Dirofilaria immitis is the scientific name of the heartworm both in cats and dogs . Heartworm in cats is a potentially major ailment for your cat and this article draws your attention to the causes and symptoms as well as heartworm treatment and prevention in cats.

Causes

Heartworms are caused by mosquito bites and when the larvae grow they develop into fully grown worms, these parasites take up residence in the right side of the heart and/or the arteries to the lungs. The cat heartworm generally, has a relatively short lifespan of 2 -3 years and the pussycat's immune system produces an antigen to fight against them in their pre-larva stage.

Symptoms

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


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 proceedures to determine the presence and severity of the heartworm problem.

The various proceedures your vet can perform will include blood tests and X-rays which detect the presence of heartworm. An antigen test detects proteins in the blood 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 condition.

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 stifle the arteries of the heart and lungs causing further complications. However, some veterinarians administer steroids to reduce the inflammation of the lungs and the pulmonary arteries.

Commonly, medicines employ 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 body. However, these heartworm treatment do NOT kill adult heartworms, so I encourage regular 6 monthly checkups for heartworm.

Prevention

My belief is that prevention is preferable to 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 occasionally. These two ingredients will assist to keep the mosquitoes away.

Plenty of plenty of clean water should always be accessible, particularly if you have an indoor pussy. Indoor kitties are less likely to become infected than those living outdoors but heartworm prevention is far better practiced for all cats just to be on the safe side.

If you live in a mosquito-ridden area, you will want to take precautionary measures before the season and go 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.

Preemptive medicines and treatments are being continuously cultivated year after year in search of a remedy. So by all means to talk to your veterinarian and make sure of which heartworm prevention treatment is currently the best to use. This way, you can avoid your pusscat from becoming sick and possibly dying through those abhorrent bloodsucking parasites known as dirofilaria immitis or those horrible heartworms!.