Symptoms of Heartworms in Cats

Sometimes, what we don't see is more dangerous than what we can. This is because we may be able to protect ourselves from the dangers that we see and be unprepared for those that we do not know is there. This is true for heartworms in cats. Why do I say this? When an infected mosquito bites your cat, it injects the heartworm larvae into its body. These microscopic-sized parasites settle in the blood vessels of the lungs where they grow and develop into mature male and female heartworms. There are no physical signs that tell that whether larvae or adult worms are already inside your cat. This means that the larvae can exist inside your cat - then mature - without you knowing it. But when you do see some signs of illness it is hard to diagnose whether it is caused by heartworms. The symptoms may be very similar to other diseases that affect cats. Some of these general signs include vomiting, choking, lethargy, coughing, fainting, difficulty in or rapid breathing, paralysis, asthma-like symptoms, and a lack of appetite. Due to these non-specific signs, the first stage of heartworm disease is often misdiagnosed as asthma or allergic bronchitis. So when your cat exhibits any of the symptoms you should watch out because they could also be indicative of where the adult heartworms thrive and develop. The signs are: 1. Acute feline heartworm disease: unconsciousness, difficulty in breathing, convulsions, diarrhea, vomiting, blindness, and rapid heart rate 2. Chronic feline heartworm disease: coughing, vomiting, difficulty in breathing, lethargy, loss of appetite, and weight loss When a cat exhibit any of these symptoms, you must immediately consult a vet. Knowing the difficulties caused by heartworm disease makes it important to be wary of mosquitoes and the threat they bring. For even if you cannot know where and when they will strike, you can take steps to avoid your cat from getting the disease. To help prevent heartworm disease there are products approved by the FDA like Interceptor® (Milbemycin oxime, orally) and Revolution® (Selemectin, topically) that you can give your cat. But until better methods of diagnosis are developed, being vigilant and arming yourself with information is still your best line of defense against heartworm disease. So learn as much as you can because a well informed pet owner is a well prepared one, don't you agree?