Prevention,Causes And Symptoms Of Heart Worm In Felines.
Dirofilaria immitis is the scientific name of the heartworm both in cats and dogs . Heartworm in cats is a potentially serious ailment for your cat and this article points out the causes and symptoms as well as heartworm treatment and prevention in cats.
Causes
Heartworms are introduced by mosquito bites and when the larvae form they hatch into fully grown worms, these bloodsucking worms take up residence in the right side of the heart and/or the pulmonary arteries. The cat heartworm generally, 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 bad acute conditions that include heart failure, blocked arteries, coughing, wheezing, laboured breathing, anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, loss of weight and in extreme cases, death. If your kitty (or dog) has been bitten by mosquitoes then she is liable to a heartworm ailment.
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 veterinarian will be able to carry out various proceedures to determine the presence and severity of the heartworm problem.
The various tests your vet can perform 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 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 damaging your cat. The dead and dying cause complications too. As the worms die after 2-3 years, they can block up the arteries of the heart and lungs causing further problems. However, some vets administer steroids to reduce the inflammation of the lungs and the pulmonary arteries.
Commonly, medicines use 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 recommend 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 sometimes. These two ingredients will assist to keep the mosquitoes away.
Plenty of extra pure water should always be accessible, particularly if you have an indoor kittycat. Indoor pussy are less likely to become infected 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 preventative action before the season and continue with the treatment through to its conclusion. Citronella oil and water is a original insect repellent you can use to keep mosquito bites down to a minimum.
Preventative medicines and treatments are being continually cultivated year after year looking for a cure. So by all means to speak to your veterinary surgeon 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 even dying through those filthy bloodsucking parasites known as dirofilaria immitis or those horrible heartworms!.
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Causes
Heartworms are introduced by mosquito bites and when the larvae form they hatch into fully grown worms, these bloodsucking worms take up residence in the right side of the heart and/or the pulmonary arteries. The cat heartworm generally, 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 bad acute conditions that include heart failure, blocked arteries, coughing, wheezing, laboured breathing, anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, loss of weight and in extreme cases, death. If your kitty (or dog) has been bitten by mosquitoes then she is liable to a heartworm ailment.
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 veterinarian will be able to carry out various proceedures to determine the presence and severity of the heartworm problem.
The various tests your vet can perform 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 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 damaging your cat. The dead and dying cause complications too. As the worms die after 2-3 years, they can block up the arteries of the heart and lungs causing further problems. However, some vets administer steroids to reduce the inflammation of the lungs and the pulmonary arteries.
Commonly, medicines use 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 recommend 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 sometimes. These two ingredients will assist to keep the mosquitoes away.
Plenty of extra pure water should always be accessible, particularly if you have an indoor kittycat. Indoor pussy are less likely to become infected 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 preventative action before the season and continue with the treatment through to its conclusion. Citronella oil and water is a original insect repellent you can use to keep mosquito bites down to a minimum.
Preventative medicines and treatments are being continually cultivated year after year looking for a cure. So by all means to speak to your veterinary surgeon 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 even dying through those filthy bloodsucking parasites known as dirofilaria immitis or those horrible heartworms!.
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