Feline Heartworm Disease

   Did you know that cats get heartworms, too? As a matter of fact, it’s more severe for a cat to get heartworms than a dog. Even though heartworms can be fatal in both dogs and cats, they are more likely to be life-threatening in a cat.

   Did you know that only 5% of cat owners protect their cats from heartworms by giving them heartworm preventatives? It just isn’t fair for the cat’s theory of nine lives to be tested like that, seeing how heartworm disease has been reported in all 50 states of the U.S.

   Did you know that heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes who carry the microscopic heartworm larvae? And, when that mosquito bites your dog or cat, the larvae then enters a blood vessel in your pets body being carried to the arteries in the lungs where they can cause inflammation.

   Did you also know that the worms can die at any stage of their development causing even more inflammation in the lungs or heart? The worms that do live to become adults may go on undetected for a number of years in your pet and die later. When adult worms die, they can cause such inflammation in your pet’s heart and lungs that your pet dies. This is more likely to happen in the cat seeing how there is no approved treatment for heartworm infection in cats today.

   Did you know that diagnosis of heartworms is more difficult in the cat than the dog? It’s because the cat is often mistaken to have feline asthma, bronchitis, or a respiratory disease.

   Do you know the symptoms of heartworm disease in your cat? The symptoms are coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, and in severe cases… blindness, convulsions, fainting, difficulty breathing, and eventually death. 

   Did you know that indoor cats also get heartworms? The only way to protect your cat is to get them tested and give them a monthly preventative prescribed by your vet.

   Did you know that there are more cat owners than dog owners in the US? So why don’t we love the cat enough to protect it from heartworms? Nature is cruel, and we have developed medicines to prevent some of the cruel outcomes nature throws at us and our pets. So, why not use them?

   Do you know what heartworm preventatives are out there for your cat? Some of the best preventatives are Interceptor, Revolution and Heartgard. You can get these at your vet, through pet supply magazines or online.

   Just look at this face! Don’t they deserve as much love and care as our dogs? They do kill those unwanted mice that make us shriek and stand on top of chairs feeling violated.

   Protect your pets today, before it’s too late. Just like they protect you!