Heartworm in Dogs and Cats
Heartworm in Dogs and CatsHeartworm is a serious, life-threatening disease of dogs and cats. Heartworm is also known as Dirofilaria Immitis. Mosquitoes transmit heartworm. Heartworm is not contagious, so animals can be housed with a heartworm positive dog with no risk. Heartworm is transmitted via an infected mosquito; a dog cannot get heartworm from being in the presence of a dog that does have it. Heartworm is a very serious condition where parasitic worms infest an animal’s heart. In cats, heartworm is generally deadly and there is no safe effective treatment for cats to date. If you have mosquitoes, heartworm is a possibility.
Remember, annual heartworm tests are important. There are several kinds of Heartworm tests performed on a blood sample. Cats are a different story; very few infected cats will have microfilariae present, and heartworm tests often produce false negatives in cats. Early detection is the reason annual heartworm tests are advised. Even animals on year-round preventative medication need yearly heartworm tests.
Heartworm is a frequent problem for pets; it might be a good idea to have your pet on preventative medication the entire year. The best defense against heartworm is the use of prophylactic treatment given regularly during the mosquito season. Heartworm is a serious and dangerous disease that can be prevented by giving your pet heartworm pills each month.