Prevention,Causes And Symptoms Of Heartworms In Cats.
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Dirofilaria immitis is the scientific name of the heartworm both in cats and dogs . Heartworm in cats is a potentially grave ailment for your pet and this article addresses the causes and symptoms as well as heartworm treatment and prevention in cats.
Causes
Heartworms are caused by mosquito bites and when the larvae grow they evolve into fully grown worms, these parasites live in the right side of the heart and/or the pulmonary arteries. 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 causes various grim conditions that include heart failure, blocked arteries, coughing, wheezing, laboured breathing, anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, loss of weight and in extreme cases, death. If your cat (or dog) has been bitten by mosquitoes then she is liable to a heartworm disease.
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 pulmonary arteries. Your veterinarian will be able to carry out various proceedures to determine the presence and severity of the heartworm problem.
The various tests your veterinarian can carry out will include blood tests and X-rays which detect the presence of heartworm. An antigen test detects proteins in the bloodstream from the breakdown of the worm. Ultrasound tests produce an image of the heart and the arteries feeding the lungs and are another aid in tackling the problem.
There is no best heartworm treatment and it is not just the live heartworms that are damaging your cat. The dead and dying cause problems too. As the worms die after 2-3 years, they can stifle 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 employ 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 internal organs. However, these heartworm treatment do NOT kill adult heartworms, so I encourage regular 6 monthly checkups for heartworm.
Prevention
My mantra is that prevention is better than 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 occasionally. These two natural additives will serve to keep the mosquitoes away.
Plenty of extra clean water should always be at hand, particularly if you have an indoor cat. Indoor pussy are less likely to become diseased 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 locality, you will need to take precautionary measures 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.
Preemptive medicines and treatments are being constantly investigated year after year looking for a cure. So be certain to consult your veterinary surgeon and learn about which heartworm prevention treatment is currently the best to use. This way, you can avoid your pusscat from becoming sick and possibly dying through those nasty bloodsucking parasites known as dirofilaria immitis or those horrible heartworms!.
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