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Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Of Heart Worm In Cats.
Dirofilaria immitis is the scientific name of the heartworm both in felines and canines . Heartworm in cats is a potentially ugly condition for your feline 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 bloodsucking worms live 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 causes various significant conditions that include heart failure, blocked arteries, coughing, wheezing, laboured breathing, 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 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 pulmonary arteries. Your vet will be able to carry out various tests to determine the presence and severity of the heartworm problem.
The various tests 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 condition.
There is no best heartworm treatment and it is not just the live heartworms that are hurting 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 complications. However, some vets 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 much the same way and are kinder to your cat's internal organs. However, these heartworm treatment do NOT kill adult heartworms, so I recommend 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 occasionally. These two ingredients will help to keep the mosquitoes away.
Plenty of plenty of clear water should always be accessible, particularly if you have an indoor pusscat. Indoor kitties 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 area, you will need to take precautionary measures before the season and continue 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 constantly developed year after year in search of a remedy. So be sure to speak to your veterinary surgeon and discover which heartworm prevention treatment is currently the best to use. This way, you can avoid your cat from becoming ill and even dying through those nasty bloodsucking parasites known as dirofilaria immitis or those horrible heartworms!.
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