Important to prevent Cats heartworm disease

Heart disease caused by cats of the same mosquito-borne parasites as heartworms in dogs, Dirofilaria immitis. This mosquito-borne parasites, and take a blood meal from infected hosts, and then feeds the impact of cats, the transfer of infected blood. Larvae and then transferred to the cat's body, and ultimately in pulmonary blood vessels. This takes about 8 months of time to get in touch adult heartworms in cats stages of development. This is one to two months longer than the dog. Heartworms in cats infected with the average life expectancy of two to three years time, and 5-7 years of experimental research.

Any heart disease in dogs, cats may be infected. Less vulnerable to cats than dogs infected with heartworms or other dogs. However, the cat, but the development of heart disease, high risk of developing serious consequences, including death. Indoor and outdoor cats may be exposed to infected mosquitoes and heartworms.

Non-specific symptoms of cat heartworms can be very easily confused with other diseases cats. Some cats with feline asthma or allergic bronchitis is defined by the new respiratory syndrome-related complex known as the heart. Acute symptoms of heart disease and cats, including difficulty breathing, increasing heart rate, collapse, convulsions, vomiting and / or diarrhea. Signs of a more long-term, heart disease, including cough, loss of appetite, weight loss and lethargy. Some cats did not show any clinical symptoms, and suffered the collapse of severe acute disease and sudden death. These cats may appear normal up to the time of death.

Heart disease diagnosis often is difficult to cats. In addition to physical examination, you may be the implementation of the veterinary chest X-ray and complete blood counts. Antibody and antigen tests of adult female heartworms available heart. Whether the test is perfect, but at the same time, they may help to determine whether the existence of heartworms. Cardiovascular ultrasound and other imaging diagnostic tests may be used to help diagnosis of heartworms.

There is no approved drug for the treatment of diseases of the cat heart. The drug for the treatment of heartworms in dogs may cause serious reactions in cats. Anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the body's response to parasites, bronchodilators and antibiotics to prevent secondary infection can be used for the treatment of heart disease symptoms. Heartworms extraction operation has been completed, but in some cases, is not without risk.

The good news is, preventatives available for cats. Monthly drug given orally or in part, is effective in preventing heartworm infection. American Heart Association recommends that cats with heartworms antigen detection and antibody tests before the start of prevention. Preventatives for cats tested positive in order to prevent additional forms of heartworms larvae from developing to adult stage, but will not eliminate the existing adult.

There are four drugs approved to prevent heart disease in cats. Heartgard Cat and intercept oral drug given month. Advantage of the revolution and the more popular products, has also been used to a month. For more information on cat heartworms, please contact your veterinary