That Coughing Cat, Part Two: Feline Heartworm Disease, by Dr. Laura Theobald

Heartworm disease is typically thought of as a disease affecting dogs, however cats can also be infected with heartworms. It is transmitted by mosquitoes and is reported in all of the continental United States.

Cats can show symptoms with as few as one to three adult heartworms living in the heart. These signs include coughing, difficulty breathing, vomiting, lethargy, anorexia (decreased appetite), and weight loss. There can also be acute episodes of shock and respiratory distress, as well as sudden death. On physical exam, there can sometimes be a heart murmur noted.

Diagnosis in cats is difficult when compared to dogs as the standard in-hospital testing (antigen test) that is used for dogs is not always accurate in cats. This is because cats tend to have only a few worms. A send-out test to the reference laboratory (antibody test) may be more useful, but a negative result still does not rule out heartworms. Other helpful diagnostics include radiographs (x-rays), echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart), complete blood count (CBC), internal organ function testing (chemistry), and fecal exam (to rule out parasites that can live in the lungs and cause coughing).

Prevention is the same as that used in dogs and includes monthly oral medications such as heartgard or trifexis, or topical solutions such as advantage multi or revolution. A six month injection called Proheart is available in dogs, but a similar product is not available in cats at this time.

Though dogs can undergo risky heartworm treatment (a series of two to three injections of a drug called immiticide to kill the heartworms in the span of a month or two), no such treatment is available in cats. Treatment is limited to monthly use of preventive medications to prevent further infestation and shorten the life of the heartworm. Supportive care includes bronchodilators to help pets breathe easier and steroids to reduce inflammation.

Written by Dr. Laura Theobald
Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice

Dr. Theobald works with Dr. Hawthorne helping families in the Charlotte North Carolina region. For more information – please see their profile page. http://www.lapoflove.com/North_Carolina_Charlotte 

Coughing and Heart Disease Relationship

Not a few of you who may have asked if there is a relationship between cough and heart disease? At first glance, these two conditions seem different things as coughing associated with respiratory organs such as the throat and lungs, while the heart disease clearly a vital organ disorders experienced that pumps blood throughout the body.

But in fact, the heart and lungs are organs that are inter-related. Similarly, coughing and heart disease. As described in the Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, cough is one sign of heart disease. Here is a brief explanation of the relationship between cough and heart disease:

Cough is basically instinctive reflex action or mechanism of the body to expel foreign objects that may irritate the respiratory tract. In fact, the production of mucus (when cough) is a protection mechanism that is used for the same purpose. However, harsh cough and persistent (chronic) can be caused by certain diseases and should not be taken lightly.Chronic cough is generally an indication of a respiratory tract infection. But it may have also been associated with heart disease.

Generally, cough suffered by those with upper or lower respiratory tract. Prior to the lungs to perform the functions of oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, the air we breathe, first pass components of the respiratory system such as the nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, throat, and bronchial tubes.Respiratory organs can become inflamed if we inhale irritants such as dust, chemicals, fumes, or disease-causing microbes. These conditions encourage the immune system to expel the mucus irritation. Working system of the human body organs work collectively. Similarly, between the respiratory and circulatory system, in which the heart is the main organ.

The heart is the organ that supplies pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs, which then brought the blood vessels throughout the body. If the pumping ability of the heart is interrupted or disease, this would lead to pulmonary congestion. Fluid in the lungs and heart can cause symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath or wheezing.

Cough and heart failure
To understand the relationship between cough and heart disease, you must first understand how the heart works. Human heart is divided into four chambers (right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium and left ventricle).The weakening of the myocardium or heart muscle due to coronary artery disease is one of the most common causes of congestive heart failure. Coronary heart disease is characterized by lack of blood flow to the heart due to the buildup of arterial plaque. Although this causes the heart muscle to weaken, thus increasing the risk of congestive heart failure, heart muscle thickening due to high blood pressure can also cause the same effect.

 Coronary artery disease also increases the risk of heart attack. A heart attack is a life-threatening condition in which the coronary artery blockage causes damage to part of the heart muscle. Shortness of breath, persistent cough, chest pain and edema are characteristic symptoms of congestive heart failure.Heart failure can occur on one side of the heart, such as heart failure or left side right side heart failure. If heart failure occurs in the left ventricle pumps the heart, the blood will clump together and accumulate in the lungs (congestion). This is what raises congestion shortness of breath and coughing. As a result, the air bag as the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide can be filled with liquid, thereby disrupting the function of the lungs.

Coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath are common symptoms of pulmonary edema (pulmonary edema). Pulmonary edema is an abnormal buildup of fluid in the air sacs of the lungs that causes shortness of breath.

While coughing attacks may be associated with respiratory infections, allergies, asthma or lung problems. In some cases, congestive heart failure may actually responsible for causing chronic cough. Those who experience symptoms such as coughing and heart disease should receive a thorough medical examination to establish the diagnosis.

Lung Disease: What Is It and how Can You Prevent It

Did you know about 35 million Americans are suffering from one kind of lung disease or the other? Did you know that lung infections are believed to be one of the most important causes for infant mortality in America? Probably you also did not know that diseases related to lung claim one in seven lives every year. Well, it is an alarming statistics, isn’t it? But what does a lung disease mean? Precisely, Lung disease refers to any kind of disorder in which the functions of respiratory system get affected and impaired and this impairment manifest in several ways, such as, troubled breathing, nagging cough, short of breath, pain or uneasiness in the chest, inability of taking up physical labor and likes.

The medical science divides all kinds of lung diseases into two broad categories: Obstructive lung diseases and Restrictive lung diseases.

In obstructive lung diseases, the airways get narrowed or blocked and the result is a decrease in exhaled air flow. The disorders like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emphysema, asthma, and bronchiectasis are cause by such obstructions of lungs.

Image source: dedeep.com

Restrictive Lung Diseases result into either loss of lung tissue or decrease in the lung’s ability to expand. It may also decrease lung’s ability to transfer oxygen or carbon dioxide into the bloodstream. The killer disease of lung cancer is a kind of restrictive lung disease. Pulmonary fibrosis and pneumonia are also caused by the same lung disorder.

Probably lung cancer is the most common form of ling diseases that the people are more familiar with. Another commonly found diseases among Americans–asthma– is also a kind of lung disorder. Tuberculosis is also the result of bad lungs. Then you might have heard of such diseases like Cystic Fibrosis, Emphysema or Mesothelioma…they all are the manifestation of some kind of lung disorders.

Are you a heavy smoker? Well, you run the maximum risk of developing lung disease. What did you tell, you don’t smoke? Well this is not adequate; you have to stay clear of the smokers, for it is the passive smokers who are at higher risk than the smokers themselves to develop some kind of lung disease, even cancer. Make it a point to request a smoker to enjoy his cigarette in a secluded place so that the others are not forced to inhale second hand smoke.

Then if you work in mines or somehow exposed to radon gas, you run the risk of developing a bad lungs. In the USA, radon is sometimes found in the households also and so it is important for everybody to invest in a kit for measuring the concentration of radon at your home and take the steps accordingly.

If you are working in the sectors which use asbestos, you are required by the Federal Law to use protective gears including a face mask. The same is necessary if you are constantly exposed to dust or harmful chemical fumes, for these also considerably damage your lungs in the long run.

Last of all, the medical authorities always recommend a healthy diet for preventing lung cancer. A diet consisting lots of anti- oxidant rich fresh fruits and vegetables, considerably reduces the risks of cancer. Also go for regular Spirometry testing to make sure that your precious lungs are in perfect shape.

Writer : Barney Garcia
Source : Ezinearticles.com

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Title: Lung Disease: What Is It and how Can You Prevent It
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Related Post Lung Diseases :

Obesity, heart disease and asthma could all be determined in the womb due to a mother"s diet

• British Nutrition Foundation says women need to know impact of health in pregnancy and before conception


• Claim risk of obesity, asthma, allergies and heart disease can all be affected by mother’s diet and health


• Almost half of women of childbearing age in the UK are overweight and this could impact their children’s health

The likelihood of adults developing obesity and many other health problems might be determined in the womb

The likelihood of adults developing obesity and many other health problems might be determined in the womb, according to a report published today.

Women need to know that their weight and health during pregnancy, and before they conceive, plays a key part in securing a healthy long-term future for their children, the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) said.

A BNF taskforce has been looking at aspects of nutrition and early life development, including the impact of a mother’s health and eating habits on her baby even before conception.

They concluded that obesity, asthma, allergies, cardiovascular disease and many more conditions might be handed on from the mother.

Taskforce chairman Professor Tom Sanders said: ‘Evidence suggests that poor foetal growth, especially followed by accelerated growth in infancy, may be associated with long-term adverse consequences for health. 

‘Poor foetal growth may also affect kidney development, making offspring more sensitive to the blood pressure raising effect of salt and, therefore, increasing their risk of cardiovascular disease.’

The report looks at the causes of obesity and concludes that the increased appetite some people have in adulthood compared with others might have also been programmed in the womb as a result of their mother’s diet and weight.

Almost half of women of child-bearing age in England are overweight or obese and this can be the cause of a biological cycle of maternal obesity leading to health issues for children in later life.

Sara Stanner, science programme manager at BNF, said: ‘There is now unequivocal evidence to show the biological link between obesity and weight-related health issues in women and their children.

‘This is a very important message in the fight against obesity. Women need to know that their weight and health, during pregnancy and even before they conceive, plays a key part in securing a healthy long-term future for their children. 

‘Once a baby is conceived, the biological framework for its future health is already set, so, where possible, women should look to improve their health status before they conceive. A major challenge the UK faces in addressing the obesity epidemic is the fact that around half of all pregnancies in the UK are unplanned.’

A mother’s health could have far-reaching consequences, with a poor lifestyle contributing to obesity in childhood

Commenting on the publication of the report, Louise Silverton, director for midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said: ‘We look forward to this report with great interest. We know that good nutrition is incredibly important to the health of the pregnant woman and her developing baby. 

‘Good nutrition in pregnancy can also have a significant impact on the health of the baby well into its adult life, and midwives are perfectly placed to stress the importance of a good diet before and during pregnancy.

‘Obesity is without doubt a problem and can have detrimental effects in pregnancy. It is an issue we need to tackle and midwives have a key role to play in helping obese women in their care, to promote better health in their pregnancy and beyond. This is a public health role of the midwife that is often overlooked and under-recognised.

‘We are desperately short of midwives in England and investment is needed in midwifery so that they can carry out this part of their work much more effectively, to the benefit of the public health of the nation.

‘These findings also show the value of preconception care and midwives can provide this as part of their care after birth in readiness for later