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Flea &
Allergy Season Returns!
 Spring Allergies
Humans with allergies
usually react by sneezing; animals react by scratching!
Both are reacting to an allergen, a substance to which
they are sensitive. Most allergens, like pollen, dust, and
molds, are airborne and are inhaled. A few are of the
contact type like an allergy to wool or other materials
which react on the skin. And, some allergens are found in
food, most commonly in corn, wheat, soy, beef and dairy
products.
The first signs of an
allergic reaction are scratching, licking, biting, or
rubbing the skin. This can lead to infection which is
characterized by red bumps and pimples. Because of the
discomfort and infections, it is important to get
professional help as soon as possible.
Some allergens, such as
pollens, are seasonal. Others, however, like dust, molds
and foods can be year-round. It is important to realize
that curing an allergy problem is almost impossible, but
most allergies can be successfully controlled with the
help of your veterinarian.
In long-term serious
allergies, the identification of the specific allergens is
important. Skin, food, or blood testing may be required.
In some cases, you may be asked to help in the diagnostic
procedures, particularly when a food allergy is suspected.
Your veterinarian may recommend a controlled diet to help
identify the food allergy.
Allergy Treatment
Anti-inflammatory drugs may give prompt relief to seasonal
or short-term allergies. Your veterinarian may prescribe
some type of steroid, antihistamine, or special fatty acid
supplement. For long-term allergies, once the allergens
have been identified, exposure to the allergens can be
avoided or the pet can be desensitized from them with
allergy shots.
Feline Heartworm Prevention
 Why
haven’t I heard about this before?
Veterinarians have
known for years that cats can get heartworms, but we have not said
anything to the public about them for two reasons.
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Cats cannot be treated for heartworms like dogs can. The heartworm treatment is fatal to cats.
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Testing in the past was very inaccurate.
It was not until a more sensitive test was developed, that we could
estimate the actual number of cats affected.
Until
the last few years, veterinarians did not have a product available to
give to cats to prevent heartworms.
How
common is this?
Common
enough that your cat should be on a heartworm preventative; we highly
recommend year-round heartworm prevention for all cats.
Whereas heartworms occur in up to 60% of dogs, it is found in
15-20% of cats. This number
is derived at by necropsy examinations (think autopsy) and positive heartworm tests.
However, most cats do not have a necropsy examination nor are
most cats tested for heartworms --> the percentage
of infected cats is likely higher.
How
can I tell if my cat has heartworms?
Unfortunately, the most common sign of
heartworm disease in cats is sudden
death. Other symptoms are heart and lung related.
Diagnosis is made by a positive heartworm test result and/or signs
of heartworm disease on chest x-rays. Heartworms can also be seen on
ultrasound.
How
do cats get this disease? My
cats are indoors. Do they
also need preventive?
As with dogs,
heartworms are transmitted to cats by mosquitos.
Indoor cats are just as much at risk as outdoor cats.
In fact, some experts believe that indoor cats may be at a higher
risk because they do not have the immunity built up to mosquito bites.
If
this is so important, why haven’t I seen anything about it on TV?
Unfortunately, the
reason is economics. Advertisers
look at how much advertising would cost compared to how much increased
profit they would make by selling the medication.
As a health issue, this disease is very important.
What
is the medication and is it safe?
Revolution®
is a great all-around product approved for use in cats to prevent heartworms.
This is a topical medication that is applied to the skin on the back
of the head monthly. It is very
safe for cats and kittens. Besides
preventing heartworms, this medication also controls fleas, ticks,
intestinal parasites, sarcoptic mange, and ear mites.
Other
medications that are
available are Heartgard® for Cats and Interceptor®
and both are extremely safe. They
both come in a chewable tablet that you give to your cat on the same
day each month. Just like
heartworm prevention for dogs, the preventative only works as long as you continue to
give it (the same is true for Revolution®).
Side effects are rare.
I
have Heartgard® or Interceptor®
for my dogs. Can
I just give it to my cats?
No.
The dosage required for cats is much higher than that for dogs. You cannot just treat based on body weight.
The same goes for Revolution®. Cats have a
higher metabolic rate.
What if I can’t remember to give the medication on
time?
It is very important that your pet receive the
medication on the same day each month. If you are a few days off, it is
okay to give the medication at that time. If it has been more than a few
weeks, we recommend calling and talking with your veterinarian prior to
restarting the medication.
We have medication reminders that will email you when it is
time for your pet's monthly heartworm prevention. You set
it up yourself inside your very own FREE Pet
Portal (see the Medication Minder section).
Does
my cat have to be tested before giving him the prevention?
Your cat does not have to
be tested prior to putting him on the preventive, but it is recommended.
Veterinarians now have available a heartworm test sensitive enough to
pick up on cat heartworm infection. Testing
is recommended for the following reasons:
1. It is important to know the health status of your cat prior to any
medical treatments or procedures. Cats
with undiagnosed heartworm infections may be at greater risk when undergoing
some procedures or anesthetic regimens.
2. If your cat is found to be positive for heartworms, you and your
veterinarian can formulate a plan on how to manage your cat’s condition to
try to minimize serious problems that could occur later on.
Your cat does not have to
be tested for 2 reasons:
1.
Revolution®, Heartgard®
and Interceptor® will not hurt your cat if he already has heartworms.
2.
Because at this time, they cannot be treated if they do have the
heartworms. This is different
from dogs. One of the reasons
that dogs are tested each year is because they can
be treated for heartworms. By
testing each year, we are insuring that we detect heartworm infection early
and the dogs can be treated before severe
heart and lung damage can occur.
What
happens if my cat does have heartworms?
Unfortunately your cat
cannot be treated to kill the heartworms.
But he can be treated with various medications for heart and lung
related problems. Cat
heartworms will live an average of 2 to 3 years.
We recommend that even heartworm positive cats be put on Revolution®, Heartgard®
or Interceptor® to prevent them
from getting more heartworms.
How
do I get my cat to take the medication?
The
easiest way is to use Revolution®.
This is a topical medication that is applied to the skin on the back
of the head monthly.
Most cats will eat the Heartgard® or Interceptor® chewable tablet as a monthly treat. Other cats may need their owners to crumble the pill up and
mix it with some canned cat food or tuna fish oil for them to eat it.
If your cat will not eat the Heartgard®
or Interceptor®
tablet, then we recommend giving your cat Revolution®.
Does
my cat really need this?
Yes.
Heartworms cause death. By
giving your cat the prevention, you are saving his life.
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