How to Administer Drontal to a Cat

Drontal kills the most common types of parasitic worms.

Drontal is a widely used prescription wormer containing the drugs praziquantel and pyrantel pamoate. This medicine is used for treating tapeworm, roundworm and hookworm. It's sold in tablet form and is suitable for cats or kittens at least 4 weeks old and over 1.5 lbs. One dose is usually sufficient for ridding a cat of worms.

Things You'll Need

• Pet scale
• Paring knife
• Drontal tablets
• Moist cat food

Instructions

1. Weigh the cat. This medicine's dosage is based on weight. Use a pet scale if you or someone you know owns one--human scales can be used but are not as accurate for weighing small animals.

2. Use the amount indicated on the label according to weight. The tablets can be cut with a small paring knife. For kittens 1.5 lbs to 1.9 lbs, for example, you should use a quarter of a tablet, according to drugs.com. You will need to cut the tablet in half, then cut the half one more time to create the quarter tablet piece. Cats weighing 13 to 16 lbs. require two whole tablets.

3. Feed the tablet to the cat with or without food. If you choose to give the pill to the cat without food do the following: Hold the cat comfortably. Hold the pill securely between your fingers on one hand. Gently open the cat's mouth by squeezing (gently) on both sides of the jaw. Stick the pill as far into the mouth as you can. Otherwise, crush the pill with the back of a spoon and blend it with a small amount of food (about ½ tsp. of moist food).

Tips & Warnings

• If administering the medicine with food, use your cat's favorite food so it is sure to eat it. Also, observe it while it is eating to make sure it eats it all (one reason to use just a small amount of food).

References

• Bayerdvm.com: Drontal
• Drugs.com: Drontal Official FDA Information