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Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Of Heart Worms In Cats.
Dirofilaria immitis is the scientific name of the heartworm both in cats and dogs . Heartworm in cats is a potentially ugly condition for your pet and this article deals with the causes and symptoms as well as heartworm treatment and prevention in cats.
Causes
Heartworms are caused by mosquito bites and when the larvae form they unfurl into fully fledged worms, these parasites live 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 pussycat's immune system produces an antigen to fight against them in their pre-larva stage.
Symptoms
Heartworms causes 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 kitty (or dog) has been bitten by mosquitoes then she is liable to a heartworm illness.
Treatment
Heartworm is a very serious situation 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 veterinarian will be able to carry out various proceedures to determine the presence and severity of the heartworm problem.
The various tests your veterinarian can use 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 arteries feeding the lungs and are another aid in tackling the condition.
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 constrict the arteries of the heart and lungs causing further complications. However, some veterinarians prescribe steroids to reduce the inflammation of the lungs and the arteries feeding the lungs.
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 recommend regular 6 monthly checkups for heartworm.
Prevention
My mantra 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 sometimes. These two ingredients will help to keep the mosquitoes away.
Plenty of extra pure water should always be obtainable, particularly if you have an indoor kitty. Indoor kitties are less likely to become infected 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-infested place, you will want to take precautionary measures before the season and carry on with the treatment through to its end. Citronella oil and water is a authentic insect repellent you can use to keep mosquito bites down to a minimum.
Preemptive medicines and treatments are being constantly cultivated year after year in search of a remedy. So be sure to speak to your veterinarian and find out which heartworm prevention treatment is currently the best to use. This way, you can avoid your kittycat from becoming sick and even dying through those vile bloodsucking parasites known as dirofilaria immitis or those horrible heartworms!.
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