Prevention, Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Of Heartworm In Cats.

Dirofilaria immitis is the scientific name of the heartworm both in cats and dogs . Heartworm in cats is a potentially tough illness for your cat and this article points up 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 develop into fully fledged worms, these parasites live in the right side of the heart and/or the arteries to the lungs. The cat heartworm comparatively, 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 fatal 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 liable to a heartworm condition.


Treatment

Heartworm is a very serious disease 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 vet can use 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 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 stifle 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 use a low dose of insecticide to kill any growing microfilariae in your cat's blood. Natural herbal preventatives work in much the same way and are kinder to your cat's system. Even so, these heartworm treatment do NOT kill adult heartworms, so I encourage regular 6 monthly tests 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 ingredients will assist to keep the mosquitoes away.

Plenty of plenty of pure water should always be obtainable, particularly if you have an indoor kittycat. Indoor kitties are less likely to become contaminated 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 country, you will want to take preventative action before the season and carry on with the treatment through to its end. Citronella oil and water is a common insect repellent you can use to keep mosquito bites down to a minimum.

Preventative medicines and treatments are being continuously developed year after year in search of a cure. So be certain to speak to your vet and make sure of which heartworm prevention treatment is currently the best to use. This way, you can prevent your kitty from becoming ill and possibly dying through those vile bloodsucking parasites known as dirofilaria immitis or those horrible heartworms!.

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