When we talk about spinner, we always think about the dog. But the cardiopulmonary filariasis It can also affect the cat, among other things in a more serious form than the dog. Which means that we must try to keep mosquitoes away from the cat too. The disease is certainly rarer in felines, we must say this, given that the dog is the main guest and the reservoir of the Dirofilaria Immititiscertainly not the cat. However in some circumstances, especially in the areas where the spinner is endemic, here is so much that it can more easily do the jump of species and transmit to the cat.
There is also to say, however, that The cat is naturally resistant to infection And that the mosquitoes, if they can choose, prefer dogs and not cats. However, it is good to consider filariosis even in the cat as, in this species, a few spinners are enough in the heart to cause sudden death of the cat.
Filariasis cat, causes and how do you transmit?
Cardiopulmonary filariasis in the cat is supported by the same nematode which causes that of the dog, the Dirofilaria Immitis. The mosquito stings an infected dog, ingesting the larvae, the microfular. These in the mosquito perform a pair of mutations and here when the mosquito punishes another cat, it transmits the microfilaries that travel in the blood up to the heart and lung arteries.
And this is where the first differences between dog and cat start. In the cats, in fact, the flims hardly come to reproduction. They also tend to have alife expectancy shorter. While in dogs adult flours live up to 5-6 years, in cats reaches 2-3 years.
The real problem, however, is that The heart of the cats is much smaller compared to that of dogs. Which means that even infestations caused by a few parasites is serious. In the cats, in fact, two or three spinners are enough to cause severe heart failure with also sudden death.
It must then be added that the cat develops a strong inflammatory reaction with a massive antibody response that also causes forms of endoarteritis.
Symptoms of cardiopulmonary filariasis in the cat
By virtue of all this, i symptoms and the course of the Filariasis in the cat They are different from the dog. We move from having completely asymptomatic cats to cats with hyper acute or chronic symptoms.
We can have:
Instead, the forms of right -wing congestive heart failure typical of the dog are missing.
Diagnosis
Compared to the dog, the Diagnosis of Filariasis in the cat It is a little more complicated. Consider that usually there are no circulating microfilarias and there are no antigens of Dirofilaria Immitis, therefore the antigenic tests or the search for microfilage in the circle do not work. In this case there are false negatives.
You can perform antibody testsbut false positives are frequent due to simple contact with microfilage not associated with illness or presence of adult spinners in the heart.
You can thus opt for radiographs and echocardiography.
Filaria: therapy and how to keep mosquitoes from the cat
Not only problems with diagnosis, but also with the therapy of cardiopulmonary filariasis in the cat. In the cats, in fact, adulticide therapy with melarsomine (the Arsenic derivative) cannot be done because the risk of thromboembolism is too high.
Surgical therapy is equally risky, always because of the small size of the cat. For this reason, especially in the absence of symptoms, there is a tendency to monitor the situation.
So better do prophylaxis and prevention In endemic areas with on -based spots based on Milbeminicin, Moxidectin, Selamectin or Ivemectin special for cats, once a month.
How to keep mosquitoes away from the cat?
The main reason why keep mosquitoes away from the cat, especially in endemic areas, is for Reduce the risk of filariasis. However, it is good to remember that many cats are Mosquito allergic allergicto the point of developing a feature facial dermatitis.
Having said that, for Protect cats from mosquitoes we can:
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