How cats get heartworm
Infection occurs when a mosquito carrying heartworm larvae bites a cat. The larvae enter through the bite and then develop in the tissues.
The immature worms enter a blood vessel and are carried to the arteries in the lung where they cause an inflammatory reaction.
Most worms die at this stage, causing additional inflammation. The worms that progress to the adult stage may live undetected for a couple of years. But, when the adult worms die, the inflammation can be severe enough to cause death.
Posted in health
Although outdoor cats are at a greater risk of being infected with heartworm, both indoor and outdoor cats can become infected.
The average age is fours years – but cases have been reported from nine months to 17 years.
Cats usually have fewer and smaller worms than dogs and the life of the worm is shorter: two to three years verse five to seven in dogs. In addition the percentage of worms that develop into adult stage is 0-25% compared to dogs 40-90%.
Signs of Heartworm
It is very difficult to diagnosis infection by clinical signs alone. Many signs can be non-specific and can look like other diseases. “Signs associated the first stage of heartworm disease, when the heartworms enter a blood vessel and are carried to the pulmonary arteries, are often misdiagnosed as asthma or allergic bronchitis, when in fact they are actually due to a syndrome newly defined as Heartworm Associated R espiratory Disease (HARD).” (From the Heartworm Society)
Acute Signs:
- collapse
- dyspnea
- Convulsions
- diarrhea/vomiting
- blindness
- tachycardia
- syncope
- sudden death
Chronic Signs:
- coughing
- vomiting
- dyspnea
- lethargy
- anorexia
- weight loss
- chylothorax
Posted in health
From The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Research Contribution to Veterinary Science in Feline & Canine Diabetes & Obesity
Interesting research findings on obesity and diabetics in felines such as:
- Insulin sensitivity was halved in cats which gained 44% of their bodyweight over 10 months.
- (male cat) tendency to gain more fat than females when fed ad lib
- Prevalence of diabetes in Burmese cats (in Australia and New Zealand) is approximately 1 in 50, compared to the non-Burmese population and for Burmese cats over 8 years of age, 1 in 10 have diabetes.
- Unlike dogs and humans, cats do not exhibit a post-prandial increase in blood glucose in the first 2 hours after eating
Posted in health
