I’ve been seeing a lot of advertising on television regarding heartworms in dogs in particular, cats can get them too. While I don’t live in the part of the country where this is a big problem, many other people do and so this blog answers the question, “What are heartworms?”
Heartworms are a difficult-to-treat and potentially fatal disease in dogs and cats, but it can be prevented with drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Owners have a variety of products to choose from to help keep their pets heart worm-free.
A dog or cat can get heartworm disease through a mosquito bite. If you live in an area where mosquitoes are a plentiful, be especially on the alert. If the mosquito is carrying the heart worm larvae when it bites a pet, the disease is likely to be transmitted to the pet. The larvae enter the bite wound and move through the pet’s body. The adult worms live in the heart, lungs, and nearby blood vessels, where they can grow up to 12 inches long! Dogs, cats, and some other mammals can get heartworms only if bitten by an infected mosquito; the disease is not contagious from one animal to another. Heartworms in humans are very rare.
Most dogs and cats with heart worm infection do not show any symptoms until the disease becomes severe. At that stage, symptoms may include:
• Difficulty breathing
• Coughing
• Tiredness
• Reduced appetite and weight loss
• Vomiting and gagging (usually only in cats)
• Lung, liver, kidney, or heart failure, leading to death
“Prevention is much easier than treatment,” says Martine Hartogensis, D.V.M., a veterinarian in FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), because most heartworm preventive products are given to pets only once a month.
“Treatment for dogs is very expensive and potentially toxic, requiring multiple visits to the veterinarian, blood work and x-rays, and a series of injections,” says Hartogensis. “Dogs need to be closely monitored during treatment and for up to 24 hours after treatment.”
Following Heart Worm treatment, dogs should have restricted exercise for up to six weeks, adds Hartogensis, because active dogs are at risk for death from a clot in the lungs. Unfortunately, there is no heartworm treatment approved for cats; medications may help manage the symptoms.
Types of Heartworm Preventives:
• Oral pill or tablet,
• Topical liquid that the owner squeezes from a tube onto the pet’s back
• Injection (for dogs only)
A few heartworm preventives are combined with other ingredients to kill fleas and some types of ticks and intestinal parasites.
Because pets that have heartworms may not show symptoms right away, your veterinarian may test your pet before prescribing heartworm preventive, and then yearly, to make sure the pet is not infected. Dogs are tested for heartworm using a simple blood test. Sorry to say that testing in cats, is more difficult than, and not as accurate as, testing in dogs.
“Talk to your veterinarian about testing and the best heartworm preventive program for you and your pet,” says Hartogensis. “Your veterinarian’s recommendation may depend on where you live and whether your pet spends time inside or outside.” Heartworms have been found in all 50 states, according to the American Heartworm Society, but they are more commonly found in some areas of the country than others.
Guidelines for Pet owners:
• Ask your veterinarian if your dog or cat should be on a heartworm preventive.
• Store all medications away from children and pets. Your dog may not distinguish a chewable
heartworm preventive drug from a tasty treat.
• You can only buy heartworm preventive from your veterinarian.
• If you think your pet is having a side effect from a heartworm preventive, call your veterinarian immediately. In addition to treating your pet, your veterinarian can notify the manufacturer, who is required to report side effects to FDA.
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Photo by flygraphix released under Creative Commons
