Heartworm Disease
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition caused by parasitic worms living in the arteries of the lungs and in the right side of the heart. Heartworm is primarily a concern for dogs. However, it can also be found in cats and other species of mammals, including wolves, foxes, ferrets, sea lions and (in rare instances) humans. Dogs and cats of any age or breed are susceptible to infection.
Heartworm infections occur when a mosquito that is infected with heartworm larvae bites an animal. The larvae then pass from the mosquito into the dog’s blood. If the dog is left untreated, the larvae continue to mature over the next 60 to 90 days and migrate through the dogs organs to the lungs and heart. The maturation process can take six to eight months from the time a dog is bitten by an infected mosquito.
During its early stages, when the dog or cat has a small number of heartworms infecting its body, the clinical signs of the disease may not be evident. Recently infected dogs may exhibit no signs of the disease. The symptoms for dogs including a mild, persistent cough, reluctance to move or exercise, fatigue after only moderate exercise, reduced appetite and weight loss. Cats may exhibit clinical signs that are very non-specific, mimicking many other feline diseases. Chronic clinical signs in cats include vomiting, gagging, difficult or rapid breathing, lethargy and weight loss.
Heartworm infection in apparently healthy animals is usually detected with a simple blood test. The most common test looks for an antigen of the heartworm. Heartworm infection may also occasionally be detected through Ultrasound and/or x-ray images of the heart and lungs.
Most cases of heartworm disease can be successfully treated in dogs, but treatment is expensive and can be risky to the patient. Adult heartworms in dogs are killed using a drug that is injected into the muscle through a series of treatments. Treatment may be administered on an outpatient basis, but hospitalization may be recommended. Currently, there are no products in the United States approved for the treatment of heartworm infection in cats.
Heartworm prevention is safe, easy and inexpensive when compared to the expense and risks associated with treatment. Giving your pet a heartworm preventative once a month is the easiest way to prevent heartworm disease. We recommend keeping your pet on heartworm prevention year round.
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