Albendazole for Cats – Everything You Should Know

Everything You Need To Know About Albendazole For Cats

Worms are a common parasite that infects different animals, including pets. Cats are also affected by these parasites, and cat owners need to look out for this issue. 

Worms can especially impact kittens more than adult cats. Kittens can experience deficiency symptoms and retardation as a result of worms. Although adult cats are not affected by worms as much as kittens, deworming your cat is necessary.

Albendazole is commonly used for deworming many types of animals, including cats. Let’s look at the usage of Albendazole on cats and its effect.

General Usage Of Albendazole

Albendazole is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic effective against different worms like roundworms and tapeworms, and a few trematodes. It is known to be one of the most reliable remedies for worms, with an effectiveness greater than 90%.

Albendazole is used on a large scale in the livestock industry apart from being used on a small scale on household pets. It was developed in 1975 and is included in the list of essential medicines as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Species Albendazole Is Commonly Administered To

Albendazole is commonly administered to many species, including dogs, cats, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and swine. It is a safe anti-parasitic that has a wide dosing window. Below are the approximate doses when administering Albendazole to different animals.

• Dogs and cats – 0.25 g / 8 kg
• Horses – 0.5 g / 100 kg
• Pigs – 0.5 g / 40 kg
• Cattle – 0.5 g / 50 kg
• Birds – 0.5 g / 50 kg

Albendazole is available in suspension, fixed-dose capsules, and transdermal forms.

Worm Infection Symptoms On Cats 

Cats infected by worms don’t usually show any symptoms. So, it might be difficult to identify if your cat has been infected by worms and needs to be dewormed. 

There is a possibility of spotting white worms in vomit or the ‘feces’ if your cat has been infected. These look like white rice grains. 

If the case is severe, your cat may show symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss. In addition, infected kittens might experience swollen abdomens and even growth retardation. If you are in doubt whether your cat has been infected, it is best to consult a vet. 

Roundworms infect almost all kittens. So, it is vital to deworm your kitten at a very young age and then continue at the ages of 4, 6, and 8 weeks. Since adult cats are less affected than kittens, you can deworm them every 2 to 6 months of age.

A deworming schedule for your cat would look like this:

Kittens

4 – 6 – 8 weeks

4 – 6 months

Adult cats

1 year

1.5 years

2 years & so on. 

Is Albendazole An Appropriate Anti-Parasitic Drug For Cats?

Albendazole has been shown to be a very effective anti-parasitic drug. It has more than 90% effectiveness on horses, cats, dogs, sheep, goats, swine, etc.

The effect of Albendazole was studied in 6 cats, out of which 5 were administered the oral suspension form. Albendazole was not administered in the 6th cat. 

This study showed positive results in the cats that were administered with Albendazole, thereby confirming its effectiveness on the species.

Albendazole Side Effects

As with any medication, Albendazole also has side effects. Side effects of Albendazole include the following.

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stomach pain
• Dizziness
• Headache

Albendazole Contraindications, Precautions, And Overdose

Albendazole should not be administered to pregnant cats. You should also consult your vet if your cat is hypersensitive to its components. Treatment cycles should have a space of at least 2 weeks.

Adverse effects are more likely to occur if administered in high doses for many days. However, it is always best to consult your vet if in doubt.

Overdose of Albendazole can prove to be harmful to cats. Overdosing may make your cat lethargic and lose appetite. It could also lead to intestinal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

Read more: How do you treat anemia in cats?

Tips For Taking Care Of Your Pet

Taking care of a pet means that you need to give priority to its safety. Ther e will be many occasions when you are clueless about what to do when your pet has fallen sick. The first thing is to consult a vet whenever you see a difference in your pet. 

Apart from consulting a vet, you can also refer to websites online to have a good idea on how to take care of your pet. iPetGuides is a great website that is dedicated for pets with a lot of important details and practical training guides.

The website is a one-stop spot to get information and resources on how to take good care of your pet, straight from professional experts themselves. It will ensure that your pet is happy and healthy throughout its life.

Conclusion

Deworming your cat is a must. Identifying whether worms infect your cat is also crucial. Once you realize that the parasites have infected your cat, you need to administer the proper dose of Albendazole.

You should also follow a proper schedule to deworm your cat as needed. Deworming is important for both kittens and adult cats.

Albendazole has proven to be very effective against many types of worms, including roundworms and tapeworms. With Albendazole, rest assured that your cat will be parasite-free in no time.

You might also like: What causes neurologic disorders in cats?

FAQs

Is It Safe To Deworm A Cat Without Worms?

Both kittens and adult cats need to be dewormed according to schedule, even if they have not been infected. Deworming of adult cats can be done every 2 to 6 months, whereas kittens need to be dewormed at a young age starting from 2 weeks of age.

Can I Deworm My Cat Myself?

There are no home remedies for deworming your cat. Instead, you need to use medications like Albendazole to treat roundworms, tapeworms, and other parasite infections in your cat. If required, you can consult a vet for more help.

If you do come across some articles suggesting home remedies, you should take all the information with a grain of salt.

The only thing that some of those suggestions might be able to do would be to prevent parasitoses — but once your cat gets worms, they have to receive appropriate medication against the infestation.

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