Sykesville Veterinary Clinic

Make an Appointment

410–549–7798

Everything You Need to Know about Heartworm Disease and Prevention

Heartworm disease is a serious condition that affects the lungs and right side of the heart of dogs, cats and other animals. As a pet owner, you have undoubtedly been warned about the seriousness of this disease and the necessity to ensure your beloved pet is heartworm free. From taking your pet to your vet on a regular basis and keeping an eye out for any of the heartworm symptoms listed below, you are being a responsible pet owner and doing everything in your power to keep your pet healthy and happy.

Because dogs and cats of any breed are susceptible to heartworm disease, it is important for all pet owners to familiarize themselves with the characteristics of the disease as well as what can be done to prevent it.

What Is Heartworm Disease?

Heartworm disease is caused by parasitic worms that establish a home for themselves in the arteries of your animal’s lungs and sometimes the right side of the heart. While extremely common in dogs and cats, heartworm disease has also been seen in wolves, foxes, ferrets, and sea lions.

Heartworms themselves are referred to as ‘filarids’, which is a species of roundworm. These filarids stay alive and move from animal to animal through other insect species, such as mosquitos. While there are many different species of filarids that may cause heartworm or other infection, the particular type of filarid that cause heartworm in dogs and cats is the Dirofilaria immitis.

Heartworm is spread in dogs and cats most commonly through mosquitos, as the tiny insects become infected by microfilariae when they are getting blood from an infected dog or cat. It may take up to six months for the roundworm larvae to develop into adulthood and begin producing offspring. During this time, the larvae migrate through the tissue and under the skin of your animal, making their ways to the arteries of the lung.

While heartworm disease differs between dogs and cats, it is nonetheless a harmful disease if left untreated.

Signs of Heartworm

In its beginning stages, heartworm is extremely hard to detect in both cats and dogs. Once the worms have set up shop in your animal, you may notice the following signs:

  • Mild, persistent cough
  • Reluctance to move or exercise
  • Fatigue after moderate exercise
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss

It should be noted that cats who have been infected with heartworm disease may show other nonspecific signs that often mimics other feline diseases. Heartworm in cats is sometimes mistakes for feline asthma or allergic bronchitis. It is extremely important for you to contact your local vet if you notice any behavioral changes in your dog or cat, as it may be a sign of heartworm.

Heartworm Prevention

Because of the level of how serious and difficult to detect heartworm disease is, prevention is your animal’s best bet against it. The notion of worms living inside your dog’s heart is a hard one to grasp and the amount of damage they can cause are both reasons why you should do everything you can to protect them from heartworm disease.

Heartworm prevention is relatively simple and inexpensive. There are numerous medications on the market that are proven to effectively keep your dog or cat heartworm free. If your pet is not taking preventive heartworm medication and is more than six months old, he or she could already be infected and you may need to contact your local vet for a blood test. Here is a list of the common and safe preventive heartworm medications on the market today:

  • Interceptor
  • Sentinel
  • Heartguard Plus
  • Proheart
  • Revolultion

To find out which is best for your dog or cat, contact your local veterinarian. Heartworm disease is a serious and heartbreaking disease for both you and your animal, which is why it is important to take the proper measures to ensure your pet is happy, healthy and heartworm-free.

Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Sykesville Veterinary Clinic and a clickable link back to this page.