How do you know....heartworms???

Question

How do you know if you need to start a cat on heartworm meds? Is there a certain age or way to tell??

Answer 1

You do need to see the veterinarian. There is new research about cats from Auburn University and the disease syndrome Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease or HARD....if your cat gets even one heartworm it may be too late and the disease is more prevalent in cats than previously thought....your cat may get lung damage you need to know about too. Here are some web sites to check out:
www.knowheartworms.org
www.heartwormsociety.org
www.catwellness.org

Answer 2

It's EXTREMELY rare for heartworm to get into a cat, this is usually a dog parasite. My vet has never seen evidence of heartworm in cats in her clinic here in Wisconsin.

You can't just 'guess' if they're there, the vet has to do a test for it.

Dogs should be automatically treated for this, but treating a cat who doesn't have a heartworm can be dangerous.

Answer 3

You need to take your cat to the vet. That's the only way to go about this sort of thing.

Answer 4

the vet needs to do a blood test, it isn't healthy to just put a pet on meds without testing you may cause damage to your pet.
call the vet and take the pet in if you have concerns.

Answer 5

Call the vet they will tell you everything...........Good luck

Answer 6

here is info

http://www.cpvh.com/Articles/15.html