Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Of Heartworm In Cats.
Causes Heartworms are introduced by mosquito bites and when the larvae form they hatch into fully fledged worms, these bloodsucking worms live in the right side of the heart and/or the arteries to the lungs. The cat heartworm generally, has a relatively short life of 2 -3 years and the cat's immune system produces an antigen to fight against them in their pre-larva stage. Symptoms Heartworms lead to various tough acute conditions that include heart failure, blocked arteries, coughing, wheezing, breathing difficulties, anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, loss of weight and in extreme cases, death. If your pussy (or dog) has been bitten by mosquitoes then she is susceptible to a heartworm ailment. Treatment Heartworm is a very serious situation which needs to be treated by your vet as the worms are parasite that will feast on the vital areas around your cat's heart and the arteries to the lungs. Your veterinarian will be able to carry out various proceedures to determine the presence and severity of the heartworm problem. The various proceedures your vet can carry out will include blood tests and X-rays which detect the presence of heartworm. An antigen test detects proteins in the blood from the breakdown of the worm. Ultrasound tests produce an image of the heart and the pulmonary arteries and are another aid in tackling the problem. There is no best heartworm treatment and it is not just the live heartworms that are hurting your cat. The dead and dying cause complications too. As the worms die after 2-3 years, they can block the arteries of the heart and lungs causing further problems. However, some veterinarians administer steroids to reduce the inflammation of the lungs and the arteries feeding the lungs. Commonly, medicines administer a low dose of insecticide to kill any growing microfilariae in your cat's blood. Natural herbal preventatives work in a similar fashion and are kinder to your cat's body. Even so, these heartworm treatment do NOT kill adult heartworms, so I encourage regular 6 monthly checkups for heartworm. Prevention My belief is that prevention is preferable to cure and as there is no cure for heartworm in cats it is imperative to take the appropriate precautions. The normal rules of keeping your cat healthy apply and include a natural, well balanced diet of fresh raw foods with garlic and yeast mixed in from time to time. These two ingredients will serve to keep the mosquitoes away. Plenty of fresh pure water should always be at hand, particularly if you have an indoor kittycat. Indoor kitties are less likely to become contaminated than those living outside but heartworm prevention is far better practiced for all cats just to be on the safe side. If you live in a mosquito-ridden area, you will want to take preventative action before the season and carry on with the treatment through to its conclusion. Citronella oil and water is a common mosquito repellent you can use to keep mosquito bites down to a minimum. Preventative medicines and treatments are being continuously developed year after year looking for a cure. So by all means to call your veterinary surgeon and discover which heartworm prevention treatment is currently the best to use. This way, you can stop your kitty from becoming sick and even dying through those filthy bloodsucking parasites known as dirofilaria immitis or those horrible heartworms!. Why Microchip Puppies - The Benefit Of Microchipping Explained If your pet strays, it may be gone for days, weeks or even forever. Undoubtedly, this will cause distress to you, your family and your pet. Micro-chipping provides your pet with a secure proof of identity. 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