Heartworm: A Rising Threat to our Pets

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| Print | By Jo Singer | June 25, 2009 11:22 AM

The "dog days" of summer are upon us. While we may enjoy excursions to the beach and our family picnics, with the increased heat, humidity and frequent rainstorms, Mosquitoes, those teeny but highly dangerous insects, also take advantage of the warm weather. Thriving under these conditions, breeding in any standing water they find, they are a serious threat to our household pets. These pesky bloodsuckers carry a plethora of disease.

One of the most common of these dangerous diseases that threaten our furry companions is Heartworm. Spread by the Mosquito carrying this parasite, it can easily infect our pets. Heartworm infection is a very serious threat for both cats and dogs. These tiny insects can find their way into even the most rigorously protected homes. Open the door for a second and one of these nasty parasite carrying pests can wreak havoc. While dogs are generally at greater risk than cats, felines are also highly vulnerable to heartworm infection.

Heartworm potentially may lead to heart failure and other medical conditions. Dogs who have been recently infected may show no clinical symptoms, but heavily infected dogs may show symptoms such as mild cough, exhaustion after even moderate exercise, depression and lack of appetite. Cats may display symptoms that are quite similar to other feline diseases; lack of appetite, hacking cough, weight loss, gagging and difficulty breathing and lethargy. Often these symptoms can be incorrectly diagnosed as Feline Asthma, or allergic Bronchitis. However, in actuality, these cats may be affected by a newly named syndrome called Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease, (H.A.R.D)

In a recent study released by the American Heartworm Society, "DVM Newsmagazine" reported that there is evidence that the incidence of Heartworm infection is on the rise in three areas in the United States. These are the gulf coast, northern California and the east coast.

Last fall, a triennial survey was sent to over 40,000 veterinarians. The most recent results from practices spanning around 2,200 counties represented in the survey reported that positive cases rose in 31 states. These reports were based on heartworm testing, climate trends, and growing client bases. It is possible, however that the "rise" in cases may be due to more frequent testing leading to positive diagnoses.

The president of the American Heartworm Society, Dr. Sheldon B. Rubin has some strong words about heartworm disease. He calls it "inexcusable. He said, "There is no reason a dog (or cat) should have heartworm disease today. If we can get more animals on prevention, we will get the numbers of heartworm-infected animals down. It is a serious problem."

The good news is that Heartworm is completely preventable. Today, there are monthly Heartworm preventatives available on the market. However, these preventative medications should only be given to a pet only after being tested with negative Heartworm results. I highly recommend discussing Heartworm prevention with your veterinarian. This simple treatment can save many pets' lives. For more information about Heartworm, see the Canine Heartworm Fact Sheet.

Do you routinely give your pets Heartworm prevention treatment? Leave a comment and share.

RELATED TOPICS: Blogs (262) , Health (24) , Heartworm (2)

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Vicki June 25, 2009 3:31 PM

Although my dogs are in the house more than they are outside, I still treat them with heartworm prevention medicine. This is something I think is very important, and I wish all pet owners would do the same.

jmuhj June 25, 2009 10:11 PM

This is just one of a plethora of reasons to KEEP YOUR BELOVED CATS INDOORS-ONLY and make sure ferals are tested when trapped for neutering.

Amy June 26, 2009 8:57 AM

Yep sure do even though they are mostly indoors. Can't run the risk of having them get sick. They are too precious to me.

Skylark June 27, 2009 3:21 PM

In addition to the good information about heartworm disease in the original post above, it is now known that dog ticks carry cytauxzoonosis, which is 99% fatal to cats.

The August issue of "Cat Fancy" contains a very comprehensive article on cytauxzoonosis. The article states that only cats are affected by this particular tick-borne disease, and the victims are "mostly young, healthy, outdoor cats who suddenly develop anemia and mutiple organ failure. Currently there is no cure."

Please get a copy of this issue of "Cat Fancy" and read all of the dangers that ticks carry to our precious cats. Most can be prevented.

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