|
Feline Heartworm Diseasesymptomstreatmenttestingprevention |
Heartworms and heartworm disease in catsBecause cats are not a natural host,
heartworm larvae usually die before reaching adulthood and this natural
"immunity" was thought to protect cats. We know now that this isn’t
true. symptomsUsually there aren't any symptoms at all. When we do see symptoms, they mimic other more common problems.
treatmentWe do not have a satisfactory drug for heartworm treatment in cats. If we did, using it would be risky because cats do not deal well with dead heartworms. They may absorb the dead worms successfully; or they may die from arterial obstruction or allergic reaction to the dead worms. So, if we could kill feline heartworms, it is not clear that we ought to. As it stands now, the best treatment for feline heartworm disease is to start on prevention (so they don't get more) and try to control the symptoms, if there are any. Eventually the heartworms will die on their own, one at a time, which gives the cat its best chance of dealing with them successfully. testingPrimarily because of the low heartworm numbers found in cats and the fact that heartworms do not reproduce in cats, testing is much less reliable than in dogs. Although the American Heartworm Society considers it "good medical practice" to test cats before starting on prevention and it is hard to argue with this, we feel that effort and expense required to test the entire cat population would be better devoted to doing something more useful. After all, even when know that a cat has heartworms, our treatment is exactly the same as for cats that do not have heartworms: we start it on prevention and treat the symptoms as necessary. If your cat has unexplained vomiting and gagging symptoms, or especially if there is difficult or noisy breathing, heartworm testing is an important part of the diagnostic workup. If you would like to know if your cat has heartworms, that is also a good reason for testing. However, we do not ordinarily test before starting on prevention. preventionHeartworm can be prevented either by giving a once-a-month pill or by applying a liquid medication called Revolution to the skin. Revolution also kills most intestinal worms, fleas, ticks, and ear mites, and also prevents heartworm infection. Feline Revolution
handout
|
||||||||||||||
Canine topics |
Home page |
Feline topics |
New information |
Dental health |
Local problems |
unless otherwise noted, all material herein is copyrighted by Placerville Veterinary Clinic 1995 . . .2009 |
||