Puppy Care

As most pet owners already know, heartworm treatment for cats and dogs isn’t the same. Never, under any circumstances, should you give your cat heartworm treatment that is designed for a dog – or vice versa.  Even though you may own both dogs and cats, you should always give them medicine that is designed for their species.

No matter how you look at it, heartworm treatment isn’t easy.Though there are may factors that you will need to consider, your principal aim should be to free your cat from the heartworms.First thing is take your cat to the vet, so that he will able to start the tests to examine just how many heartworms your pet has.  He can also find out how the worms are affecting your cat and if your cat can deal with any side effects that the treatment medicine may impose.

The worms will feast on the important areas of your feline’s heart, so heartworms are too serious condition to be ignored.  Treatment can be serious as well, especially if something goes wrong.  Veterinarians are trained to deal with heartworms though, in both cats and dogs.  Even though you may be able to buy treatment medicine at your local department store, you should always consult with your vet before you give anything to your pet.

Treating your cat for heartworms may indeed be no treatment at all, as cats are extremely difficult to treat.  The dying worms have side effects as well, often times causing more than 1/3 of the treated cats to end up with serious problems.  Dying worms can become lodged in the arteries of the heart, which are already inflamed due to the worms being there.  When a lodged worm starts to decompose, it can lead to very serious problems.Pets that is badly infested by heartworms are required to spend a few days in the hospital, in order to be sure that they are treated properly.

Some cats may not be able to take a certain type of heartworm treatment medicine.  Depending on the side affects and how the medicine affects the cat, some breeds may not be able to take some of the better medicines.Your vet will conduct some tests, in order to decide about the best treatment option for your pet cat.  Once the tests have concluded, your vet will be able to tell you the best options available for treatment.

With all diseases, prevention is a lot better and safer than treatment.  Be sure to talk to your vet and find out what heartworm prevention medication is the best to use.  Your vet can tell you what you need to get, and how to use it.  This way, you can prevent your pet from getting heartworms – and the serious side effects and life threatening issues that go along with them.