Wormy Wednesdays: Heartworms

Worms are so gross! (I suppose unless they are in one of these ) 

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 There are several different types of worms that are commonly found in our pets. Many of which are preventable and treatable. Today we are going to focus on the heartworm! As the name suggests this particular worm lives in the heart and lungs of cats and dogs. So what is the big deal with heartworms anyway?

http://www.capcvet.org/capc-recommendations/canine-heartworm

First they are transmitted by mosquitoes. This allows them to be delivered to the blood supply where they can then mature in the heart and lungs of the dog or cat. Overtime this can lead to some serious damage to these organs. In both cats and dogs, early infections may not have any symptoms. As the disease progresses in dogs you may notice a mild but continuous cough. Along with this you may notice that they just don’t have the energy they used to and may not want to exercise. Cats are a different story. Their symptoms can often be similar to other infections. You may see signs such as vomiting or rapid breathing, that can easily be confused with other respiratory diseases.

http://www.palosanimalhospital.net/sites/site-3652/images/heartworms%20in%20a%20dog.jpg

Diagnosing heartworm disease in dogs can be done with a blood test. If it comes up positive then many times we will screen a blood sample to look for the baby worms swimming around, this is done on the microscope. Cats again are a little more difficult. There is no easy test for them but rather a series of tests that may need to be done to come to a diagnosis. Yearly testing in dogs is critical to keeping the worms under control and ensuring that your preventative is still working. Early detection could be the difference between a happy healthy life for you pet and serious consequences. Even if you give the preventative every month on the same day, testing is essential to ensuring that everything is working properly.

Here’s the good news! Heartworms can be prevented! There are many products out there so sometimes we just need to find the one that will work best for us, but whatever you use it is important to use it monthly. Even in cats! Even in cats that are just inside! Prevention is much cheaper and safer than treating heartworms will ever be. The treatment process is long and can be painful as well as dangerous. It is only approved in dogs. Another benefit of many heartworm preventatives is that they also prevent against many of the intestinal parasites we will discuss in the future.

For even more information visit the heartworm society's website here!  (yes heartworms are such a big deal they have their own society!) or talk to your veterinarian.