Heartworm disease causes serious complication in dogs and cats and can even be fatal to them. The heartworm is approximately one foot long and lives inside the lungs, heart, and blood vessels of affected animals. In addition to house pets, heartworms may be found in ferrets, coyotes, wolves, sea lions, and foxes. Wild species are thought to be a primary carrier of heartworm disease. When left untreated, heartworms can cause heart failure and severe lung disease as well as damage to internal organs.
How Heartworms Affect Dogs
Heartworms that make their way inside of a dog’s body typically live to maturity and reproduce many times. This means that a dog who has not received treatment for heartworms could potentially have hundreds of the critters inside his or her body. Unfortunately, dogs are a natural host for heartworms, meaning they tend to be affected by them far more than any other domesticated species. The damage done by these parasites can persist long after the dog has received heartworm treatment.
You should plan to bring your dog to the veterinarian at least once a year for heartworm testing. Puppies under the age of seven months can start on heartworm prevention even though they aren’t likely to test positive until they are over a year old.
Symptoms of early heartworm infestation in dogs include:
- Decreased appetite and weight loss
- Showing strong resistance to exercise
- Increased fatigue
- A mild yet persistent cough
Later-stage symptoms of heartworm disease include:
- A swollen abdomen due to fluid retention
- Difficulty breathing
- Blood in the urine
- Pale gums
How Heartworms Affect Cats
Heartworms inside the body of cats usually do not survive until adulthood. Typically, up to three immature heartworms are present at the time a cat receives a diagnosis. The lower amount of heartworms present often makes it challenging to properly diagnosis a cat. It’s important to keep in mind that immature heartworms can cause nearly as much damage as adults. The most common complication in cats is a condition called HARD, which stands for heartworm associated respiratory disease. If you own both a dog and a cat, it’s important to keep their heartworm medications separate since mixing up their medications could cause further health complications.
Heartworm disease in cats tends to come on either subtly or dramatically with little variance in between. The most common early symptoms include:
- Coughing or asthma attacks
- Occasional vomiting
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
The symptoms of later-stage heartworm infection in cats include:
- Instability with walking
- Seizures or fainting
- Fluid retention in the abdomen
- Sudden death, which is often the first sign in cats due to the lower rates of infestation
Regular Heartworm Prevention and Treatment
Whether you are trying to prevent heartworm in your dog or cat or your pet has recently received a diagnosis, one of the most important things you can do is make sure that you order heartworm supplies from a reputable veterinary supply store–MyVetStoreOnline is a great place to get your veterinary supplies! For pet owners who are short on time, the Easy Dose It program makes it simple to remember to give your pet the exact dose he or she needs to feel better. By keeping your pets free of heartworms, you can count on many happy years together.