Worming Cats & Dogs – Reasons for doing and tips on how to do it! (Article provided from our Fully Qualified Vet)

Dogs and cats need to be regularly wormed against both tapeworms and roundworms. These worms live in the intestines of your pet and can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and weight loss. In some severe cases, especially in very young animals, the worms can cause lethargy and even death.

Many people that own pets also have young children, it is important to remember that roundworm larvae and tapeworms can infect people. Although health problems in people e.g. eye damage or blindness from worms is uncommon, worming your pets regularly and keeping it free from fleas will help keep it healthy and minimise any potential risks to the family.

As puppies and kittens can get roundworm from their mother, you should assume all young kittens and puppies have worms. Worming should be carried out using a veterinary recommended product. The worming regime can vary but as an idea, young should be wormed every 2-3 weeks until around 3-4 months and then monthly until they are 6months. After 6 months of age, worming should be carried out every 3-4 months. Worming medication comes in different shapes and sizes from tablets to spot-on preparations to palatable pastes. Which preparation you use depends on a number of factors and you should consult a veterinary surgeon if in any doubt.

At some stage in the course of owning a cat you are likely to need to give it tablets. For some cat owners the thought of trying to give the cat a tablet can bring them out into a cold sweat. We offer the following tips…

If your cat is likely to wriggle, sit them on a towel and then use this to wrap them in ensuring all four feet are enclosed.
Sit your cat either on your lap or hold them between your knees. Getting someone else to hold the cat for you, taking hold of both elbows can be very useful to prevent them scratching with their front legs.
Place your left hand (if right handed) over the top of the cats head with the thumb and forefinger resting on either cheekbone.
Tilt the head backwards until the nose is pointing to the ceiling.
The mouth should drop open slightly. Using the middle finger of the other hand depress the lower jaw whilst holding the pill between the thumb and forefinger
Place the pill as far back as possible into the centre of the mouth; shut the cats’ mouth immediately and hold closed in a natural head position.
Rub the cats’ neck gently to encourage it to swallow; blowing gently on the nose can help.
Pill poppers are available from most veterinary practices to enable you to put the tablet as far back into the cats throat as possible without the use of (or losing) fingers.
If you are finding it difficult to give your cat a tablet, ask your vet or vet nurse to show you how to do it. Some medications can be hidden in a tasty treat or smothering the tablet in butter can help your cat to swallow. If you really struggle, it is always best to consult a veterinary surgeon as there may be alternatives to tablets that can be used instead. Good luck!