How To Deal With Heart Worm In Cats.
Dirofilaria immitis is the scientific name of the heartworm both in cats and dogs . Heartworm in cats is a potentially fatal condition for your cat and this article addresses the causes and symptoms as well as heartworm treatment and prevention in cats.
Causes
Heartworms are introduced by mosquito bites and when the larvae grow they hatch into fully fledged worms, these parasites take up residence in the right side of the heart and/or the arteries to the lungs. The cat heartworm normally, has a relatively short lifespan 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 ugly acute conditions that include heart failure, blocked arteries, coughing, wheezing, breathing difficulties, anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, weight loss and in extreme cases, death. If your cat (or dog) has been bitten by mosquitoes then she is susceptible to a heartworm condition.
Treatment
Heartworm is a very serious ailment 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 vet will be able to carry out various proceedures to determine the presence and severity of the heartworm problem.
The various proceedures your veterinarian can perform 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 disease.
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 constrict the arteries of the heart and lungs causing further problems. However, some veterinarians prescribe steroids to reduce the inflammation of the lungs and the pulmonary arteries.
Commonly, medicines administer a low dose of insecticide to kill any growing larvae in your cat's blood. Natural herbal preventatives work in a similar fashion and are kinder to your cat's system. Even so, these heartworm treatment do NOT kill adult heartworms, so I encourage regular 6 monthly checks for heartworm.
Prevention
My mantra 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 sometimes. These two ingredients will assist to keep the mosquitoes away.
Plenty of extra pure water should always be obtainable, particularly if you have an indoor cat. Indoor cats 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-infested country, you will have take precautionary action before the season and go on with the treatment through to its end. Citronella oil and water is a natural mosquito repellent you can use to keep mosquito bites down to a minimum.
Preventative medicines and treatments are being continually developed year after year looking for a remedy. So by all means to visit your vet and find out which heartworm prevention treatment is currently the best to use. This way, you can stop your cat from becoming ill and even dying through those filthy bloodsucking parasites known as dirofilaria immitis or those horrible heartworms!.
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