FELINE HEARTWORM DISEASE
Heartworm disease has long been thought to be a disease that mainly affected dogs. Over the last few years we are learning more and more that cats are severely affected by the disease as well. A campaign called “KNOW Heartworms” has been created to help educate veterinarians and clients about heartworm disease in cats.
KNOW Heartworms is the collaborative effort of the American Heartworm Society, the American Association of Feline Practitioners and Pfizer Animal Health. The goal of KNOW Heartworms is to educate pet owners of the danger that heartworm disease poses to cats, teach how it differs from canine heartworm disease and stress the importance of prevention for all cats, both indoor and outdoor. KNOW Heartworms asks, “Do we love our dogs more than our cats?”, and provides statistics showing that while 59% of dog owners give their dogs heartworm preventative regularly, only 5% of cat owners do.
Feline heartworm disease causes more lung problems in cats, rather than heart problems, as in dogs. Heartworm associated respiratory disease, or HARD, is the name given to represent the respiratory pathology or inflammatory response of the lungs of cats to heartworm infection. It can mimic bronchial disease so is often misdiagnosed as asthma. Immature heartworms can cause significant damage even before tests can detect a positive infection.
Prevention is key to keeping your cat protected against heartworm disease. Indoor cats are susceptible as well – mosquitoes get inside all the time and it only takes one infected mosquito to potentially infect your pet. In North Carolina, it is estimated that 28% of cats that test positive for heartworm are indoor cats. There are several methods available for use as heartworm preventatives and our staff is happy to talk to you about the method best suited to your cat.
For more information on heartworm disease and KNOW Heartworms, please see our article in the Doctor’s Corners archives and be sure to check out the following links:
