Cat Heartworm
At Leo’s Pet Care, we understand that it can be frightening to receive the news that pet surgery is being recommended.
How Do Cats Get Heartworm?
Cats get heartworm through mosquito bites, which allows entry of heartworm larvae that are picked up from another animal.
What Do Veterinarians Recommend As Heartworm Prevention For Our Cats?
We carry two products. Revolution Plus, which is a topical application that covers fleas, ticks, heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, and ear mites. Another one we carry is Advantage Multi. It is another topical application that covers fleas, heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, and ear mites.
How Do You Spot Heartworm Symptoms In Cats?
Signs of heartworm disease in cats can be very subtle or very dramatic. Symptoms may include coughing, asthma-like attacks, periodic vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, or weight loss. Occasionally, an infected cat may have difficulty walking, experience fainting or seizures, or suffer from fluid accumulation in the abdomen. Unfortunately, some cats may never show symptoms.
How Do Veterinarians Diagnose Heartworm?
A veterinarian will diagnose a cat by first running a test that requires a small blood sample. It works by detecting the presence of heartworm protein. It can also check for the presence of feline leukemia and FIV within the same test.
Why Is Early Detection So Important?
Heartworm is a very serious progressive disease. The earlier it is detected, the better the pet’s chances of recovering. There are few, if any, early signs of disease when a cat is infected with heartworms, so detecting their presence with a heartworm test administered by a veterinarian is important. It only takes one heartworm to kill a cat.
If you still have other questions and you’d like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (317) 721-7387, or you can email us at info@leospetcare.com. But please do reach out, and we’ll get back to you as fast as we can. Don’t forget to follow us on social media https://www.facebook.com/leospetcare, https://www.instagram.com/indianapolis_vet/