Featured News 2013 Protecting Your Indoor Cat From Parasites

Protecting Your Indoor Cat From Parasites

If you are a cat owner, it is likely that you care a great deal about the health of your cat. Perhaps you take it for regular check up's with your local veterinarian, you make sure it is clean and the litter box is frequently emptied, and you give them the best cat food you know of. What if there is something you were missing, though? Many people often believe that if they keep their pets as indoor cats, then they will not be susceptible to parasites, and this simply is not true. Infections and parasites are common to cats, no matter if they live in or outdoors. For example, the possibility of a cat getting fleas while living indoors is very likely. What can be even more disturbing is the fact that fleas don't just affect your animals, they can get all over your homes as well; particularly in the winter time. Fleas are difficult little creatures to locate which makes killing them all the more difficult.

Tapeworms are another common parasite that cats can suffer from as indoor animals. This parasite is actually carried by fleas, which is why addressing flea problems right away is so important. Tape worms grow within the cats stomach after they ingest a flea, likely while grooming in order to fix their flea problem. Another worm that can be a danger for our cat is roundworms, and this problem is more likely if your home has rodent problems. The reason that cats are likely to get these rodent carrying diseases is because they are naturally predators and if there is a mouse in the house, these cats will find them. Heartworms are also a problem for indoor cats in the event that they swallow a mosquito that is infected. Mosquitos are prone to fly into homes, so don't be surprised when your cat gets ahold of one. The question then remains, how can we protect our indoor cats from parasites if the dangers are everywhere in the home?

First off, as fleas are the most common for household animals, discuss the options with your veterinarian to determine the best plan of action for fight your cats fleas as well as helpful tips for preventative measures. Perhaps you own both a cat and a dog and you feel as though by sharing their flea products you can save a few pennies. It is essential that cat owners realize that no dog flea product is good for a cat, in fact offering this product to your cat may place them at risk for health problems.

Another way you can help your cat be protected from these parasites and infections is by hiding a heartworm medicine into their food once a moth. This will help prevent them from contracting an illness caused by heartworms, roundworms and hookworms. Making sure you take your cat to the veterinarian on a regular basis is essential when caring for a house pet, as they are trained specifically in order to help owners address certain health issues they may have. Also, make sure you have your cats feces check on a periodical basis. This may help vets look for specific infections and parasites that aren't noticeable right away. In the event that you notice something odd in your cat feces on your own, keep it and bring it to the vet in order to receive the proper treatments it needs. The vet will have the tools to identify the specific work and therefore administer the proper treatments.

Veterinarians are an essential aspect to the care and health of your pets, contact one in your area today for more information.

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