Preventing Heartworm in Indoor Cats Using Neem Oil

Hi Joan,
Your concern is well noted. But since Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes, you have already taken a BIG step in protection by keeping your cats INDOORS.

You wrote,
“I live in a house with no other pets, the upper level of a ranch home having screens in place. Zero chance of cats getting out since there are double doors.”

And a low chance of mosquitoes getting in!

I would NOT advise using any oils especially NEEM Oil on your cats. It would be good to practice mosquito control on the outside of your house in the Spring.

You wrote,
“Are the essential oils in the Neem Protect product safe because they are used in small quantities, or would you consider it prudent not to use such oils on cats at all?”

It would be best NOT to use any of these oils or any essential oils at all on a cat. You could certainly use it outside. You might also want to check the product called ‘Cedarcide’, to use outside for mosquito and other insect control.

Heartworm disease is basically a ‘canine’ problem. A mosquito must first ‘bite’ a dog that has heartworm. The blood containing the microscopic larvae are drawn up into the mosquito where is goes through 2 larval changes.

When the mosquito bites another dog, the larvae are transmitted through the bite/puncture into the blood stream. They travel to the heart, where they develop into mature heartworms that are 4-6″ long. The adult worms live in the heart, and produce more larvae which are then passed out into the blood stream.

Of course, this mosquito might bite a cat or even a human! In the case of a human, one of three things can happen:

1. Nothing

2. A huge welt may appear on the skin, secondary to an allergic type reaction to the foreign protein from the larvae.

3. The larvae will travel into the blood stream, through the heart and lodge into the lung tissue. In this location the human’s immune system will kill the larvae and leave a ‘scar’ in the lung tissue. If the human has a chest x-ray taken for some reason, this scar will show up as a ‘spot’ on the x-ray. And this will be of concern, since the doctor will need to make sure the spot is not due to cancer!

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART TWO

Hi Joan,
Here is the rest of my response.

In a cat bitten by a mosquito carrying heartworm larvae, it is similar to the scenario above. But since a cat is a little closer genetically to a dog, there is a small chance that larvae can develop into an adult heartworm in the heart.

In my opinion, since it is MUCH less common for cats to develop heartworm, and since the preventive measures are so toxic to a cat, I feel that the best way to prevent heartworm in a cat is to keep them inside where there is less chance for them to be bitten by a mosquito!

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the ‘click here to add your own comments’ link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Related Pages:
Dog Symptom Checker – Photo, Question & Answer Library for Thousands of Dog Symptoms

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Dear Dr. Tillman,

Thank you very much for your reply. I hope others see it and will be better informed as well. Yours is an invaluable service, and I’ll share it on Facebook.

Best wishes,

Joan

Hi Joan,
You are very welcome! And *THANK YOU* for the endorsement!

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman