No cure for feline heartworms
4/30/2004 http://www.news8austin.com/content/h...105538&SecID=2
Heartworm season is fast approaching.
That's when the rain comes, the temperatures rise, the mosquitoes thrive and
the nasty parasites set up house in your pet's heart and lungs.
A dangerous problem in dogs is fast becoming a fatal problem for felines.
"Heartworms is a disease that has crossed over to the feline population over
the last five years. We're actually seeing it on the rise in the feline
population. It's something that is incredibly serious. It kills a lot of dogs
and cats each year," Dr. Craig Prior, a veterinarian, said.
Heartworms grow to be 12- to 14-inches long, they live in the chambers of the
heart and blood vessels of the lungs. Eventually they strangle the respiratory
and cardiovascular systems. And it all starts with one mosquito bite. The
mosquito finds a healthy dog or cat and when it feeds, the baby heartworms are
injected under the skin. It takes about six months for them to become adults
and migrate to the heart and lungs.
Cats are not the natural host for heartworms. In fact, most outdoor cats can
develop immunity.
Research shows indoor cats face a big risk. They're less likely to become
immune and much more likely to become infected with heartworms and die.
Heartworms in dogs can be treated and cured but in cats it's fatal.
The good news is that there is a way to prevent it. All it takes is giving
your cat or dog a tablet once a month. Some animals may be able to get an
injection to keep worms away for six months.
Preventing heartworms is a lot easier than treating it, Prior said.
The only treatment that is available is a toxic drug and it is not available
to cats.
"If a dog contracts heartworms it can be treated. It's an expensive treatment
that's harsh on their systems. In cats, there is no treatment that will cure
them," he said.
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