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Protecting Your Cat Against Heartworm Disease Heartworms are parasites that inhabit the hearts and lungs of infected cats. The presence of just one heartworm can result in permanent damage - or even death - to a cat or kitten. In fact, sudden death may be the first and only sign of heartworm infection in some cats. Signs of heartworm disease in cats: * Coughing * Vomiting * Breathing difficulty * Sluggishness * Sudden death Cats are at risk wherever dogs are at risk. The prevalence of heartworm disease has increased steadily since it was first identified. It now affects pets in all 50 states. Even indoor cats can get heartworm disease. Since infection is transmitted by mosquitoes, some people think that indoor cats are safe from heartworm disease. There are two reasons why this assumption is false: mosquitoes can, and often do, get indoors, and cats can, and often do, get out. In fact, of cats testing positive for heartworm infection, 55% lived "strictly or mostly indoors" (Feline heartworm infections, a clinical survey in the USA, in Proceedings of WAAVP1997). Cycle of heartworm disease: * A mosquito bites an infected animal and draws in a small amount of blood in which tiny immature heartworm larvae are circulating. * Within two to three weeks, the heartworm larvae develop inside the mosquito. * The same mosquito then bites a cat, depositing the heartworm larvae on the skin. * The larvae migrate through the tissue and into the bloodstream, continuing to develop. * Within six months, heartworms reach the heart and lungs, causing heartworm disease. * Mature female heartworms produce tiny larvae which circulate in the infected animal's bloodstream, and the cycle continues... Protection is easy. Feline heartworm disease can be difficult to detect and diagnose, and there is no approved treatment for heartworm infection in cats - but prevention is convenient and reliable. Heartworm disease is 100% preventable. All you have to do to protect your cat from heartworm disease is to give HEARTGARD For Cats (ivermectin) once a month. It's convenient, it's easy, and it's 100% effective. Only HEARTGARD For Cats comes in meaty tasting chewable tablets. This product is available only through your veterinarian, so ask about it at your next visit. |
