| Feline Heartworm Infection |
| Are heartworms a threat to my cat? |
| The answer, unfortunately, is yes. However, the manifestations of a heartworm infection as well as the treatment options differ from the infection as it is found in dogs. In the canine patient, heartworm problems can be treated. In the feline, there is no approved treatment nor is there even a known efficacious dosage for the medicines which are used on other animals. The mortality rate for cats treated using standard heartworn treatments is close to the mortality rate of untreated infected animals. So, as with other feline conditions and diseases (like FIV and FIP), the best treatment approach is PREVENTION. By preventing your feline friend from contracting a heartworm infection you avoid the dangers such an infection poses. How do I prevent a heartworm infection in my pet? For cats one the best options is the use of the topical parasiticide Revolution (with the active ingredient selamectin). Revolution takes care of a multitude of problems seen in kittens and even adult cats: |
| ear mites intestinal worms (hooks and rounds) heartworms fleas (in the adult, larval, AND eggs stages) |
| Because it is a topical, applied directly to the skin between the shoulder blades once a month, there is no hastle forcing a pill on your pet or trying to hide the medication in a treat. If you bathe your cat or have him groomed, Revolution remains effective. Other options which will prevent heartworms in cats are the chewy meatlike tablet Heartgard (with the active ingredient ivermectin) and Interceptor Flavor Tabs (milbemycin oxime), which is now labelled for use on felines. Both of these products are administered once a month by the pet owner. How can I tell if my cat has heartworms already? Heartworms are transported from animal to animal via mosquitos: mosquitos bite your pet, the larvae spread through the bloodstream and attempt to take hold in various places in the body as they migrate. The ultimate home for a heartworm is, of course, the heart. Some attach to the lungs, however, and these may cause more obvious symptoms in cats than do those located in the cardiac muscle. It is now suspected than some of the felines who exhibit the symptoms of asthma may be heartworm positive. The feline immune system recognizes and reacts to the presence of the invader, in some cases actually keeping the heartworm larvae at bay. However, the immune reaction to heartworms in the lungs causes scarification of the lung tissue, thus reducing the viable surface area of the organ. Other than asthma, recurrent vomiting in cats can also be a sign of an active heartworm infestation. Of course, vomiting is a common complaint amongst cat owners. Other causes of vomiting include hairballs and stomach irritation caused by eating something you wish the cat wouldn't (like bugs and rodents). A cat which vomits with any degree of regularity and does not produce either hairballs or the remains of a poorly chosen meal should be tested in order to rule out possible threatening conditions, such as renal (kidney) failure, hyperthyroidism, diabetes and a host of other conditions. While the tests for heartworms are less accurate than blood tests for these other disorders, it is important to rule out organ failure and other imbalances so that your cat can live the longest , healthiest life possible! |