Prevention, Symptoms And Treatment Of Heartworm In Felines.

Dirofilaria immitis is the scientific name of the heartworm both in cats and dogs . Heartworm in cats is a potentially major disease for your pusscat 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 progress into fully grown worms, these parasites take up residence 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 major acute conditions that include heart failure, blocked arteries, coughing, wheezing, laboured breathing, 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 disease.

Treatment

Heartworm is a very serious illness 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 tests 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 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 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 vets prescribe steroids to reduce the inflammation of the lungs and the pulmonary arteries.

Commonly, medicines employ a low dose of insecticide to kill any developing microfilariae 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 recommend 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 guidelines 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 extra uncontaminated water should always be available, particularly if you have an indoor pussy. Indoor pussy are less likely to become diseased than those living outdoors 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 precautionary action before the season and continue 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 continuously developed year after year looking for a remedy. So be certain to talk to your vet and make sure of which heartworm prevention treatment is currently the best to use. This way, you can avoid your pusscat from becoming sick and even dying through those vile bloodsucking parasites known as dirofilaria immitis or those horrible heartworms!.

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