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 difficult condition for your pusscat and this article points up 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 hatch into fully fledged worms, these parasites take up residence in the right side of the heart and/or the pulmonary arteries. The cat heartworm normally, has a relatively short life of 2 -3 years and the pussycat's immune system produces an antigen to fight against them in their pre-larva stage.
Symptoms
Heartworms causes various life threatening acute conditions that include heart failure, blocked arteries, coughing, wheezing, breathing difficulties, anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, weight loss and in extreme cases, death. If your kitty (or dog) has been bitten by mosquitoes then she is liable to a heartworm condition.
Treatment
Heartworm is a very serious illness which needs to be treated by your veterinarian 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 proceedures to determine the presence and severity of the heartworm problem.
The various proceedures your veterinarian 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 condition.
There is no best heartworm treatment and it is not just the live heartworms that are debilitating 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 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 bloodstream. Natural herbal preventatives work in much the same way and are kinder to your cat's internal organs. 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 natural additives will help to keep the mosquitoes away.
Plenty of plenty of pure water should always be at hand, particularly if you have an indoor kitty. 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-ridden locality, you will need to take precautionary action before the season and go on with the treatment through to its end. 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 constantly investigated year after year in search of a remedy. So by all means to call your veterinarian and make sure of which heartworm prevention treatment is currently the best to use. This way, you can prevent your pussy from becoming sick and possibly dying through those nasty bloodsucking parasites known as dirofilaria immitis or those horrible heartworms!.
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