Mosquitoes Can Give My Pet What?

Living in North Carolina there are a lot of Mosquitoes; with mosquitoes comes heart worms.

(North Concho Vet Clinic)

The picture above shows the life cycle of the heart worm, which takes about 6 months to become an adult. An infected mosquito bites your pet and from there the cycle starts. Heart worms live in the heart but can travel to the pulmonary artery if the infection becomes overbearing.

As a technician, one of the main concerns I have for dogs is heart worms. Surprisingly, it's easily preventable. There are several different options for heart worm prevention. The most common are pill and topical form. Ideally, heart worm prevention is started at your pup's first veterinary check up and continued monthly for the entirety of their life.


(Becker Animal Hosp.)

Should my dog be tested every year for heart worms?
YES, a large dog can live up to 7 years with heart worm infestation without showing any clinical signs. This is why we do a heart worm test on your pet when they come in for an annual visit. The test will let us know if there are circulating and breeding females in the blood. If this test shows a positive result, we will then examine a blood smear under the microscope to see the severity of the heart worm infestation.

Signs of Heart Worms in Dogs
The dog is a natural host for heart worms, meaning these parasites need the dog as a host in order to breed. If untreated, heart, lung and artery damage can occur. Unfortunately there are no clinical signs shown in the early stages of heart worm disease. If persistent and no treatment is given over time, the dog can develop a "mild cough, fatigue, weight loss, and decreased appetite." (American Heart Worm Society) Severe infestations can result in "heart failure, artery blockage, and labored breathing." (AHS) The only way to treat a severe infestation is to surgically remove the heart worms.

(Merck Manuals)

Let's not forget about the cats!
YES, cat's can get heart worms. No, we do not periodically test cats like we do dogs. The way to definitively diagnose heart worms in cats is by radiographic imaging or ultrasound. There is an antigen test, similar to the one used for dogs, but it isn't as accurate as the other methods. Cats with heart worms can only live around 2 to 3 years. Their heart isn't as large compared to a bigger dog, therefore can't handle a tremendous burden. Unfortunately, most cats show signs of heart worm disease when the infestation has become over bearing. "Vomiting, fainting spells, coughing, lack of appetite and weight loss" (AHS) are a few signs cats owners will notice in a cat with heart worms. There are a few products marketed for cats to prevent heart worms. Ask your veterinarian which product would be best for your cat.

Treatment for the Heart Worm Positive Pet
Depending on the severity of the infestation and healthiness of your canine, your veterinary will provide different options for you to choose from. Unfortunately, there is no approved treatment for cats. Keeping them comfortable and monitoring for any respiratory distress is a must for the owner. Providing veterinary supportive care for both, dog and cat, will help treatment or management run smoother.

Heart Worms located within the heart.
(ASAH)

Overall, keeping your cat or dog on heart worm prevention monthly will definitely make for a healthier pet. If you have questions or want to start your pet on heart worm prevention, call and schedule an appointment at Tenth Street Animal Hospital today!

Here's to a tail waggin' day!

Noelle


Information for this post provided by: American Heart Worm Society
Pictures used in this post are can be found with site provided in caption.