Heartworms in cats are one of the preventable problems that every cat owner needs to know about. Continue on to learn what you need to know to protect your pet.
What Are Heartworms?
Heartworms are just what they sound like. The parasitic organism Dirofilaria immitis is a worm who makes its home in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels of its host. This infestation can cause severe lung disease and heart failure in the infected animal.
Heartworms are transmitted through the mosquito. When this pesky bug feeds on an infected animal, it carries the juvenile worms (microfilaria) in its digestive system. If it happens to feed on your pet next, infection can occur.
We mostly think of heartworm disease as a dog problem, but the truth is that it affects cats as well. Being indoors does not exempt cats from this problem, either, as studies have shown that indoor only felines are just as likely to be infected with heartworms as their outdoor counterparts.
What Do Pet Owners Need to Know About Heartworms in Cats?
Heartworm disease is a very serious problem. It is essential that feline pet owners understand heartworms in cats in order to adequately protect their pet. It is important to know that:
Heartworm disease in cats is difficult to detect – Because cats are not the optimal host for heartworms, they often have very few adult heartworms at any given time, making testing difficult. Cats often show very vague or no symptoms of infection as well until the disease is very serious. In fact, about 20% of heartworm infected cats show no signs except sudden death.
Heartworm disease in cats has no cure – There is currently no safe treatment for cats who are infected with heartworms, giving them a very poor prognosis if infected.
Feline heartworm disease is very preventable – There are currently three FDA approved heartworm preventatives available for cats. All three are very effective at preventing infection when given monthly year round. They include oral ivermectin (Heartgard for Cats), topical moxidectin (Advantage Multi), and topical selamectin (Revolution).
The current recommendations are to test all cats for exposure to heartworms via antigen and antibody blood tests prior to starting on a monthly preventative. Because of the serious nature of this disease, it is important for all cats to receive a heartworm preventative, regardless of his or her perceived exposure.
Protecting our feline friends from heartworms is extremely important. Be sure to talk to us about your cat’s heartworm prevention plan so that we can help you to protect him or her from this deadly disease.