Best Cat Heartworm Preventatives to Consider
Although heartworm disease is largely associated with dogs, cats too are susceptible to this potentially life-threatening condition. Learn more about why monthly heartworm prevention is strongly advised for cats and which cat heartworm prevention treatments you should consider using for your precious feline friend.
What is Heartworm Disease in Cats?
Heartworm disease, or Dirofilariasis, is a fatal disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis (heartworms) and is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes. Heartworms are carried by more than 70 kinds of mosquitoes, which can affect various organs of the cat’s body. The infection may also lead to lung damage, organ damage, and heart failure, resulting in fatalities.
Why is Heartworm Disease Uncommon in Cats?
The incidence of heartworm infections in cats is rare as compared to dogs. For every 10 dogs, 1 cat gets infected with this scary disease. This is because felines are fairly resistant, imperfect heartworm hosts, and most heartworms do not survive to the adult stage in cats, so they don’t thrive inside a cat’s body easily.
Cats also rarely suffer from aberrant heartworm mitigation, a condition in which heartworms migrate to different organs and body cavities, causing serious damage.
Do Cats Need Heartworm Prevention?
Heartworm disease in cats is rare but fatal. Therefore, heartworm prevention in cats is necessary. It should begin as early as 6 weeks of age and continue year-round for the entire life. Furthermore, once infected, it is challenging to treat heartworms as there is no drug available for the treatment of heartworms in cats.
The best way to prevent heartworms is by using proven, effective, and vet-recommended heartworm treatments for cats. Let’s have a look at some of the most effective heartworm prevention treatments that are available on the market today.
5 Best Heartworm Preventatives for Cats
Heartworm treatments for cats come mostly in topical form. Most of these treatments are labeled as being administered at regular monthly intervals for continuous protection. Here are five of the top heartworm prevention treatments for cats that you can consider for your darling cat.
#1 NexGard Combo
Treatment type: Topical solution/spot-on
Active ingredients: Esafoxolaner, eprinomectin, and praziquantel
Age recommendations: Cats and kittens from 8 weeks of age, weighing 1.8 pounds or more
About the treatment: NexGard Combo for Cats offers all-round protection against external and internal cat parasites. It is an easy-to-administer, broad-sprectrum topical preventative treatment that acts against fleas, ticks, lungworms, heartworms, as well as gastrointestinal parasites like tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms. NexGard Combo provides effective heartworm prevention along with killing other common cat parasites.
#2 Bravecto Plus
Treatment type: Topical solution/spot-on
Active ingredients: Fluralaner and moxidectin
Age recommendations: Cats and kittens 6 months of age and older and weighing 2.6 pounds or greater
About the treatment: Bravecto Plus is a vet-recommended topical solution for the treatment of fleas, ticks, intestinal roundworms, and hookworms, as well as for the prevention of heartworms in cats. It works against multiple tick species, including black-legged ticks, American dog ticks, and Asian longhorned ticks. Bravecto Plus for Cats successfully prevents heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis when administered regularly each month.
#3 Revolution Plus
Treatment type: Topical solution/spot-on
Active ingredients: Selamectin and sarolaner
Age recommendations: Cats and kittens from 8 weeks of age, weighing 2.8 pounds or more
About the treatment: Revolution Plus is a vet-recommended topical solution for the treatment and control of flea infestations, tick infestations, ear mites, roundworms, hookworms, and the prevention of heartworms. Revolution Plus 6-in-1 treatment is the perfect preventative treatment to keep your cat safe from heartworms as well as other parasitic infestations.
#4 Neovet Spot-on
Treatment type: Topical solution/spot-on
Active ingredients: Imidacloprid and moxidectin
Age recommendations: Cats and kittens from 9 weeks of age
About the treatment: Neovet Spot-on for Cats is used to treat fleas, flea larvae, mites, roundworms, hookworms, and lungworms. It also helps in the prevention of heartworm disease in cats. Neoevet spot-on comes in an easy-to-apply applicator pack to be applied to the cat’s neck. It lasts for one full month and is waterproof.
#5 Selehold
Treatment type: Topical solution/spot-on
Active ingredients: Imidacloprid and moxidectin
Age recommendations: Cats and kittens from 9 weeks of age
About the treatment: Selehold spot-on solution for cats is an affordable and effective product for the treatment and prevention of fleas, ear mites, biting lice, adult roundworms, and adult hookworms. This topical treatment also prevents heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis with monthly administration.
Things to Remember:
No matter what heartworm prevention treatment you choose for your cat, always use it under your vet’s consultation. Furthermore, ensure that your cat is regularly screened for the presence of heartworm, especially if you skip any regular doses. And to buy the best heartworm prevention treatment for your cat at affordable rates year-round, visit our online store today!