BE AWARE OF HEARTWORM DISEASE IN DOGS AND CATS

Heartworm disease in dogs and cats can be fatal. Know the signs, symptoms, and prevention tips to protect your pet from heartworms.

  1. What is heartworm disease?

Heartworm disease is a severe and potentially fatal condition in dogs and cats caused by long thread-like worms (heartworms) that reside in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. This leads to serious lung disease, heart failure, and damage to other organs.

Heartworm in dogs

Dogs are the natural host for heartworms, meaning the worms mature, reproduce, and produce offspring within the dog. Heartworm disease causes long-term damage to the heart, lungs, and arteries.

Heartworm in cats

Heartworms reside in the heart and pulmonary arteries of cats. The disease is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Once transmitted, the worms migrate throughout the body for about six months before settling in the circulatory system. Unlike other types of worms in cats, heartworms are only transmitted via infected mosquito bites—not through direct transmission between cats or other animals.

While preventable and treatable, heartworm disease in cats can still result in death if not promptly diagnosed and treated.

  1. Signs of heartworm disease in dogs
  • Chronic coughing, fatigue, restlessness, reluctance to exercise, weight loss, and lethargy.
  • Difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, or coughing up blood.
  • Rapid heartbeat, abnormal heart sounds, fainting, enlarged liver, fluid accumulation in the abdomen, and potential kidney failure.

 

  1. Signs of heartworm disease in cats

Symptoms may include:

  • Coughing, asthma-like attacks, periodic vomiting, loss of appetite, or weight loss.
  • Difficulty walking, fainting, seizures, or fluid accumulation in the abdomen.
  • In some cases, heartworm disease can cause sudden death in cats.

 

  1. What should you know about heartworm testing?

Heartworm testing requires a small blood sample from your pet to detect the presence of heartworm proteins. If your pet tests positive, additional tests may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis and guide treatment.

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