Perfect Guide to Safely Deworm Your Cat in 5 Steps

Why do so many cat owners overlook the importance of deworming their pets?

① Many people believe that since deworming medication is invisible and intangible, and their cats are quite clean, regular deworming is unnecessary.

② Some also think, if the adult worms (and any symptoms in the cat) are not visible, why bother with deworming?

③ Even a segment of owners believe that as long as there are no fleas on the cat, deworming is not necessary.

What kind of worms should cats be dewormed for?

Parasites are generally categorized into two types: internal and external parasites.

External parasites include mange mites, demodex mites, fleas, lice, ear mites, and more.

Internal parasites include roundworms, coccidia, tapeworms, giardia, hookworms, heartworms, and toxoplasma, among others.

What are the dangers posed by these parasites? Let's first look at the harm caused by external parasites:

① Mange mites: These mites typically infest a cat's external ear canal. When a cat is infected, it may experience severe itching, hair loss, and red skin. As the condition worsens, the mites will bore holes in the cat's stratum corneum, leading to dense, small pustules, dandruff, and red rashes on the skin surface, which may eventually form thick scabs.

② Demodex mites: Demodex mites usually affect a cat's eyes, ears, lips, and the hairless areas on the front legs. Localized red patches, 15 millimeters in diameter with distinct boundaries, may appear. Although this parasitic disease is not itchy, it can be fatal! In severe cases, the cat may experience widespread hair loss, swelling, redness, greasy discharge, and purulent dermatitis, with itchy lesions and sometimes lymph node abnormalities.

③ Fleas: Fleas are perhaps the most common external parasites. They can bite, suck blood, and secrete toxins that affect blood clotting, causing the cat to itch, disrupt its normal life and rest, and become restless. Over time, this can also affect the cat's health!

④ Lice: Lice are also common skin parasites that can cause skin inflammation and itching in cats.

Hidden Internal Parasites

① Roundworms: Cats with roundworms may not show symptoms, but in severe cases, they may vomit or pass long, thin worms.

② Hookworms: Cats may become thin and anemic. If your cat eats a lot but remains thin, it may be infected with hookworms.

③ Tapeworms: Cats may have milky white granules around their anus, and they may frequently sit on the floor and rub their buttocks.

④ Heartworms: Heartworms reside in the right ventricle and can cause symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite, drowsiness, and persistent coughing.

⑤ Coccidia: Symptoms include vomiting, bloody diarrhea, poor growth, and dehydration, which can be fatal in severe cases.

⑥ Toxoplasma: Infection usually occurs through the ingestion of food contaminated with toxoplasma ova, leading to symptoms like colds and fevers.

How to Prevent Cats from Getting Parasites?

① Maintain a clean living environment for your cat, including its living space, diet, and waste management. Try to avoid outdoor cats as much as possible;

② Avoid feeding your cat raw meat or eggs, and do not give it raw water to drink, as these can be sources of internal parasite infection. Regular deworming can effectively prevent infection;

③ Keep your cat as a pet, not as a stray;

④ Treat cats infected with internal parasites promptly;

They are just animals, and getting sick is not within their control. On the other hand, as humans with the highest intelligence, we have the responsibility to take care of them properly since we choose to keep them as pets.