A diagnosis of heartworm disease in cats is rare but heartworm prevention is still necessary for the life of your cat.
Cats are resistant to heartworms but resistant is not the same as immune. Cats generally become infected with 1 or 2 male heartworms at a time, therefore the worms are not able to reproduce and the body rids them within 2 years. But those nasty heartworms can still cause our cat's to have health problems.
Symptoms to watch for:
Inflammation from even a few worms can cause partial or complete blockages of the arteries. Large portions of the lungs are affected which causes breathing problems. That is why cats with heartworms are often misdiagnosed with feline asthma.
The symptoms include but are not limited to:
difficulty breathing
wheezing
not eating and
weight loss.
If your cat has any of these symptoms you should see your veterinarian immediately.
Testing for feline heartworms:
The feline heartworm test is an antibody test, this test will show if your cat was exposed to heartworms, not if they are actually positive now, for this reason, many veterinarians will not test for heartworms. Most cases are diagnosed by symptoms, x-ray, or ultrasound.
Treatment:
In most cases your veterinarian will recommend controlling the symptoms and letting the worms die naturally, but reactions may occur as the worms die. Supportive care would consist of giving medications that would reduce the side effects and reaction the body has to the dying worms.
The worms may die suddenly creating an emergency situation for your cat. You should watch your cat closely, if it seems to be in distress, don't wait, see your vet immediately. Your veterinarian may also want to re-evaluate your cat on a regular basis, checking x-rays and possibly doing additional ultrasounds.
Prevention:
Heartworm disease in cats is rare but deadly. The recommendation is prevention. There are many brands to choose from and all have added benefits.
Heartgard and Interceptor are both flavored tablets that are to be given monthly, they also provide protection from intestinal parasites. The product, Revolution, is a spot on treatment that is applied monthly and also will protect your cat from intestinal parasites, ear mites, and fleas.
If you live in an area with a lot of mosquitoes and heartworm positive dogs then your cats should definitely be on heartworm prevention. Although the parasite is rare in cats, it is also very deadly. Cat's tend to be fragile creatures. Heartworms could mean sudden death to our cats. It's better to prevent the disease now then to regret it later.
The copyright of the article Heartworm Cats in Pet Care is owned by Charla Dawson. Permission to republish Heartworm Cats in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
