Ragdoll cats need to be kept indoors almost exclusively due to their non-aggressive natures. If your Ragdoll cat never ventures outdoors, do you need to concern yourself with heartworm?
Cats are not immune to heartworm, regardless of how much of their time is spent indoors. If your cat lives in an area with a large dog population, the risk of infection is much greater.
Heartworm is transmitted by mosquito bites. If a mosquito bites a cat or a dog that is infected with heartworm and then bites your Ragdoll, your cat can be infected with heartworm. If your Ragdoll is infected with heartworm larvae, the larva will settle in the heart and develop into worms.
Cats have an advantage over dogs in that the number of larva that develop into worms is far lesser. Heartworms causes your cat’s heart to work much harder pumping the same amount of blood. As your Ragdoll’s heart gets weaker, the circulation of blood throughout the body suffers, resulting in organ and tissue damage.
Heartworm disease in cats comes in two forms, chronic heartworm and acute heartworm. If your Ragdoll cat has an acute case of heartworm, there may be no visible symptoms of the infection. Your cat may just die suddenly; if this happens your veterinarian will determine the cause of death upon examination. This is why regular heartworm testing is an important part of your Ragdoll cat’s annual examination.
The symptoms of chronic heartworm and much more pronounced. The warning sings are sudden weight loss, vomiting, coughing, and a lack of energy. Heartworm is a treatable condition; depending on the severity of the infection your cat may require hospitalization.
If you live in a part of the country where mosquitoes are prevalent you should have your cat tested by your veterinarian on a regular basis. Male Ragdolls seem to be more susceptible to the infection than female Ragdolls. Keeping your cat indoors at all times lowers the risk significantly; however, it is not a substitute for testing and medication when recommended by your veterinarian as mosquitoes venture indoors also.
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