not have the desired effect.

The shots are the most powerful when compared to shampoos, drops, and other medications. In addition, injections work in case of infection not only with ectoparasites, but also with helminths, which once again confirms their high efficiency.

Where does a domestic cat get fleas if it doesn't go outside?

If the cat is domestic and does not walk on the street at all, where did the fleas come from? Flea eggs and larvae can get into an apartment from the street from a person - we can, without knowing it, bring them on shoes or clothes. If you have mice or rats in your home, they can carry fleas and cause your cat to become infected. Also, the presence of other pets in the house, for example, dogs, can affect the spread of the flea squad to the rest of the person's friends.

Fleas can move into your house from neighbors or from the porch when you simply open the door to the staircase. If a domestic cat loves to walk on the balcony, fleas can overtake it there too, moving from neighbors or from a pigeon that crouched on the balcony, and then the owners wondered where the cat got fleas from.

So the cat does not need to walk outside to pick up parasites - fleas and other insects.

Popular injections and reviews

The timing of protection against skin parasites depends on the drug you choose. Almost all of them have protective properties that last up to six months.

Ivermek

The drug is a colorless or yellow liquid with a volume of 1 to 100 milliliters. Ivermek can be purchased at veterinary pharmacies or directly at the veterinary clinic.

Important!

The drug is a substance that belongs to the group of moderately hazardous. Therefore, when using this drug, it is very important to adhere to the correct dosages, which will not have a negative effect on the animal's body.

Prescribe "Ivermek" to combat fleas, round helminths and ticks. In addition to getting rid of parasites, the drug prevents the development of many serious diseases.

The drug is administered intramuscularly, it is applied once, and only in very advanced cases the veterinarian can prescribe repeated use.

Reviews of the drug are all positive.

The disappearance of fleas is observed very quickly, and no bad effects on the body of the animal itself are observed. Only in some cases (with increased sensitivity to the components) there is frequent urination and increased excitability, very rarely - vomiting.

Eprimek

The transparent, light yellow solution for injection "Eprimek" contains the active ingredient eprinomectin. Belongs to the third class of moderately hazardous substances.

The drug has a broad spectrum of antiparasitic action. When a parasite enters the body, it leads to paralysis and death. It is used to get rid of fleas, ticks, nematodes and helminths.

It is administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly. The drug is excreted from the cat's body in the urine and feces. Contraindication to use is individual intolerance.

Numerous reviews prove the effectiveness of the drug. However, if the dosage is not followed, there is a strong arousal and increased bowel movements. Symptoms go away on their own after a while.

Important!

Do not mix the drug with any other antiparasitic agents.

Lufenuron

The colorless preparation against parasitic insects contains lufenuron.

"Lufenuron" is the only one of all the drugs presented, which is able to prevent the development of larvae from eggs, which leads to a break in the chain of development and reproduction of organisms.

Types of worms found in cats

Helminthiases are a group of diseases caused by helminths (worms). The type of helminthiasis depends on which parasite has entered the body:

• Round worms (nematodes). They live in the small and large intestines and feed on the host's blood, therefore they cause anemia, but they can cause general intoxication of the body or lead to allergies. A sick pet has bouts of vomiting with blood, bloating, and a sharp weight loss is possible.
• Tapeworms (cestodes). The most common tapeworms of this species are cucumber tapeworm and echinococcus living in the stomach. Cucumber tapeworm is dangerous for its size (in cats it usually grows up to half a meter). Growing up, it can damage the walls of the gastrointestinal tract. Echinococci are more dangerous for both domestic animals and humans. Their intermediate form develops in any organ of the host, causing damage.
• Trematodes (flukes). These worms parasitize the bile ducts of the liver (sometimes the pancreas), but their larvae can infect the intestines, lungs, or other organs. Therefore, the symptoms of the disease can be different.

Signs of infection with helminths can be the following symptoms:

• loose stools;
• constipation;
• alternation of loose stools and episodes of difficulty in defecation;
• vomiting - sometimes even with blood and worms;
• in feces and on wool around the anus - fragments of helminths or whole individuals;
• "Riding" on the buttocks caused by itching;
• stool with an admixture of bloody and mucous components;
• bloated belly;
• weight loss;
• decreased appetite or uncontrolled bouts of binge eating;
• cough;
• difficulty breathing;
• pathological molt;
• growth retardation in kittens;
• increased fatigue;
• icterus (yellowness) of the mucous membranes, sometimes their pale color (with anemia);
• convulsive syndrome and paralysis of the hind legs;
• spontaneous abortion of embryos or untimely delivery.

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You just need to consider: if you are not visually convinced of the presence of parasites in your pet, such symptoms can accompany other diseases. Treatment for helminths not controlled by a veterinarian can worsen the health of your pet. Before using the drugs, it is advisable to pass tests and consult with specialists.

Instructions

At an appointment with a specialist, you will be offered various preparations for fleas in the price range that is optimal for you. The names of the drugs may differ, but the active ingredients for them are unchanged.

Adherence to the dosage is important when using injections. That is why only a veterinarian is allowed to use the drug. Self-medication is excluded!

Attention!

Flea injections are performed exclusively by a veterinarian. The injection is injected into the forearm or the back of the shoulder joint.

Flea prevention

It is necessary to regularly carry out the prevention of infection with ectoparasites not only for street cats, but also for domestic cats. For this:

• do not allow contact with infected animals;
• regularly handle and wash your pet's personal items (bedding, collars, etc.);
• after the street, be sure to wash your hands with soap and shake out your clothes and shoes to prevent fleas from entering the street;
• Do a damp cleaning with flea repellent every month.

Criterias of choice

Before purchasing a remedy for parasites, regardless of its type, it is necessary to take into account the following factors affecting the choice:

1. Age, health and physiological state of the animal.
2. The color of the coat, as drops can change it.
3. The individual characteristics of the pet and its ability to tolerate various drugs.
4. The purpose of the treatment, which may be treatment for emerging fleas or preventive measures.
5. The degree of flea infestation and the complexity of the situation that has arisen.
6. The cat has contact with other animals that can lick the topical product from its fur.

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Output

If you do not pay enough attention to such a problem as the presence of fleas in a pet, then in the future you can expect a decrease in immunity, the development of anemia, the appearance of patches of alopecia on damaged skin and the development of many diseases. That is why it is easiest to use flea protection products than to treat the consequences of their vital activity.

Fleas are incredibly tenacious and if no pills, drops, or sprays helped you get rid of them, then it's time to seek help from a veterinarian and apply parasite injections.

Cats can become infected with worms anywhere: at home, on the street, through food, drinking water, or from humans or other sick animals. Treatment must be started immediately, such problems of the body can lead to a deterioration in the condition of the pet, its death. Cat worm preparations are sold at any veterinary pharmacy.

The doctor will help you choose the right treatment so as not to harm the animal. If the owners are able to determine the disease themselves, then at the initial stage, the drugs will save the pet.

The first signs of the presence of worms:

• excessive thinness
• gagging, bowel disorder
• red spots under the coat
• near the eyes - pus, on the ears - a rash
• after defecation, the cat rubs the anus

Helminths are divided into three types:

The last most dangerous of the worms. Self-treatment will not work. You can save a pet only with complex procedures in a special clinic, and the veterinarian will prescribe a drug and save the cat from torment. In other cases, there are a number of worm medicines available to prevent this problem.

The form of release is different:

Preparations against worms for a pet should be chosen according to his character. Cats do not like to take medications, you need to try giving different types of them. They are all effective, regardless of form.

The suspension attracts with its convenient packaging... Produced as a liquid, injected with a syringe with a dispenser. The following drugs are most popular against worms:

• Prazitel - used for a wide spectrum of action. It enters the body quickly, leaves it for about 48 hours. It is allowed to give to cats over 3 weeks old, pregnant females in the second stage.
• Prazicide - dosage forms are packaged for all ages of the animal. This anthelmintic drug for kittens is sold in one dosage, for adult pets in another.
• Helmintal - intended for those animals that are 6 weeks old.Prescribed for the treatment of mixed invasions, with a prophylactic purpose. Side effects have not been identified, individual intolerance to the components is possible.

List of the best drugs for worms

When a cat has worms, it is necessary to immediately treat it using anthelmintic drugs. But in this case

, therefore, it is advisable to seek services from a veterinarian. Since many drugs act selectively and show good results only in relation to specific helminths.

As a rule, medications of a wide range of uses come to the aid of the cat owner, which are capable of killing various types of worms. The most popular and common drugs for worms are:

• Dirofen;
• Polyvercan;
• Febtal;
• Prazitel;
• Kanikvantel plus;
• Pratel;
• Milbemax;
• Profender;
• Drontal;
• Troncil-K.

We will not describe the instructions on when and how to give drugs for worms to cats due to the fact that they have different active substances, packaging and dosage. In order not to be mistaken, given that drugs in large doses are toxins, it is advisable to give drugs in accordance with the instructions.

Prazitel drug

Safe medicine that effectively protects cats from all types of helminths at any stage of development.

and nematodes. Sold as a suspension. 1 ml of the medicine contains: pyrantel pamoate - 35 mg and praziquantel - 4 mg. It is forbidden to use the medicine against:

• kittens with a life span of less than 25 days;
• kittens and cats if they have infectious diseases or are malnourished;
• if there is an individual intolerance to the components of the drug;
• simultaneously with antihelminthic drugs that contain piperazine;
• pregnant and lactating animals.

Dirofen drug

An anthelmintic complex medicine for adult animals and kittens, sold in the form of tablets. The active active ingredients are fenbendazole and pyrantel. Dirofen has a fairly wide range of uses, which is able to give quick results. It can be used to get rid of tape and round worms.

The drug Polivercan

For cats, the total body weight of which is not more than 5 kg, the dosage is half a cube. For this, the medicine is diluted in water and then injected into the mouth with a syringe. For treatment, the drug is used twice, with a time interval of 12 days, and for prevention purposes, it can be used once every 3 months. For kittens, the medicine can be used after one month of life. For pregnant cats, the drug is prohibited.

It is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic for cats. The composition contains: fenbendazole - 450 mg, praziquanten - 60 mg. They destroy flat and round worms. Has a quick effect. During treatment, see the dose according to the instructions.

... If they are being treated for ascaris, then the repeated use of the drug must be two times, with an interval of 2 weeks. It is undesirable to give the drug to pregnant cats.

Medicines for kittens

If kittens are treated for helminths, then not all drugs and injections are suitable for use. The pharmaceutical industry has created separate treatments for kittens. These drugs include Dirofen for kittens and Prazicid, a sweet suspension for kittens. All other medications can be given when the kitten reaches the age of more than one month, and some medications - after two months of age.

It is advisable to use the drug once, in the morning, while feeding the kitten. The animal must be given the medicine with food or forcibly using a syringe without a needle. The suspension bottle must be shaken thoroughly before use. Deworming can be applied to kittens that have reached 2 weeks of age. The dosage is written on the package.

There are a lot of anthelmintic drugs that are suitable for treating cats.You can choose a medicine that helps against all types of parasites, or, after consulting a veterinarian, purchase a highly targeted remedy. The most important thing is to provide timely assistance to the animal. Otherwise, parasites can cause enormous harm to his health.

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