De-worming for cats

4 Oct '06 2:57 am

Hi to u all!
I really love pets and I’ve being interested in animal all my life !
I have 2 dogs : T-bone & Rex and a cat for the last 2 years who’s name is Robert. lately Robert has been having worms, (is it possible that he got it from the neighbor’s dog or other dogs and cats???)
I want to the vet and he gave me some de-worming pills for him. I tried to crumble the tablet into his food but he notice it right away.
I tried wrapping it with some sausage but he refuse to swallow it .
I even tried using force but Robert kept scratching and twirling!!!
what can I do ??
Elizabeth

4 Oct '06 5:06 am

Hi Elizabeth and welcome to the forum. Smile

I’m afraid I have exactly the same difficulties with my cats when it comes to getting them to swallow pills Rolling Eyes

. What I normally do is get my husband to hold them by kneeling on the floor with the cat on his lap, facing towards me. That way he can hold the cat with his arms and, if necessary, lean over a bit to stop them jumping up. I then prise their little mouths open very carefully, pop the pill in as far as I can without losing a finger Wink

, and close their mouths until they’ve swallowed.

This method is also possible for just one person – you just have the cat on your lap facing away from you and you lean over the top, taking care not to squash him/her.

I know it sounds really harsh, but rest assured I am a total softie when it comes to animals of any kind and couldn’t even imagine hurting one, but I’m sure it’s the only way to get them to swallow pills – they’re much cleverer in this respect than dogs (in my experience anyway! Wink

). It’s soon over for the poor little creature and if you give them a treat afterwards, they will soon have forgotten about it and love you just as much as before! Very Happy

If all else fails, it might be worth asking your vet if there’s any other method of de-worming, like a liquid or powder you could put on their food.

Bambi
x

4 Oct '06 6:43 am

O Dear ! I really think you could do with a third person in on this ! Print out the above instructions ,and get someone to read them out a step at a time ,while you and your support person carry them out .
Good Luck !
Dixie

4 Oct '06 7:24 am

....if you read ..detached , dear lady friends , the above posts, like watching a funny film scene,...it is SO funny! And , to think, that the work being done here, is SO really serious!! Dear me!! I've passed myself a million times through these ...battles!

4 Oct '06 10:50 pm

I can fully relate to your cat-worming problem! My thumper, Kitkit, has had to take pills and medicines for different reasons over time. This is the method used by my vet(and gingerly, by me, without help..):
Crush tablet between two spoons and mix with a few drops of water. Draw up into small syringe. (Don't forget to remove the needle first and dispose of same with caution!)
Place a towel round cat as it sits facing forward on your knee - towel covers threatening claws!
Place arm firmly round cat whilst gently prising jaw open with thumb and fingers on either side of cat's chin.
Quickly insert syringe to side of mouth as far back as possible and squeeze!
If your cat is still talking to you and hasn't headed for the hills in high dudg Laughing

eon, give him a little treat! Laughing

6 Oct '06 2:49 am

Hee hee, it is a palava, isn't it?!?! Rolling Eyes

I have to admit, I would rather do the syringe method that Lesley describes, but my problem is having to dissolve it, and have a clean syringe handy, etc - it just wouldn't happen in my household! Smile

When our two were kittens, their de-worming treatment was supplied already in a syringe and it was a lot easier than forcing pills into their mouths (and a lot less dangerous for the fingers Wink

). The towel idea sounds great aswell coz they normally calm right down if they're wrapped up - when they come in from the garden and it's been raining, we always dry them off as much as possible, and they usually squirm and squeak a little to start with, but within about 5 seconds they're usually purring their heads off! Laughing

6 Oct '06 3:10 am

6 Oct '06 8:20 pm

I agree with Lesley about the Towel method, make sure it is a good sized towel and wrap your cat tightly,holding the cat with one arm, sit down on the floor with the cat facing away from you. Once you have the claws under control it is a lot easier to open the mouth by using the thumb and index finger and then drop the tablet in. You kinda have to do all this at once so it is a bit of an art.My poor old cat Sooty (20yrs)was on daily medication for a year so I just had to get use to it.

14 Dec '06 10:55 pm

If all else fails, it might be worth asking your vet if there’s any other method of de-worming, like a liquid or powder you could put on their food.

I've never yet met a cat that would take medication in its food. They just turn up their nose and the food and the dose is wasted.

Vets in the UK sell a measured liquid dose of wormer called Drontal which you just rub on the skin at the back of the cat (or dog's) neck, where they can't lick it off. It's dead easy but not as cheap as pills.

I more often use worming pills. Get the pill ready before catching the cat. I swaddle the cat tightly but not painfully in the dog's large bath towel, from the neck down, so the claws can't get out, and double up the tail end of the towel so the cat can't exit backwards. Then it's easy to hold the bundle under one arm like bagpipes and have both hands free. Open her mouth by inserting a finger at the back corner, drop the pill at the back of the tongue, close the mouth and stroke a finger downwards on the throat (stimulates the swallow reflex). Our cat does not think much of this indignity but it's quick and doesn't hurt her...and luckily she's small enough that a single pill each time is enough.

De-worming for cats

De-worming for cats

cat worming

I am sorry, but....

Worming cats

Re: De-worming for cats

Towel Method