Heartworm Disease in Pets: Everything You Need to Know

So, what is heartworm disease? Heartworm is a condition caused by parasitic worms that find their way into our pet’s hearts and lungs, as well as the blood vessels that surround these areas. The disease is contracted when an infected mosquito bites the animal and the worms are then transferred through the skin.

This very serious and sometimes fatal disease affects a number of wild animals, such as dingoes and native marsupials, and has serious health implications when transmitted to our domesticated pets. Female worms can grow to be up to 14 inches, and the more worms that reach maturity, the greater the risk of them continuing to breed within the animal.

While heartworm may be a particularly scary and unpleasant condition, luckily it is super preventable, and with regular preventative treatment and routine testing, you can help significantly reduce the risk of your pet contracting the disease.

So, calling all pet owners - lend us your ears!

In this blog we are going to talk you through all the need-to-knows about pet heartworm, what are the symptoms of heartworm in dogs and cats, the best heartworm medicine for dogs and cats, as well as preventative measures you can take to protect your pets.

Heartworm in Dogs and Cats

Heartworm has shown to favour our canine companions as their hosts, and as a result treatment for the condition has centred around canine care.

But can cats get heartworm? The short answer is yes, absolutely they can, and with more significant risk due to the fact that they are not generally the host of choice for heartworms, meaning that treatments for cats are therefore less advanced.

Let’s take a closer look at how the disease progresses in canines and felines.

Heartworm in Dogs

The host of choice for heartworms, the parasites will mature into adulthood when they infect a dog, meaning they will continue to mate and increase in number, causing more and more issues. Understandably, the presence of these worms in the body can cause significant organ damage, as well as heart failure and lung disease, and can leave your pup with long lasting issues even if cured.

Some of the symptoms that your dog may present with if they have contracted heartworm include: persistent coughing, fatigue, as well as possible weight loss or a reduced appetite.

Heartworm in Cats

While cats do contract heartworm, they are not a usual host for the parasite, and so the majority of the worms won’t actually mature into adulthood. This lack of adult heartworms can mean that the condition is not as easily diagnosed, but meanwhile the younger worms can cause a lot of damage of their own. Cats infected with immature heartworms can form ‘HARD’ - Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease - cats with this condition may present with breathing difficulties, vomiting or a reduced appetite.

Heartworm Prevention For Dogs and Cats

Preventing this disease is the best way to reduce the risk of longer term issues in our pets, and so consulting your vet about regular preventative treatments as well as routine heartworm testing should be a priority.

Heartworm prevention medication is usually given monthly to ensure maximum effectiveness. There are a number of approved treatments for use respectively on dogs and cats, and so discussing your best options with your vet will help get your pups and kittens boosted against this nasty disease.

Searching for worming treatments for your dog or cat? Then check out our Dog Flea & Worming and our Cat Flea & Worming collections here.

Can Heartworm Be Cured?

If your pet does contract heartworm, it can be treated. However it is not always as straightforward as it may seem, and it is important to be aware of the risks involved with heartworm treatment medications.

Dogs are the prime targets for heartworms. And so appropriate treatment has been developed to get rid of the parasites within canines.

There is currently only one approved drug which is used to treat heartworm, and it comes with the possibility of added cardiovascular strain - keeping your dog calm during treatment can help reduce this risk. Should the treatment be successful, your dog will then be given regular preventative medicine to stop them contracting the parasite again.

Unfortunately when it comes to cats, the outlook isn’t always so positive. There is currently no medication specifically used to treat cats with heartworm, and while some may be treated with the drug designed for use on dogs, this can have significant health implications and is not recommended. Slow-kill methods or surgery can be attempted by specialists, however these rarely have good outcomes, and so prevention is the most effective form of defence when it comes to heartworm in cats.

Do Dogs and Cats Really Need Heartworm Medicine?

Ensuring that your dogs and cats are properly protected against heartworm through preventive measures is absolutely vital, as this condition can be very complicated, particularly for our kitten companions.

It is important to consult your vet when your pet is still young, or soon after you bring home an older pet, to ensure that they are receiving preventative medicine at the correct regular intervals to ensure maximum effectiveness. There are a number of treatments which can be given, and so finding the right one for your pet through professional guidance is a priority.

Medicine is a must, and so is regular testing. While preventative medicine is brilliant, nothing is 100% certain, and so it is recommended that you get your pets tested regularly for heartworm to ensure that nothing slips under the radar.

In Conclusion

The long and short of it is that heartworm is considerably easier to prevent than it is to treat. It is likely that your pet receives proper flea treatment as standard practice, and heartworm prevention should be no different.

Prevention measures can be easily implemented to keep your pet protected from this unpleasant disease, and while treatment is possible, more so for canines, it can come with a whole host of health implications, and in the case of felines, is very often ineffective.

Keeping up with regular medication and routine testing will give your pets the best chance at avoiding heartworm, and will put your mind at rest that you are doing all you can to keep your fur babies safe.