3/22/2014

Good morning,  supposed to be in the 70's today :)

Thank you for the gifts from our Amazon wish lists!
http://amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/14VUTQST8F5XH

Thank you Carol Oldroyd for the toys,  cleaner & food!
Thank you Patricia Fennema for the toys!
Thank you nancy Siegel for the food!
Thank you Gloreen for the toys!

Sweet Annie

Thank you Michael Stoughton for the toys and Food!
Thank you Kathryn Lazzaro for the toys!
Thank you Mrs. Ellie Price for the food!
Thank you Philip Bucknell for the food!

Tori :)

Thank you  Laura Hunter for the foods!
Thank you David Chastain for the foods, scratch & Rest and trashbags!
Thank you Shana Sessler for the play cube!
Thank you Linda Carden for the trashbags!

Penny  (Blind & Deaf)

Thank you Katie Dunn for the cleaner!
Thank you Janine Giustino for the foods!
Thank you Alicia Richmond for the foods!
Thank you Michelle Graham for the food and toy!

Lily

Thank you Karen Krause for the foods & litter!
Thank you Patricia Fennema for the computer beds!
Thank you Beth Goodwin for the amazon gift card!
Thank you Olivia for the Amazon Gift Card!

Honey, Camille & Oreo cuddling together

Thank you for the gifts from our regular wish list!
http://blindcatrescue.com/wishlist.htm

Thank you Leoncio Alvarz for the clavamox!
Thank you Bonnie Bean for the dry food!
Thank you Joe Gunzz for the freshstep!

Holly dolly :)

Sadly they didn't not tell us who these people are,
and they NEVER give us your contact information!!

Thank you unnamed for the trashbags!
Thank you unnamed for the toy & food!
Thank you unnamed for the food!
Thank you unnamed for the foods and trashbags!

Heartworm Disease in Cats

by Jill Anne Sparapnay

Heartworm disease affects outdoor and indoor cats of any age. Yes, INDOOR cats are susceptible to becoming infected with heartworms! Dogs and cats can become infected with heartworms. There is a treatment to rid dogs of the heartworm infection; unfortunately, there is no treatment for infected cats. Therefore, it is very important to prevent heartworms from infecting your cat.

Heartworms are parasitic worms living in the pulmonary (lung) arteries, lungs and hearts of cats. Cats are extremely vulnerable to heartworm and, most likely due to their smaller chest, lungs and hearts compared to dogs, a small number of worms can be fatal to the cat. It is a ‘vector borne’ disease, spreading from infected host animal to the mosquito when it bites the host animal and to another animal when the mosquito bites it.

Once transmitted, in 8 months, the larvae mature into adult worms and they settle into the heart and can affect other organs. Cats are more resistant to heartworm but do not tolerate them once infected, thus, a smaller number (1-3 worms) can be fatal to the cat. Heartworms live in dogs for 5-7 years and in cats for 2-3 years. Blood tests are not always confirmation of heartworm infection in the cat and can give false positives. Radiography (x-rays), echocardiography and angiocardiography may aid in diagnosis but will not alter the course of the disease.

this is post mortem of one  heart worm

Post mortem of many heart worms

Feline infection can occur at any age and reported cases vary from 9 months to 17 years of age,

the average being four years at diagnosis or death. Physical exam may be normal making heartworm infection more difficult to diagnose in cats. Clinical signs of heartworm infection may mimic other feline diseases. Harsh breath sounds or heart murmurs may be heard on exam.

Chronic signs of heartworm disease present as general signs of illness – vomiting of food or foam unrelated to eating, lethargy, lack of appetite, weight loss, coughing, gagging and respiratory difficulties.

Asthma-like signs, including panting, open mouthed breathing, dyspnea (difficulty breathing which may be intermittent) or rapid breathing may be due to heartworm disease and misdiagnosed as asthma or allergic bronchitis. These signs are associated with the first stage of heartworm disease when the worms are carried to the pulmonary arteries. This syndrome is known as Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD).

Acute signs of the disease are diarrhea/vomiting, convulsions, blindness, rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, syncope, collapse and sudden death.

During respiratory crisis, supportive care – bronchodilators to open airways, oxygen and IV fluids – may ease the acute symptoms.

Prevention of heartworm disease is key! It is equally important for  
all indoor cats to receive medications to prevent the disease. 
It only takes one mosquito!

Several heartworm preventative products are available by prescription from your vet: Heartgard ®, Revolution TM and Interceptor ® are commonly prescribed medications. These are easily administered once a month.

Louie was our first blind cat. If it were not for him showing us that blind cats are just regular cats that just happened to not see, we might not have been brave enough to take in more.  Louie has taught us  what patience and true strength is!

6/12/2010  Sadly, our beloved Louie, our mascot,  our companion, our loving little guy passed away.    He taught us so much, he was a wonderful fellow who showed us that a blind cat is just a regular cat, and can do anything a "regular" cat can do.  We will miss you little fellow!

Louie passed away from heartworm disease.