Heartworm Disease in Pets: Prevention and Treatment
Worms… in the heart? Yes, you heard that right. Heartworm disease in pets is a real problem, and Harpeth Hills Animal Hospital wants you to know all about it. Heartworm preventives are key to avoiding this devastating disease, and all pet owners should be prepared.
What is Heartworm Disease?
Here in Tennessee, heartworm disease is a serious problem. A parasitic infection caused by the worm Dirofilaria immitis (the heartworm), heartworm disease is transmitted through a mosquito bite.
Other dogs who are infected with heartworms can be a reservoir for this parasite. While dogs are the natural host of this disease, cats can also become infected.
When a pet is bitten by a mosquito carrying heartworm larvae, the immature heartworms travel through the bloodstream and settle in the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels. These worms make their home here for several years, causing lung disease and heart failure during that time.
Early in the course of infection, a pet often will not have outward symptoms. Over time, though, an infected animal will eventually develop:
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Exercise intolerance
- Weight loss
- Sudden death (especially in cats)
We cannot detect heartworm infection accurately until 5-6 months after exposure. In cats, diagnosis is even more tricky. Routine blood screening should be part of every pet wellness plan.
Heartworm Treatment Options
For dogs with a confirmed heartworm infection, there are treatment options. By the time we are able to know that a pet has an active infection, though, many times some permanent damage has already occurred.
The gold standard of heartworm treatment is a series of injections over the course of several months designed to kill adult heartworms. These injections can be uncomfortable, though, and it is very important that the pet undergoing treatment be kept calm for several months to lessen the chance that they experience an embolus from the dying parasite.
Cats, unfortunately, do not tolerate heartworm treatment well.
Heartworm Preventives for Pets
Even though heartworm treatment options exist for dogs, they are not ideal. Thankfully, heartworm disease in both dogs and cats is almost entirely preventable. Nothing is 100%, but several FDA approved preventive medications exist for both dogs and cats that come darn close when administered properly.
These medications are overall safe and very effective for the prevention of heartworm infection. Our team recommends that all pets be on a heartworm preventative year round.
Mosquitoes become active at temperatures above 50 degrees, and our Tennessee weather can see these temperatures any time of year. It is important to consistently administer whatever preventive you choose. Common options include:
- Monthly topical treatments, which eliminate infections acquired in the last 30 days
- Monthly oral treatments, which eliminate infections acquired in the last 30 days
- Six or twelve month injectable treatment (Proheart), which allows the slow release of the prevention over time by killing any heartworm larvae that enter the body
In addition, you can protect your pet by decreasing exposure to mosquitoes. Eliminating standing water in your yard and using mosquito control can be helpful. In addition, some topical parasite preventive choices can offer some protection against mosquitoes.
We are always happy to discuss your pet’s care with you, and heartworm prevention is an important topic. Please don’t hesitate to call us with questions or concerns. It’s our pleasure to help keep our pet patients safe and healthy.
