New Articles








Understanding Heart Worm In Cats.

Dirofilaria immitis is the scientific name of the heartworm both in felines and canines . Heartworm in cats is a potentially acute ailment for your pet and this article deals with the causes and symptoms as well as heartworm treatment and prevention in cats.

Causes

Heartworms are introduced by mosquito bites and when the larvae form they emerge into fully fledged worms, these parasites live in the right side of the heart and/or the pulmonary arteries. The cat heartworm normally, has a relatively short lifespan of 2 -3 years and the cat's immune system produces an antigen to fight against them in their pre-larva stage.

Symptoms

Heartworms lead to various bad conditions that include heart failure, blocked arteries, coughing, wheezing, breathing difficulties, anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, weight loss and in extreme cases, death. If your pussy (or dog) has been bitten by mosquitoes then she is liable to a heartworm ailment.


Treatment

Heartworm is a very serious condition which needs to be treated by your vet as the worms are parasite that will feast on the vital areas around your cat's heart and the arteries to the lungs. Your veterinarian will be able to carry out various tests to determine the presence and severity of the heartworm problem.

The various proceedures your veterinarian can carry out 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 disease.

There is no best heartworm treatment and it is not just the live heartworms that are hurting your cat. The dead and dying cause complications too. As the worms die after 2-3 years, they can block up 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 larvae in your cat's blood. Natural herbal preventatives work in a similar fashion and are kinder to your cat's system. However, these heartworm treatment do NOT kill adult heartworms, so I encourage regular 6 monthly checks for heartworm.

Prevention

My belief 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 sometimes. These two ingredients will serve to keep the mosquitoes away.

Plenty of extra good water should always be at hand, particularly if you have an indoor cat. Indoor pusscats 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-infested area, you will want to take preventative measures before the season and carry on with the treatment through to its end. Citronella oil and water is a common insect repellent you can use to keep mosquito bites down to a minimum.

Preventative medicines and treatments are being continually developed year after year looking for a cure. So by all means to call your vet and find out about which heartworm prevention treatment is currently the best to use. This way, you can prevent your pussy from becoming ill and even dying through those vile bloodsucking parasites known as dirofilaria immitis or those horrible heartworms!.

Stackable Rabbit Cages - Several Useful Recommendations On Choosing A Convenient Housing For Your Pet Bunnies
Stackable rabbit cages come in handy for the pet owner with more than one bunny or for the breeder who will raise many rabbits or even for the 4H child who will raise a pen or two of rabbits for show. What you need to look for in your stackable rabbit cages is...

How To Save Money When Getting Pet Supplies
When you're thinking about pet supplies you might wonder how much is too much when it comes to your pet.

Top 10 Tips For Deciding Upon A Good Vets Clinic For Your Animal
A Guide To Choosing A Good Vets Practice For Your Animal. Do not leave your pets health to chance. Consider these points and you will locate the the perfect vets practice.

Outdoor Rabbit Hutch - Tips On How To Find One: Try Both Online And Local Stores To Find The Best For Your Pet
Now that you have a pet rabbit you will find it's time to locate an outdoor rabbit hutch. Outdoor rabbit hutches can be found in two ways...

Are You Currently Familiar With The Fairly New Justin Bieber Adopt A Pet Crusade For PETA?
Justin Bieber in early 2011 associated himself with the adopt a pet campaign with PETA. While I admit that I am not familiar with Justin Beiber' s work as a young entertainer, I certainly recognize the name of Justin Bieber. The organization PETA is an animal rights organization.

The Best Way To Draw Lovely Animals
Animals are dear for all people. No matter what is your favorite animal but in all cases, you wouldn't like to see an animal in any trouble. Love for animal can force you drawing the favorite animals on paper.

Newborn Rabbit Care - What Direction To Go When You Yourself Have Bunny Newborns
The phrase "multiply like rabbits" isn't just a saying, rabbits are known for breeding a lot and quickly. Baby rabbit care is especially important in the first couple of weeks because they are very vulnerable to many outside factors even in a domestic environment.

















Menu


Related Articles




Bonus Articles