Cat Guides

Heartworm Disease in Cats

Heartworm disease has been a serious problem in dogs for many years, and recently has been found more frequently in cats. Although still less common in cats than in dogs, these mosquito-borne and deadly parasites are on the rise. In some areas of the country, ⅓ of cats have been exposed.

Heartworms cause a disease in felines called HARD - Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease. Affected cats usually have only a few of these worms in their heart, but because the cat's heart is very small and the worms are quite large (the size of spaghetti), even 1 or 2 worms can be fatal. The cat's body responds to the worms' presence by producing severe inflammation in the lungs and in the blood vessels within the heart and lungs.

Signs of heartworm disease in cats include chronic coughing, wheezing or vomiting, and sometimes sudden collapse or death. Blood testing is used to detect these parasites in cats, sometimes along with chest X-rays or an ultrasound scan of the heart (echocardiogram). Diagnosis can be difficult.

There is no effective treatment for cats that have heartworm disease - the medications used to treat dogs with heartworm disease are toxic to cats. Luckily, there are once a month preventative medications are available. Since prevention is easy and treatment is not possible, other than supportive care for the symptoms, prevention is by far the best answer for this deadly disease.

Outdoor cats are most at risk, but interestingly enough studies of feline heartworm disease show that many affected cats are kept strictly indoors. Since it takes so few of the heartworm parasites to cause disease in cats, even the occasional mosquito finding its way into the home can carry more than enough heartworm larvae to be fatal.

Though effective preventative medications have been available for dogs for years, more than ⅓ of dogs in our area are not being protected. Many of them are harboring the heartworm parasite. Coyotes, foxes, sea lions and other wild animals can also carry the disease. Mosquitoes spread it from infected dogs or wildlife to other pets, including cats, and occasionally to people as well.

Heartworm preventatives for cats come in chewable, good tasting tablets your cat should like, or in forms that are applied to the skin and absorbed into the blood circulation from there. The price is quite reasonable, and these medications also help prevent roundworms and hookworms - common intestinal parasites - as well. In addition, some products also work against fleas, ticks, ear mites and other external parasites.

Cats are exposed to lots of other diseases, so you need to decide on a total health care package for any cat, especially one that goes outside. Make sure heartworm prevention is part of that package. Cats going outdoors should be protected against fleas and intestinal parasites as part of a regular health care program as well. If you have a cat who is special to you, protect him or her against heartworms disease. It could save a life! Ask your veterinarian which medication is right for your cat.

 

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