Even with the proper care, nutrition, and veterinary routine checks ups you provide your cats, it is still inevitable for them to get sick sometimes. In times of these illnesses, would you be able to tell if they are having discomforts or any signs that they are sick? It's not easy to for you to know if your cat is sick because it cannot even say so; however, you as the owner may identify a feline illness by observing your cat's deviations form its usual activities. You may monitor behavioral and habit changes such as its food intake, littering, usual energy level, and others. You may want to make a list to show your veterinarian for his own analysis of your cat's symptoms and treatments whenever needed.
One of the concerns in cat health is the heartworm disease in cats. This illness is caused by the same worm as in dogs; nevertheless, the effect of this sickness in some cats is as dreaded as in dogs. Although dogs have a greater infection rates we still cannot eliminate the occurrences in cats, especially the outdoor felines; nevertheless, the indoor types could also be at risk with this illness.
How can cats have heartworm disease? When a mosquito bites an animal that carries young heartworms (heartworm larvae) in its blood, it (the mosquito) will absorb the larvae as it feeds from that animal. The larvae in the mosquito will develop in a few weeks and become infective. When that mosquito happens to feed on a cat, the infective heartworm larvae may transfer to the cat from the skin through the tissues reaching the heart and lungs. If the cat becomes infected it will show signs such as sluggishness (lethargy), nausea, breathing difficulty, lack of appetite, weight loss, and coughing. It could also cause sudden death to the infected cat.
You may notice that the listed heartworm disease symptoms, except from sudden death, are all general manifestations of other common cat sicknesses. It is therefore not accurately known if a cat really contracted this malady until it is subjected to certain laboratory tests such as x-ray, echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart), angiography (x-ray of the heart and blood vessels with the aid of injected contrast fluids), and other pertinent methods, including cat autopsy when the case unfortunately ends in death.
There is no known cure for heartworm disease in cat at the moment. Cats believed to have this infirmity are allowed spontaneous (internal natural curing process) healing period.
In some severe symptoms supportive treatment such as oxygen therapy, bronchodilators (to expand air passages in lungs), and other cardiovascular medications are administered. For cats that are clinically proven to have lung disease, a controlled administration of prednisone (a synthetic steroid hormone for treatment of allergies and autoimmune diseases) is also advisable.
There are a few FDA-approved preventive drugs for cats, namely:
Heartgard for Cats from Merial is an orally taken preventive medicine.
Revolution from Pfizer is topically applied preventive drug.
Advantage Multi for Cats from Bayer is a topically applied preventive treatment.
Interceptor from Novartis is an oral preventive drug.
With appropriate management, use of these preventive drugs on a monthly basis considerably prevents the development of adult heartworms which primarily cause the infectious disease. Some veterinarians also recommend the use of preventive medications in animals already suffering from heartworm illness so their condition will not degenerate.
Be it the dreaded heartworm disease or just the common diarrhea, cough or nausea; it is still best to have your cats checked by you veterinarian as soon as possible. You may be preventing more serious feline illnesses if you do so.
