It is caused by the blood parasite Dirofilaria immitis,
with immature heartworms transmitted to healthy animals by mosquitos that have recently ingested blood from an infected animal.
Not exact matches
Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes that are infected with immature or «baby» heartworms when they bite an infected dog and ingest
Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes that are infected
with immature or «baby»
heartworms when they bite an infected dog and ingest
heartworms when they bite an infected dog and ingest its blood.
The complete blood count (CBC) from cats
with heartworm infection may demonstrate anemia, nucleated erythrocytes (
immature red blood cells), eosinoophila (increase number of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell) and basophilia (increase number of basophils, a type of white blood cell).
• Positive antibody test: This cat is or has been infected
with heartworms that progressed at least to the
immature adult stage.
• A current infection
with immature adult
heartworms.
About
Heartworm Disease in Cats The incidence of heartworm disease in cats closely correlates with the infection rate in dogs, but in cats the disease is often a result of immature worms that never becom
Heartworm Disease in Cats The incidence of
heartworm disease in cats closely correlates with the infection rate in dogs, but in cats the disease is often a result of immature worms that never becom
heartworm disease in cats closely correlates
with the infection rate in dogs, but in cats the disease is often a result of
immature worms that never become adults.
Most cats
with HARD have mild coughing, but a severe respiratory crisis can occur when a large number of
immature adult
heartworms die at once.
Flea control measures include: bathing, dipping, collars, Sentinel («flea birth control» - an oral tablet that acts by sterilizing fleas), Capstar (oral tablet offers rapid elimination of adult fleas, usually within 30 minutes), Comfortis (month - long chewable tablet that kills fleas and prevents reinfestations), Advantage topical (kills fleas up to thirty days
with monthly application), Frontline topical (kills fleas and ticks), Revolution topical (
heartworm preventative and kills fleas and ticks as well), Vectra topical (works by killing adult fleas, preventing development of
immature flea stages, and repelling ticks and mosquitoes), Trifexis (monthly chewable tablet for dogs that kills fleas, prevents
heartworm disease, and treats / controls adult hookworm, roundworm and whipworm infections), and - very important - treating the environment
with carpet powders, foggers, or sprays.
Immature worms arriving in the pulmonary vasculature can cause pulmonary arterial, arteriolar, and airway lesions as severe as those seen
with death of adult
heartworms.
Heartworm associated respiratory disease (HARD), a common problem in cats with heartworm disease, occurs when your pet's lungs become inflamed due to the death of immatu
Heartworm associated respiratory disease (HARD), a common problem in cats
with heartworm disease, occurs when your pet's lungs become inflamed due to the death of immatu
heartworm disease, occurs when your pet's lungs become inflamed due to the death of
immature worms.
There are dozens of flea control products on the market that fall into many categories:
with / without
heartworm and intestinal parasite prevention,
with / without tick control, prescription and over-the-counter, topical and oral, products that kill adult fleas and those that block the development of
immature fleas, those that are greatly affected by bathing and others that aren't, some that are very safe for one species and toxic to other types of pets.
Monthly
heartworm preventives work by interfering
with the maturation of the
immature (larval)
heartworm to an adult.