How to Choose a Heartworm Preventative for Your Cat
Have your cat tested for heartworm., Talk to your vet about preventative heartworm medications., Bring your cat to the vet for annual heartworm tests.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Have your cat tested for heartworm.
Even before you begin looking for a heartworm preventative, you should take your cat into your veterinarian’s office and have the animal tested for heartworm.
It would be deeply unfortunate to begin giving your cat preventative medication, only to find that it already has heartworm.If the test results come back positive, you can speak with your vet about how to treat the heartworm. -
Step 2: Talk to your vet about preventative heartworm medications.
If the cat’s heartworm tests come back negative, ask your vet about heartworm preventative medication.
Heartworm prevention is much cheaper than treatment, so it’s important to not put off this conversation.
Most veterinarians recommend that cats be kept on constant heartworm preventative treatment, with preventative medication given once a month.If you have recently adopted your cat—no matter its age—schedule this appointment to discuss heartworm prevention with your veterinarian as soon as possible. , Cats can contract heartworm from mosquito bites in all 50 states (although states with a larger mosquito population have higher incidences of heartworm), so pet owners should consider their cats to be always at risk.
Have your cat tested annually to make sure they have not contracted heartworm.Even if your cat is on a preventative heartworm medication, still plan to have them tested annually.
No medication is 100% effective, and heartworm can be deadly to cats. -
Step 3: Bring your cat to the vet for annual heartworm tests.
Detailed Guide
Even before you begin looking for a heartworm preventative, you should take your cat into your veterinarian’s office and have the animal tested for heartworm.
It would be deeply unfortunate to begin giving your cat preventative medication, only to find that it already has heartworm.If the test results come back positive, you can speak with your vet about how to treat the heartworm.
If the cat’s heartworm tests come back negative, ask your vet about heartworm preventative medication.
Heartworm prevention is much cheaper than treatment, so it’s important to not put off this conversation.
Most veterinarians recommend that cats be kept on constant heartworm preventative treatment, with preventative medication given once a month.If you have recently adopted your cat—no matter its age—schedule this appointment to discuss heartworm prevention with your veterinarian as soon as possible. , Cats can contract heartworm from mosquito bites in all 50 states (although states with a larger mosquito population have higher incidences of heartworm), so pet owners should consider their cats to be always at risk.
Have your cat tested annually to make sure they have not contracted heartworm.Even if your cat is on a preventative heartworm medication, still plan to have them tested annually.
No medication is 100% effective, and heartworm can be deadly to cats.
About the Author
Judy Sullivan
Experienced content creator specializing in creative arts guides and tutorials.
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