Buster is Better :) but Heartworm...?

Hi everyone,

I posted Monday am regarding my 2-year old Persian...Buster. Long story short, I brought him to the vet Monday and was sent home with antibiotics and the diagnosis that he had the flu...104.

They took a blood sample and the results came back today with indications of raised white count cells. My vet said that is normal for a feline with a fever/cold. He said there was no rush, but when I get a chance to bring Buster back for yet another blood test for heartworm. Heartworm?

How can that be? I have never in all my feline years dealth with heartworm. My knee-jerk reaction is that we are referring to a Persian who has never been outside, is 2 years young and has never had a sick day in his fuzzy little life except for this. Again, how can that be?

Anyone out there have experience with feline heartworm?

By the way, thank-you to all who inquired about Buster. He is feeling & looking much better and did his first wind-sprint in days, down the hall this morning

If you've ever had even one mosquito get in the house, and that mosquito was carrying heartworm, and it just happened to bite your cat, then it's possible. Pretty long odds, I'll say, but....possible. Why is your vet suggesting a blood test for heartworm? What are the indications that your cat might have one?

You should know that the standard heartworm test....the quickie one done in the vet's office....is NOT reliable for diagnosis of heartworm in cats. It needs to be the kind that's sent off to a lab. This is why testing for heartworm is not routinely done unless there's a pretty good indication the cat might have one.

It was a heartworm test that showed positive for Persil and Erlichia -another blood-borne parasite that is carried by ticks. I never did establish 100% that she had it (she had two SNAP tests) but we treated her anyway with antibiotics.

Why is your vet suggesting a blood test for heartworm? What are the indications that your cat might have one?

He took blood from Buster and the results showed a high white count? Is that right? He did say heartworm is certainly not common in Buster's case but he wanted to make sure by doing yet another blood test.

What do you think? Buster seems to be doing a lot better and we are only on day 2 of antiobiotics for his flu. His body has cooled down, he is eating, grooming himself again and even playing a bit.

Originally Posted by leesali

Why is your vet suggesting a blood test for heartworm? What are the indications that your cat might have one?

He took blood from Buster and the results showed a high white count? Is that right? He did say heartworm is certainly not common in Buster's case but he wanted to make sure by doing yet another blood test.

What do you think? Buster seems to be doing a lot better and we are only on day 2 of antiobiotics for his flu. His body has cooled down, he is eating, grooming himself again and even playing a bit.

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I know someone whose cat died of heartworm. Granted, the cat was found outside where it lived for while, before being found and brought in. So, cats do get heartworm. I also heard that while you can treat heartworm in dogs, in cats is not treatable. So, hopefully Buster doesn't have it.

High white blood cell count has nothing to do with heartworms.

Here's a couple links to articles with good information:
http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/distanc...inical%20Signs
http://www.heartwormsociety.org/FelineHeartwormInfo.htm

Here's what the second article says about the in-clinic blood test:

Currently, tests are available that can be run in the clinic, as well as at many veterinary reference laboratories. Several of these tests are approved for use in cats. Most commercial tests will accurately detect infections with one or more mature female heartworms that are at least seven or eight months old, but they generally do not detect infections of less than five months duration. Unfortunately, these highly specific tests lack the sensitivity to identify many infections in cats. They fail to detect infections of immature heartworms, infections with only male heartworms and some infections with only one or two adult female worms. They are not generally considered useful as screening tests for heartworm infection in cats. A positive antigen test is a definitive diagnosis of heartworm infection, though.

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(emphasis added)

There is treatment for heartworm in cats, but it's different than in dogs. Basically it's just treatment to relieve the symptoms. Because killing the heartworm itself risks killing the cat.

What is basophil? I will do a search myself in a few minutes but wondering if anybody knows the relevance to this word (abnormal cell?). The vet mentioned the term and I jotted it down.

Thank-you for the links -- heading there now.

A basophil is a type of leukocyte or white blood cells - and Buster's wBC (white cell count) would have been measured when your vet requested a CBC. Basophils tend to appear in specific kinds of inflammatory reactions, particularly those that cause allergic symptoms. While the exact purpose of basophils has never been proven, they appear often in tissues where parasites are found. They can be found in unusually high numbers at sites of exoparasite infection, and I guess heartworm is as good an ex as any as this. This may be why he is thinking this?? (But I admit I just scanned your post)

Thank-you. A very good and clear definition.

I guess Buster & I are going back to the vet then for another blood test. Since, vet says there is no rush, I will Buster fully recover from his flu before we go back.

Thanks again to all for the excellent information.

Good luck and I hope that it is not heartworm, it can be treated by not cured...*HUGS for BUSTER*

I give my cats heartworm pills even though they dont spend anytimeoutside. I do, and I have been known to bring things in with me, who knows what Ie bugs and what not.

And my vet has had two feline cases this year :/

Good vibes for buster!