[Page 2] Heartworm - Cat Health Forum



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Heartworm

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Delyte

I hate- thunderstorms!!

Purred: Thu May 22, '08 10:00am PST


	This is Delyte. It's much more yucky that that, Tambolina. It's a creature who uses mosquitos to carry its larva in their saliva, and they inject it every time they bite animals. It was first noticed in dogs because they are usually outdoors more and attract more bites, but it has spread to cats too. The larvae develop into thin white worms, some as long as six inches and go to live in the heart and lungs. Untreated, the animal could suffocate, and is very uncomfortable. The worms release their eggs into the bloodstream, more mosquitos bite the animal and spread it around. There is an early stage when the larvae are just free floating and if you can get it at that stage, it is easily treated. If they develop, it is hard to treat. One of our person's friends had a dog that died of the treatment. It used to be limited to tropical areas and the deep South but since the 1960s it has spread as far north as Chicago and Boston, and all up the coasts. Only the desert areas, where it doesn't rain enough to produce mosquitos are free of it. Even though we don't go outside we get checked every year for it. Purrs to you!