Heartworm and Cats: Protection through Heartgard

Posted on July 12th, 2009 in Cats by heartgard

Cats are one of the most beloved animals on the planet. It cannot be stressed just how revered our feline friends are. Ancient Egyptians worshipped them and considered it a crime to kill them. The internet has fallen in love with their cute and almost human antics, even bringing rise to memes about them. However, there are some things that threaten the fuzzy cat, often favorite among pets – the heartworm. Luckily, Heartgard is here to prevent cat tragedy.

The heartworm infection threatens cat lives around the world. Mosquitoes general serve as the vector or method of distribution for these monsters and as such, heartworm is a real threat in any area that can support mosquitoes. Their name is taken from the fact that they spend most of their lives idling in the heart, silently murdering your favorite feline. Most animals that can get the heartworm end up with thousands of worms born in them every day – the cat is luckier in that its systems end up killing most worms before they mature and thus, only two to five worms are present in any cat. This does not make the use of Heartgard any less important, or the danger less present.

The most used method of determining whether or not a cat or any animal has heartworms is to give them a blood test. False negatives unfortunately occur if they happen to get a section with a low worm count, potentially leading to untreated cats or in the case of dogs, treatment that could lead to immediate death. Heartworm is definitively one of the real threats present against cats and other house pets around the world.

Generally, infected cats show symptoms such as shock, diarrhea, vomiting, among other worrying symptoms and signs. Chronic infection is of course, incredibly dangerous, leading to loss of appetite and general weakness.

For those who want to protect their cats, the preventive medicine Heartgard can help do so. As one of the more veterinarian prescribed preventive drugs, Heartgard is more for those with uninfected cats of any weight over six weeks old. While also available for dogs, Heartgard for cats also aids in controlling and defeating hookworms as well. Also, unlike infected dogs, infected Cats can safely be treated with Heartgard. The vet will give your cat a dose according to its weight, which you should stick to strictly as an overdose can easily become dangerous or even fatal depending on the amount.

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