At our veterinary clinic in Austin, TX, we emphasize the importance of heartworm prevention to both dog and cat owners as an integral step in proper pet care. Once infected, heartworm can prove deadly to pets. Procedures to remove heartworm from infected canines are risky to a pet's health, and no removal procedure exists for felines. Adding preventative measures to your pet's monthly pet care routine is essential to him or her living a happy, healthy life.
A type of parasitic roundworm, heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) lives in an infected animal's heart and pulmonary arteries. Transmitted through bites from mosquitos carrying larvae-infested blood, heartworm cases have occurred in every type of dog in almost every part of the world. Cases are most common in areas where mosquitos are most prevalent, such as the East Coast and Southern United States, and Mississippi River Valley. Once an animal has been infected by a carrier mosquito, heartworms will travel through the animal's bloodstream, damaging organs and arteries along the way, until they reach the blood vessels of the lungs and the heart chamber (roughly six months after the initial infection).
Recognizing Cat and Dog Heartworm Symptoms
Animals infected with heartworm will display symptoms, but cat and dog heartworm symptoms differ slightly. It is important for all pet owners to know what to look for in both species. In recently infected canines, heartworm will cause mild symptoms like coughing. As the infection becomes more serious over time, symptoms can include weight loss, congestive heart failure, abdominal fluid buildup, anemia, fainting, collapse, and eventually death.
The infection evolves and presents itself differently in cats. Heartworm can cause death more suddenly in cats. For this reason, more serious symptoms do not usually have time to develop. Cats with heartworm will display asthma-like symptoms and coughing.
Speak to your veterinarian about including a heartworm preventative in your regular pet care regimen. Preventatives usually come in the form of a highly-palatable pill given once a month.
Are your pets currently taking a heartworm preventative?