HEARTWORMS

YES!  Cats can get heartworms...it's not only a disease for dogs anymore.  Heartworms are a parasite transmitted by the bite of a mosquito.  Indoor cats are NOT immune from this, because mosquitoes can get inside your home and bite your cat.  My mother was amazed to find out that one of her cats had heartworms, and he was strictly an indoor cat.  

A dog with heartworms can sometimes be successfully treated and the parasites killed.  But as of now, there is no known approved treatment to kill the parasite in cats who already have them.  


The symptoms of heartworm can be respiratory issues (think asthma-type breathing), coughing (without anything coming up...like a hairball cough), sometimes your cat will have seizures, and you'll notice a significant lack of energy.  They will also stop eating or showing interest in any type of food.  Some cats won't show any symptoms at all and will drop dead with no warning.  Most cats WILL die if they have heartworms, and since the cat has a smaller heart than dogs, it only takes one or two of these parasites to do the damage.  There is no cure at this time for cats.  Various products are being tested, but nothing definitive has been released. 


If you suspect heartworms, your vet can run some tests to verify this - a blood test or xray are the first to be done.  Utrasounds and angiograms can then be done if the other two are inconclusive.  


So what do you do to prevent this??  Your vet has products available  - one being Heartguard.  NOTE:  do NOT give your cat anything over the counter or a product made for dogs!  Never use a preventative without your pet being tested FIRST!  If your cat does not have heartworms, the preventative can then be used.  If your cat DOES have heartworms, then the preventative cannot be used and your vet will discuss with you options for keeping your cat comfortable from the side effects of the parasite.  

The preventative is very easy to apply, it's in a little tube that you squeeze out onto the back of your cat's neck.  It's easy, reasonably priced, and crucial to the health and well-being of your beloved furbaby.   


So remember, mosquitoes can get inside your home very easily and infect your cats.  The best medicine is prevention!