Raising Orphaned Kittens Part 3: When to call the Veterinarian

One of the hardest parts about fostering orphaned kittens is that kittens can easily get sick. Sick kittens should be dealt with quickly, because they are small and fragile, especially if they have no mother cat.


If one or more of your orphans becomes sick, you should call a veterinarian and discuss the problem. The veterinarian may or may not advise you to bring the kitten in.

At home, you can take your kitten's temperature, if you feel comfortable doing so. You will need a regular thermometer (preferably one that you will not want to use again!) and some KY jelly.  Put some KY on the tip of the thermometer and stick just the tip into the kitten's anus. The kitten will likely protest. Hold the thermometer there until the thermometer beeps (or for about a minute if it is a mercury thermometer). If the kitten's temperature is over 103 or under 99, it is important to call the veterinarian.

Abnormal signs to watch for in a kitten:

• Discharge from the eyes or nose.
• Poor appetite
• Lethargy (lack of energy)
• Diarrhea 
• Vomiting
• Weight loss or failure to gain weight
• Coughing or sneezing

Emergencies requiring immediate veterinary attention

• Continuous diarrhea
• Continuous vomiting
• Bleeding of any kind 
• Any trauma: hit by a car, dropped, limping, stepped on, unconscious.
• Difficulty breathing.
• A kitten that does not respond or that hasn't eaten for more than a day.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

-Watch closely for respiratory signs.  Kittens have weak immune systems, especially when raised away from their mother, as they are not getting any antibodies from their mother. They can easily and quickly succumb to disease and infection if not treated appropriately. 

-Aspiration pneumonia is a concern for bottle-fed kittens; be careful when feeding and give them only what they can swallow at one time. Make sure to feed them in an upright position to decrease risk. 

-Watch stool and urine output closely, and observe for any signs of constipation from the milk formula. Some formulas can increase the risk of diarrhea and some can increase the risk of constipation - either one can be a significant issue for tiny kittens.

-Watch for lethargy/or inappetance.

-If you ever have any questions about kittens’ health please call your veterinarian.

Diarrhea and parasites of the digestive tract
Diarrhea is common in kittens and can have many causes including: parasites, viruses, bacteria, food changes, stress, overfeeding. Because kittens can become dehydrated very quickly, make sure to discuss your kitten's diarrhea with your veterinarian sooner rather than later. If the diarrhea is severe, lasts more than 3 or 4 feedings, or contains blood or obvious parasites, you should call a veterinarian and bring in as much as possible of the feces in a Ziploc bag.

Several causes of diarrhea in kittens involve protozoan (single-celled) parasites, such as coccidia, giardia, and tritrichomonas.  These parasites are common in kittens, and occasionally found in adults.  They are not generally treated with common de-wormers, but antibiotics. For diagnosis of these parasites, especially giardia and tritrichomonas, extremely fresh stool is best for diagnosis.

Most large intestinal worms do not cause diarrhea, but can be very debilitating to kittens in large numbers. Sometimes, if the numbers are large enough, or many worms are dying, the dead worms will pass in the stool. More often, the diagnosis for these parasites is by seeing the microscopic worm eggs in a stool sample. If you see spaghetti-like worms in the stool, you are seeing roundworms. These worms can come up in vomit or stool. The cysts of roundworms can persist for years in soil and be spread to other cats or human children, so it is important to deworm cats as directed by a veterinarian.

If you see rice-like worms on the stool or in the hair around your kittens' tails, you are seeing tapeworm segments. These rice-shaped pieces of the worms are mobile when they exit the body, so they may work their way off the stool or kitten and into the environment. They are not infective at this stage. They are spread by fleas or by eating rodents. Tapeworms do not generally cause diarrhea, but it is advisable to treat your kitten for tapeworms, especially if you know that he has had fleas in the past.

Several types of bacteria, including Clostridium, are potential causes of diarrhea in kittens, and all require microscopic examination, bacterial culture, or PCR testing for diagnosis. These are among the fecal pathogens that can be spread to people if adequate hygiene is not observed after handling sick kittens or litterboxes. Most bacteria respond quickly to antibiotics prescribed by a veterinarian.

Finally, there are a number of viral causes of diarrhea, with feline distemper (also known as panleukopenia or feline parvo virus) being the most devastating. If distemper is suspected, seek veterinary care immediately. Treatment for distemper involves aggressive nutritional supplementation and hospitalization, and you may have a number of kittens die if an entire litter is exposed.This is one of the reasons that you should make sure any older cats in your household are up to date with their annual vaccinations before bringing a kitten into the home. Thoroughly disinfect anything that has been exposed to the sick kittens with a bleach solution.

Ear mite

Ear Mites
Ear mites are tiny arthropod parasites which live in the ear canal. Common signs of ear mites are ears full of coffee-ground-like crumbling debris, itchy ears, head shaking.In very large infestations, you may actually see the pinpoint white mites moving in the debris in the ear. They are highly contagious, but easily treated.

Failure to thrive
Once in a while, one or more kittens in a litter that were healthy and vigorous at birth will begin to "fade" after a week or two of life. They will stop growing, begin to lose weight, stop nursing and crawling. They may cry continuously and lose the ability to stay upright. The mother cat may push them out of the nest, where they often chill and starve to death. Kittens fade very quickly - they will not last 48 hours without veterinary care, and probably will not recover even with intensive care.
There is no clear cause or reason for this condition - it has been linked to birth defects, environmental stress and infectious disease. Early veterinary treatment is imperative, but even with tube feeding, rehydration and monitoring, many, if not most fading kittens will die.

Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline immunodeficiency (FIV)
FeLV and FIV are retroviruses cats get from other cats (or their moms). Testing for disease can help you make the decision whether to foster a kitten, or whether to add kittens to a litter or keep them in isolation. It is often a good idea to have positive test results confirmed.

In the early stages of FeLV, infected cats appear healthy but over months to years, they develop severe, ultimately fatal disease. In very young kittens, it is advisable to test at least twice as some kittens can be transiently positive, or falsely negative.

On the other hand, testing for FIV is more difficult until after a kitten is four months old. The good news about FIV is that it is much harder to transmit than FeLV, and cats that have been infected with FIV can live long, healthy lives, often not experiencing detrimental disease symptoms until the age of 8 years or more.

A flea on a flea comb

Fleas
Fleas are insects that love to feed on kittens. Each flea only consumes a small amount of blood, and most adult cats are relatively unaffected by large flea infestations, however fleas commonly attack in large numbers and an infestation in a kitten can lead to severe anemia and even death. It is essential that your home be free of fleas before bringing home a small kitten.

If your foster kitten enters your home with fleas, it is important to remove them without causing harm.  Fleas can be transported from the kittens isolated in one area to the main part of the house on clothing, shoes, etc. Therefore, it is also important to treat any other animals in the home with monthly flea prevention or a stray flea, flea egg, pupa or larva may cause an infestation in your house - any unprotected animal in the house can then become a reservoir for the infestation.

Check with your veterinarian before applying any commercial flea products to your kitten, as some flea medications can be harmful to cats. One safe way to remove fleas from very young kittens (less than 6 - 8 weeks) is daily flea combing. Keep a jar of soapy water near you to dip the comb into as it comes off the cat full of fleas. Try not to moisten the kitten too much, and make sure to thoroughly dry your kittens after you are done combing.

If the Kitten is 4 Weeks old and over two pounds in weight, Capstar can be given orally up to once a day to kill adult fleas. This product starts to work within 30 minutes and is effective against adult fleas for 4-6 hours. It does not have any affect on, eggs, larva, or other adult fleas in the kittens environment.

If the kitten is 6 weeks old or older, you can use topical monthly applications available from a veterinarian. Despite your best efforts at flea control, you should plan to treat the kittens for a minimum of 90 days to ensure that all the fleas are out of the household. For more information about flea control, please refer to our blog article "Fighting Fleas Fairly...For Good!"

Upper respiratory tract infection (URI)
Upper respiratory infections are very common in kittens, especially if they have been through a shelter situation and exposed to other cats. These infections are caused by airborne viruses and bacteria which are contagious and spread very quickly.

Signs of URI to watch out for:

• Sneezing and discharge from eyes or nose
• Congested breathing
• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy
• Dehydration

Vomiting
If your kitten is vomiting, it is possible that the kitten is eating his meals too quickly. You should watch him when he eats and not allow him to eat too much too quickly. If your kitten vomits 2-3 times in a row, it should see a veterinarian. Vomiting can be another sign of distemper in kittens, so it should not be taken lightly.

New Kitten FAQ

KITTENS: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEW OWNERS

We would like to congratulate you on the acquisition on your new kitten.  Owning a cat can be an extremely rewarding experience, but it also carries with it quite a bit of responsibility.  We hope this document will give you the information needed to make some good decisions regarding your kitten.

First let us say that we are grateful that you have chosen us to help you with your kitten's health care.  If you have questions concerning any subject related to your kitten's health, please feel free to call our hospital.  Either one of the technicians or one of the doctors will be happy to help you.

How should I introduce my new kitten to its new environment?

A cat is naturally inclined to investigate its new surroundings.  At first, you should limit the cat's area of exploration so that these natural tendencies do not create an unmanageable situation.  After confining the cat to one room for the first few days, you should slowly allow access to other areas of the home. 

What type of playing should I expect from a kitten?

Kittens love to play with just about ANYTHING! 

Stimulating play is important during the first week.  Stalking and pouncing are important play behaviors in kittens and have an important role in proper muscular development.  If given a sufficient outlet for these behaviors with toys, your kitten will be less likely to use family members for these activities.  The best toys are light weight and movable.  These include wads of paper and small balls.  Kittens should always be supervised when playing with string or ribbons to avoid swallowing them.  Any other toy that is small enough to be swallowed should also be avoided. 

Can I discipline a kitten?

Disciplining a young kitten may be necessary if his or her behavior threatens people or property, but harsh punishment should be avoided.  Hand clapping and using shaker cans or horns can be intimidating enough to inhibit undesirable behavior.  However, remote punishment is preferred.  Remote punishment consists of using something that appears unconnected to the punisher to stop the problem behavior.  Examples include using spray bottles, throwing objects in the direction of the kitten to startle (but not hit) her,  and making loud noises.  Remote punishment is preferred because the kitten associates punishment with the undesirable act and not with you.

When should my kitten be vaccinated?

There are many diseases that are fatal to cats.  Fortunately, we have the ability to prevent many of these by the use of very effective vaccines.  In order to be effective, these vaccines must be given as a series of injections.  Ideally, they are given at about 6-8, 12, and 16 weeks of age, but this schedule may vary somewhat depending on several factors. 

The routine vaccination schedule will protect your kitten from five diseases: distemper, three respiratory organisms, and rabies.  The first four are included in a combination vaccine that is given at 6-8, 12, and 16 weeks old.  Rabies vaccine is given at 12 or 16 weeks of age.  Leukemia vaccine is necessary if your cat does or will go outside or if you have another cat that goes in and out since this deadly disease is transmitted by contact with other cats, especially when fighting occurs.  A vaccine is also available for protection against feline infectious peritonitis (FIP); this vaccine is probably not necessary for all cats and is recommended in selected situations.

Why does my kitten need more than one vaccination for feline distemper, upper respiratory infections, and leukemia?

Kittens receive a temporary form of immunity through their mother's milk while nursing.  This immunity is in the form of proteins called antibodies.  For about 24-48 hours after birth, the kitten's intestine allows absorption of these antibodies directly into the blood stream.  This immunity is of benefit during the first few weeks of the kitten's life, but, at some point, this immunity fails and the kitten must be able to make its own long-lasting immunity.  Vaccinations are used for this purpose.  As long as the mother's antibodies are present, vaccinations do not "take."  The mother's antibodies will neutralize the vaccine so the vaccine does not get a chance to stimulate the kitten's immune system.

Many factors determine when the kitten will be able to respond to the vaccines.  These include the level of immunity in the mother cat, how much of the antibody has been absorbed, and the number of vaccines given the kitten.  Since we do not know when an individual kitten will lose the short-term immunity, we give a series of vaccinations.  We hope that at least two of these will fall in the window of time when the kitten has lost the immunity from its mother but has not yet been exposed to disease.  A single vaccination, even if effective, is not likely to stimulate the long-term immunity which is so important. 

Rabies vaccine is an exception to this, since one injection given at the proper time is enough to produce long-term immunity.

Do all kittens have worms?

This is a type of roundworm

Intestinal parasites are common in kittens.  Kittens can become infected with parasites almost as soon as they are born.  For example, the most important source of roundworm infection in kittens is the mother's milk.  The microscopic examination of a stool sample will usually help us to determine the presence of intestinal parasites.  We recommend this exam for all kittens, if we can get a stool sample.  Please bring one at your earliest convenience.  Even if we do not get a stool sample, we recommend the use of a deworming product that is safe and effective against several of the common worms of the cat.  It is important that deworming be repeated in about 3-4 weeks, because the deworming medication only kills the adult worms.  Within 3-4 weeks the larval stages will have become adults and will need to be treated.  Cats remain susceptible to reinfection with hookworms and roundworms.  Periodic stool analysis and/or deworming throughout the cat's life may be recommended for cats that go outdoors.

Tapeworm segments in a cat's fur

Tapeworms are the most common intestinal parasite of cats.  Kittens become infected with them when they swallow fleas because the eggs of the tapeworm live inside the flea.  When the cat chews or licks its skin as a flea bites, the flea may be swallowed.  The flea is digested within the cat's intestine; the tapeworm hatches and then anchors itself to the intestinal lining.  Therefore, exposure to fleas may result in a new infection, which can occur in as little as two weeks.  Cats may also become infected with tapeworms if they hunt and eat mice.

A lungworm under the microscope

Cats infected with tapeworms will pass small segments of the worms in their stool.  The segments are white in color and look like grains of rice.  They are about 1/8 inch (3 mm) long and may be seen crawling on the surface of the stool.  They may also stick to the hair under the tail.  If this occurs, the segments will dry out, shrink to about half their size, and become golden in color. 

Tapeworm segments do not pass every day or in every stool sample; therefore, inspection of several consecutive bowel movements may be needed to find them.  We may examine a stool sample in our office and not find them, then you may find them the next day.  If you find them at any time, please notify us so we may provide the appropriate drug for treatment.

Giardia organisms

Depending on a kitten's history, other common parasites that we look for are lung worms, heartworms, and infections with single-celled organisms like Giardia or Coccidia.

There are lots of choices of cat foods.  What should I feed my kitten?

Diet is extremely important in the growing months of a cat's life, and there are two important criteria that should be met in selecting food for your kitten.  We recommend a name-brand food made by a national cat food company (not a generic or local brand), and a form of food made for kittens.  This should be fed until your kitten is about 12 months of age.  In the United States, we recommend that you only buy food which has the AAFCO certification.  Usually, you can find this information very easily on the label.  AAFCO is an organization which oversees the entire pet food industry.  It does not endorse any particular food, but it will certify that the food has met the minimum requirements for nutrition.  Most of the commercial pet foods will have the AAFCO label.  Generic brands often do not have approval.

Feeding a dry, canned, or semi-moist form of cat food is acceptable. At Exclusively Cats Veterinary Hospital, we recommend feeding a small amount of dry food and 3-6oz of canned food daily.  

Each type of food has advantages and disadvantages.  Dry food is definitely the most inexpensive.  It can be left in the cat's bowl at all times.  If given the choice, the average cat will eat a mouthful of food about 12-20 times per day.  The good brands of dry food are just as nutritious as the other forms. 

Semi-moist and canned foods are also acceptable.  However, both are considerably more expensive than dry food.  They often are more appealing to the cat's taste; however, they are not more nutritious.  If you feed a very tasty food, you are running the risk of creating a cat with a finicky appetite.  In addition, the semi-moist foods are high in sugar.

Table foods are not recommended.  Because the foods we eat are generally very tasty, cats will often begin to hold out for these and not eat their well-balanced cat food.  If you choose to give your kitten table food, be sure that at least 90% of its diet is good quality commercial kitten food.

We enjoy a variety of things to eat in our diet.  However, most cats actually prefer not to change from one food to another unless they are trained to do so by the way you feed them.  Do not feel guilty if your cat is happy to just eat one food day after day, week after week.

Commercials for cat food can be very misleading.  If you watch carefully you will notice that commercials promote cat food on one basis, TASTE.  Nutrition is rarely mentioned.  Most of the "gourmet" foods are marketed to appeal to owners who want the best for their cats; however, they do not offer the cat any nutritional advantage over a good quality dry food, and they are far more expensive.  If your cat eats a gourmet food very long, he will probably not be happy with other foods.  If he needs a special diet due to a health problem later in life, he will be very unlikely to accept it.  Therefore, we do not encourage feeding gourmet cat foods.

How do I ensure that my kitten is well socialized?

The socialization period for cats is between 2 and 12 weeks of age.  During that time, the kitten is very impressionable to social influences.  If the kitten has good experiences with men, women, children, dogs, other cats, etc., she is likely to accept them throughout life.  If the experiences are absent or unpleasant, the kitten may become apprehensive or adverse to any of them.  Therefore, during the period of socialization, we encourage you to expose your cat to as many types of social events and influences as possible.

What can be done about fleas on my kitten?

Many of the flea control products that are safe on adult cats are not safe for kittens less than 4 months of age.  Fleas may not stay on your kitten all of the time.  Occasionally, they will jump off and seek another host.  Therefore, it is important to kill fleas on your new kitten before they become established in your house.  Be sure that any flea product you use is labeled safe for kittens.

This is "flea dirt" - a sure sign of fleas

Flea and tick dip is not recommended for kittens unless they are at least 4 months of age.  Remember, not all insecticides that can be used on dogs are safe for cats and kittens. 

In addition to flea treatments and preventives, it is important to control fleas in the environment by thoroughly vacuuming areas where the kitten spends time.

Can I trim my kitten's sharp toe nails?

Kittens have very sharp toe nails.  They can be trimmed with your regular finger nail clippers or with nail trimmers made for dogs and cats.  If you trim too much, you will cut into the quick of the nail which will bleed and be painful.  If this happens, neither you nor your cat will want to do this again.  Therefore, a few points are helpful:

1. If your cat has clear or white nails, you can see the pink of the quick through the nail so it is easy to avoid.

2. If your cat has black nails, you will not be able to see the quick so only cut 1/32" (1 mm) of the nail at a time until the cat begins to get sensitive.  The sensitivity will usually occur before you are into the blood vessel.  With black nails, it is likely that you will get too close on at least one nail.

3. If your cat has some clear and some black nails, use the average
     clear nail as a guide for cutting the black ones.

4. When cutting nails, use sharp trimmers.  Dull trimmers tend to crush the nail and cause pain even if you are not in the quick. 

5. You should always have styptic powder available.  This is sold in pet stores under several trade names, but it will be labeled for use in trimming nails.

What are ear mites?

Ear mite under the microscope

Ear mites are tiny insect-like parasites that live in the ear canal of cats (and dogs).  The most common sign of ear mite infection is scratching of the ears.  Sometimes the ears will appear dirty because of a black material in the ear canal; this material is sometimes shaken out.  The instrument we use for examining the ear canals, an otoscope, has the necessary magnification to allow us to see the mites.  Sometimes, we can find the mites by taking a small amount of the black material from the ear canal and examining it with a microscope.  Although they may leave the ear canals for short periods of time, they spend the vast majority of their lives within the protection of the ear canal.  Transmission generally requires direct ear-to-ear contact.  Ear mites are common in litters of kittens if their mother has ear mites.

Why should I have my female cat spayed?

Spaying or ovariohysterectomy is the removal of the uterus and the ovaries. It offers several advantages:

1.      The female's heat periods result in about 2-3 weeks of obnoxious behavior.  This can be quite annoying if your cat is kept indoors.  Male cats are attracted from blocks away and, in fact, seem to come out of the woodwork.  They seem to go over, around, and through many doors.  Your cat will have a heat period about every 2-3 weeks until she is bred.

2.      It has been proven that as the female dog gets older, there is a significant incidence of breast cancer and uterine infections if she has not been spayed.  Spaying before she has any heat periods will virtually eliminate the chances of either.  There is mounting evidence to believe that this is also true of cats.

3.      Spaying prevents unplanned litters of kittens.

4.      If you do not plan to breed your cat, we strongly recommend that she be spayed before her first heat period.  This can be done anytime after she is 5 months old.

Why should I have my male cat neutered?

Neutering or castration offers several advantages.  Male cats go through a significant personality change when they mature.  They become very possessive of their territory and mark it with their urine to ward off other cats.  The tom cat's urine develops a very strong odor that will be almost impossible to remove from your house.  They also try to constantly enlarge their territory which means one fight after another.  Fighting results in severe infections and abscesses and often engenders rage in your neighbors.  We strongly urge you to have your cat neutered at about 6 to 9 months of age.  If he should begin to spray his urine before that time, he should be neutered immediately.   The longer he sprays or fights, the less likely neutering will stop it.

If I choose to breed my cat, when should that be done?

If you plan to breed your cat, she should have at least one or two heat cycles first.  This allows her to mature physically and she will be a better mother without so much physical drain.  We do not recommend breeding after 5 years of age unless she has been bred prior to that.  Having her first litter after 5 years of age is more physically draining to her and increases the chances of her having problems during the pregnancy and/or delivery.  Once your cat has had her last litter, she should be spayed to prevent the female problems older cats have.

My kitten is already becoming destructive with her nails.  What can be done?

There are several options that can be considered: offering scratching posts, frequent nail clipping, nail shields, surgical declawing, and tendonectomy.

1.      Offering desirable scratching posts near the area where your kitten is scratching is an important tool in helping direct them to appropriate places to express this natural behavior. Many people make the mistake of sticking a scratching post in a far corner or offering scratching accessories that are too small or unstable. Cats need a post that allows them to stretch to their full length to scratch and sturdy enough not to fall over when they do so. You may need to experiment to learn if your cat is a vertical scratcher or a horizontal scratcher, and whether he or she prefers wood, sisal rope, carpet or cardboard as a scratching texture. There is a new product called FeliScratch that is a synthetic copy of the Feline Interdigital Pheromone that they excrete when they scratch. Applying this to a desirable scratching post will help your cat choose an acceptable place to scratch in your house. 

2.        The nails may be clipped according to the instructions above.  However, your cat's nails will regrow and become sharp again in about 4-7 days.  Therefore, to protect your property, it will  be necessary to clip them one to two times per week.

Soft nail caps protect the nails, but do keep them extended

3.      There are some commercially available products that are called nail caps.  These are generally made of smooth plastic and attach to the end of the nail with a special glue.  The nails are still present, but the caps prevent them from causing physical harm.  After 2-4 weeks the nails will grow enough that the caps will be shed.  At that time, you should be prepared to replace them. While soft nail caps protect your furniture from scratching, they do keep the nails in a state of extension, and can cause painful, severe problems if not changed regularly.

4.      Surgical declawing is the removal of the nail at its base.  This surgery is controversial, and you can read further about position of the AAFP on this surgery on their website. This is done under general anesthesia and with proper surgical techniques and adequate pain control, post-surgical discomfort should not exceed that of any other surgical procedure, especially when it is performed on a kitten. As with any surgical procedure, there can be complications and side effects. It should be noted that a declawed cat will not realize the claws are gone and will continue to "sharpen" the claws as normal on various objects, including scratching posts and furniture items. This surgery can be performed as early as 12 weeks of age or anytime thereafter.  It can also be done the same time as spaying or neutering.  Once declawed, your cat should always live indoors since the ability to defend itself is compromised.

5.      Tendonectomy is the surgical removal of a small part of the tendon on the bottom of each toe.  This tendon is needed to make the nail extend.  The cat retains its nails, but it cannot extend them for sharpening and scratching.  The disadvantage of this procedure is that the nails continue to grow and may grow into the pads.  Therefore, the nails should be clipped every 7 to 14 days.

You can also consider additional ways of modifying behavior, which may prevent the cat from scratching furniture in the house or being destructive.

This client information sheet is based on material written by Ernest E. Ward Jr., DVM.

Heartworm disease headaches

Heartworm disease in cats is a difficult issue. Unlike heartworm disease in dogs, it is difficult to diagnose, and has no cure, but that is not where the differences end. Feline heartworm disease is quite different in many ways from canine heartworm disease.

1) Feline heartworm disease is not really a heart disease in cats. More often it is a lung disease - so much so that it has been given its own name: Feline Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD). The worms cause damage in the lungs, resulting in lifelong breathing issues that often mimic other diseases such as pneumonia, feline asthma, or chronic vomiting. In some cases, a cat will have no signs of  disease at all for the lifespan of the heartworm (about 2-3 years) and then, when the heartworms die inside the body, the cat will experience an anaphylactic reaction to the dead parasite (think of it like a bee sting reaction all over the inside of the body!) which will cause sudden death.

2) Testing for heartworm disease in cats is much more complex than in dogs. The test that is commonly used in dogs checks for the presence of a female worm in the body. Since dogs generally have 12-25 heartworms (or up to 300!) when they are infected, this test is very accurate. Because cats only have 1-2 worms when they are infected, the test is only about 50% accurate. Often, when a dog is infected, a single drop of blood will reveal hundreds of microscopic baby heartworms (microfilaria) - another good test. Heartworms do not reproduce in cats (mostly because there is usually only one worm) and so there will never be baby heartworms in the bloodstream. Generally, to confirm heartworm disease in a cat, 2-3 blood tests, an x-ray and possibly an ultrasound are needed to be certain. Because of this, at this time, it is not our recommendation to test cats annually before starting your monthly heartworm prevention treatments.

3) There is currently no recommended treatment for feline heartworm disease. In some cases, surgical removal of the worms is an option.

What about indoor cats? We recommend that even 100% indoor cats take a monthly heartworm preventive. About 1/3 of cats that develop heartworm disease are indoor-only cats. It only takes one bite from one mosquito to infect a cat, and the species of mosquito that has a taste for cats tends to be attracted to the doors and windows of houses. We have clients that sometimes see mosquitoes in their homes well into the winter months. We have also seen patients in our own hospital that were indoor only cats and suffered from heartworm disease. It may not happen often, but it does happen, and the only way to protect your cat with monthly heartworm medication. One veterinarian learned the hard way about the importance of heartworm prevention for indoor cats. We recommend that both indoor and outdoor cats receive monthly preventive April through December every year.

For more information about heartworm disease, visit the American Heartworm Society or KNOW Heartworms.

According to the CDC's Pets and Parasites risk maps, over 40% of the cases of canine heartworm disease seen in Michigan occur in Oakland and Wayne counties. Overall, Texas accounts for 20% of all US cases of canine heartworm disease, but county-by-county, the risk for dogs is remarkably similar to the risk for dogs in the Detroit area and surrounding suburbs, with risk running as high as 1 in 36 dogs being infected. Feline heartworm statistics are poorly reported, but generally tends to be about 10% of the numbers we see in dogs.

This year promises to be a very buggy year, due to the extremely mild winter we had. According to this report from Toledo, and the first ever heartworm forecast, the water sources are already teeming with mosquito larvae in record numbers, weeks ahead of schedule.If you have not considered using heartworm preventive medication in the past, we encourage you to make this the year to change your mind!