Conference misery::feline

    Don't admonish yourself, Michele.  Taja pukes a lot, and I also
    attribute it to hairballs because nothing ever turns up in his samples.
    Besides, you know how cats are... they never let on that something is
    wrong until they are feeling down and out miserable!!  :^)  Believe me,
    I should know, having had more than my share of feline problems over
    the last few years.
    
    Vets can be wrong, too!  Try not to worry too much until the worst has
    been confirmed (and hopefully it won't!).
    
    Fingers and paws crossed....
    
    -Roberta
    

    I thought heartworms were something Dogs got..not felines!  I'd
    also be interested in any info anyone can provide.  Are these
    even different then Hookworms???  
    
    Michele...we changed the title of the note on VG to Megacolon...because
    that is what he was diagnosed with!!
    
    Sandy

    Heartworms can affect cats too.  Heartworms are transmitted by
    mosquitos.  If the cat is bitten by an infected mosquito it could
    develop heartworm.  
    
    Heartworm in dogs is treatable with arsenic I think. The treatment is
    tricky.  The idea is to give enough of the poison to kill the worms,
    but not the animal.
    
    I will be hoping that the vet is wrong, and that Nippa does not have
    heartworms.  But, if she does, they may be able to treat her.
    
    Jo

    Well we went to the vets last nite for more blood work.  The vet told
    me that she had basofilla (SP) in her blood, which in dogs means heart
    worms.  He did the quickie cheap test (for dogs) which came up
    negative, so he sent a sample to Tufts for additional testing.  THe
    quickie test isn't 100% accurate, but if it comes up positive then it's
    usually correct, but they don't trust the negatives, espically when
    there are these basofillas already present in the blood.
    
    She was probably exposed to it by mosquito bites, and the vet said
    there is probably a likely hood that there is an affected dog/dogs in
    my area......real comforting...it can be transmitted to people too, but
    that type of transmission is rare, just like it is for cats!
    
    Test result will be back in 10 days.....I don't know if my stomach can
    take the waiting.  If she does have heart worms, treatment is tricky
    and sometimes (more often than not) fatal.  If she comes back negative,
    he will do an esophagus/tummy scope to see if there is a tumor or
    irratation somewhere, and possibly x-rays.  
    
    He also listed another battery of test he could do as what-if's.....but 
    I'm going to draw the line with the scope and x-ray.  She has been
    tramatized enough, and I hate to keep bringing her back if she isn't
    sickly (could it be she is just very sensitive to food - and is getting
    some elsewhere???????).
    
    
    	I hate waiting................

         Gosh Michele, I know what you mean about the waiting.  It's so
    *hard*.
    
         People and kitty prayers to you and Nippa.
    
    					- Andrea

    Michele...my thought and prayer are with you.  Beleive me I know
    what that feeling of "waiting" is all about.   If you are worried
    to bring her back and forth to your vet...you might want to think
    about going to Tufts.  They took Van Gogh Monday at 11:00, did
    all the tests that same day, and called us at 4:30 with the diagnosis
    and plan of what they were going to do.
    
    I feel good knowing them came up with the same results as my vet...
    but they also did alot of other tests to determine if there was
    any underlining problems...which eased all of our minds!
    
    I truly can't say enough about Tufts.  Yes it is expensive..but
    I was truly empressed when I had signed the estimate allowing
    them to do $575 worth of tests...but when they called they said
    that once they determined what it was...they didn't have to do
    the Ultrasound and some other tests.  Which in reality...they
    could have taken me for a ride and did all the tests and charged
    me the full amount.  I never would have known!
    
    All thoughts and prayer are with you and Nippa.  Keep us posted.
    
    Sandy                                    

    Michelle, any news?
    
    Jo

    no news untill next Monday......boy is the time dragging.
    
    Nippa appears to be in good spirits, despite losing her lunch from time
    to time......thanskl for all the support guyes....

    Michele...any news yet!  Both you and Nippa are in our
    thoughts and prayers.
    
    Sandy

    Have the heartworm tests come back yet?
    
    Jo

    Tufts was closed yesterday becasue of the holiday.....so I'm still
    waiting.....my friend who works there told me that it is on `the board'
    to call me ASAP, and they are real good about following up.  
    
    Still hoping......Michele

    The good news is that she dosen't have the actual heart worm.....but
    she's been exposed to the basofillas, so I'll have to watch her for
    signs of infestation from now on.
    
    The bad news is that they don't know what's wrong w/ her.....They
    wanted to jump right into biopsying the intestins and stomach.....but
    I'd hate to put her thru the stress `just to eliminate the possibility
    of a bowel or stomach inflamation'.  She's not exhibiting the other
    symptoms of this ailment, and hasen't in the past......soooo, It looks
    like we'll try this new diet out by Science Diet (D/D) for sensitive
    tummies and see if it helps.  If it does, then they are 99% sure she's
    just very sensitive to food additives, and if not, we'll look into this
    biopsy thing.  Please cross your fingers and paws that she's just extra
    sensitive......
    
    Thanks for all the support in and outsied of Feline!
    
    	Michele & Nippa
    

    Hugs to Nippa.  I forget if I entered this info, but the "latest" issue of
    either Cats Magazine or Cat Fancy has an article on new foods for
    sensitive cats (it's actually a sidebar in an article on allergies.)
    

    Wizard has been lying around the house, not very energetic, and not
    using the litterbox (he goes, but not *in* the box). He spent the day
    at the vet so they could get a urine sample. Nothing showed up in that
    so they took blood. My husband checked with the vet and they want Wiz
    back in for another blood test since they are suspecting heartworm.
    We're taking him back Saturday and should have results on Monday.
    
    In the meantime, I'm worried. Anyone have some information on heartworm?  
    What are the typical symptoms?  Is there something I should be watching
    for?  What's the treatment for a cat?  What's the prognosis (I'm not 
    sure I really want to know this.;)
    
    Wiz is a large, 12 year old, in-door only sweetheart.
    What's a mother to do?
    
    NancyS
    

    For future reference...I looked up heartworm in a Veterinary manual at
    the library last night. The symptoms include coughing, vomiting,
    respiratory distress, lethargy and sudden death.  There wasn't any
    approved treatment for cats. The treatment for dogs is tricky.
    Fortunately, the only symptom Wizard shows is lethargy, but the was
    dispelled a bit last night when he chased and killed a moth. It was a
    mighty fight.
    We're going to the blood test Saturday to be sure.
    
    NancyS

Four shots given intravenously, twice a day for two days, then a possible
followup administration of some oral medication a bit later. The trickiest part
of the treatment is that if any of the injectible stuff gets on their skin (like
the dog pulls a leg back while being injected) the skin can slough off. I
haven't seen that yet - I'm a good dog-holder :-)

						Trace

    I have no knowledge on heartworm...but would appreciate it VERY
    much if you could document any info you find out.  Geeessshhhh I
    thought I had dealt with all the worm problems (round, tape, hook)
    with my strays...but now there is another one to worry about!!!!
    
    Your in my thoughts.....and please keep us posted.
    
    Sandy

    Thanks for the kind thoughts. We went back Saturday mornings to take
    more blood and do a fecal examine. There are no signs of tape, round,
    or other common paracites. I get the results from the heartworm test
    late this afternoon.  The vet explain there was an extremely high
    level of ? in his blood. (I'm going to get the exact name this
    afternoon. He was rattling off so much info on Saturday, I couldn't
    keep up. I'll have paper and pen ready when I call this afternoon.)  
    A high level of ? can be a sign of heartworms, lungworms, a
    rare form of some type of leukemia (I think) or an extreme allergy.
    
    I betting on the allergy part since Wizard is very allergic to fleas
    and he doesn't exhibit any symptoms associated with the other
    possibilities. The first blood test ruled out kidney, heart and liver
    problems. He's eating well and is using the litterbox more consistently
    (using the newspaper in the living room instead of the litterbox
    upstairs started this whole episode). I trust the 2 vets we see, but 
    it is sure going to be a long day waiting for the results.
    
    NancyS
    
    BTW, there is no treatment for heartworms in cats.

    It looks like we're facing the same thing as .4.
    The vet called last night. The heartworm test is negative. Wizard has a
    very high level of Bosinophils in his blood. These are apparently a
    type of white blood cell. Besides heartworm, this can be caused by
    lungworm or allergies. Since he doesn't have any of the symptoms
    associated with lungworm, we're going with allergies.  Both of my cats
    are extrememly allergic to fleas. We aren't doing any further testing,
    but I'll keep a very close eye on him.
    
    I'm relieved, but paranoid. The poor guy can't make a move without me
    hovering over him.
    
    NancyS

I'm not a cat person, but came over here to find something out for someone
else, and ended up looking around a little & saw these notes on heartworm.

For our dogs, we are very careful to make sure they take preventative
medicine for heartworm.  Around here, in the Northeast, I sort of thought
it was standard practice.  I take it from the previous notes that this
is not standard practice for cats ? 

Leslie

    
    Until this note, heartworm in cats was for me unheard of.  Many of us
    are rigorous in our attention to preventive medicine for our feline
    friends, and I have never had a vet who recommended heartworm
    medication for cats.
    
    len.
    

    Like the last note said, I never heard of any concern about heartworm
    in cats until the vet brought it up based on test results. In my case
    and with the noter who started this string, the test results were similar 
    to what is seen when a dog has heartworm.  Neither cat tested
    positive for heartworm, so I guess we still haven't seen heartworm in
    cats.  
    
    Since heartworm is spread by mosquitoes, a cat could get bit as easy as
    a dog. I don't know why cats don't develop heartworm like dogs do.
    
    My dog gets monthly heartworm prevention medicine. We have lots of
    mosquitoes around here, especially since I live near a lake. 
    
    NancyS

    
    
    	Some parasites will infect any warm blooded animal.
    	Other parasites will infect only one species.
    	Other parasites will infect a few species.
    	Cats and humans are not the usual hosts(prey) for heartworm.
    	Exactly why parasites thrive in one host and not
    	another is not clear.
    	It is rare for heartworm to appear in cats or humans .
    	Other enviromental factors as poor health or over crowding( ie
    	puppy mill style) are considered as possible causes to the
    	cross over to non-standard hosts. BUT EVEN IN THE MOST SEVERE
    	CONDITIONS parasites very rarely infect non-standard hosts.
    
    	fwiw                                    -Pat
    

    Thought I should put in a note about heartworm on cats since my beloved
    cat died last week from it.
    
    He had no signs of sickness until he went into a breathing distress of
    some sorts.  HE was rushed to the Vets where he died about an hour
    later.  
    
    An aothopsy revealed one adult heart wrom.  Samples of his organs were
    sent to Tufts who confirmed that he died of this.
    
    Although extremenly rare, it can happen.  The vet said they can do
    blood tests to check cats but don't normally.  
    
    I will in the future have this test done on my cats yearly.  It was a
    terrible death that he suffered.  Normally cat's interanl systems fight
    off this disease, but when he was bit it must have been during a very
    weak period for him.
    
    just be aware