Feline Heartworm Disease
Heartworm is a disease that is often associated with dogs, but it can also infect cats, where it causes a severe sickness. A heartworm is a parasite that lives in various stages. The larval form of heartworm is carried by mosquitoes. The mosquito then bites a cat or dog, passing the heartworm larva on to them. Once inside the cat, the heartworm larvae invade blood vessels in the lungs, where they can live and develop for months without detection. The larvae then become adults and live in the heart and lungs of the infected cat. Symptoms usually begin to show in the feline once the adult heartworms reproduce and start to die. If not managed, heartworm can cause severe symptoms, and eventually, death.
Symptoms of Feline Heartworm Disease
Cats that have been infected by the heartworm parasite may occasionally be symptom-free. Others will show acute signs such as coughing, difficulty breathing, gagging, shock, and sudden weakness. Many cats, however, will also show chronic symptoms such as decreased appetite, weight loss, and vomiting.
Treatment of Heartworm Disease
Heartworm infection is a serious condition that is difficult to treat in cats. No medications have been approved for cats for the treatment of heartworm, but some extraction techniques have been productive. If caught reasonably early, most cats can be expected to recover completely. Supportive therapy is currently the best way to help infected cats, including IV fluids, oxygen therapy, antibiotics, and medications that increase the performance of the heart and lungs.
Heartworm Prevention
Prevention is key to keeping a cat safe from heartworm disease. There are blood tests to determine if a cat has the heartworm parasite, and the test should be done before putting a pet on any kind of heartworm preventative. Any cat that will be exposed to mosquitoes should be put on a preventative; keeping in mind that even one mosquito in the house that carries the larva can infect a pet. Prevention consists of a monthly chewable tablet that cats should be given, or a monthly topical treatment to apply to their skin. An extra benefit to these preventatives is that they often prevent other organisms, such as fleas, roundworms, and other internal parasites.
