Heartworms

The Truth About Heartworms

Living in Florida comes with the price tag of living with mosquitoes - the primary carrier of heartworms.  For many years it appeared that heartworms only affected dogs.  But in recent years, it appears that cats are affected as well.  Twenty years ago, the incidence of heartworms in cats was less than one percent, but now with the perpetuation of the disease through our huge mosquito population, the incidence of heartworms in cats now reach upward to 18%.

The condition is manifest as a chronic cough, sneezing, poor doer or sudden death in what was thought to be a perfectly healthy pet.  This wide range of signs is due to the intolerance of the pet for the heartworm.  In that a dog can deal with a dozen or more, a cat may die with only 2-3 worms.

There have been tests developed for the disease but at best, it is not reliable enough to determine if a cat really has heartworms or has only been exposed to them.

Therefore, the only sure way to insure that your pet is safe, is to start them on preventative at 6 weeks and continue them for the life of the animal. Being that treatment is ineffective for an existing case of cat heartworms, using the preventative is the only logical choice. In this way, you protect the cat from further exposure until the 1-3 heartworms in the cat dies. This time may take a year or more. During this waiting period, your cat could have a problem with a blockage from the dying worm or an embolus from their decay, but it is the best answer.

The preventative is available through veterinary offices. It is best to have your pet tested for heartworms prior to starting them on a preventative.  The reason for this is that if your pet has become affected, the preventative will actually cause harm to your pet.  As long as your pet maintains a regular schedule of preventative, there is no reason to retest.  However, if your pet skips a dose or two, it is recommended that your pet be checked again as they were unprotected during the time of the skipped dose.

Should you have any further questions, call us, we’ll be happy to help you.

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