What is Heartworm?

Heartworm is actually a parasitic worm that lives and grows inside the vascular organs in many mammals, including cats, dogs, ferrets, coyotes, wolves, raccoons, and even sometimes humans. It grows to be about a foot long. As it grows, it can cause significant damage to these organs, such as kidney or liver damage, problems with the lungs, and even heart failure.

While many people believe that coyotes, raccoons, and foxes are the carriers of the disease, mosquitoes are actually a way that the condition is spread. When the mosquito bites an infected animal, microscopic heartworms, called microfilaria, are passed through the blood. When that mosquito bites your pet, it can effectively be given a heartworm.

Once the heartworm has been transmitted to your pet, it takes another six months for the heartworm to mature to sexual age, where it will begin to reproduce. Heartworms can live for around 5-7 years in a dog, and 2-3 years in a cat.

Pets that are infected are also carriers and can infect your other pets through contact with infected blood. Signs of Heartworm

The signs of heartworm in dogs and cats can vary by species and even in how each pet is infected. Some animals continue to be very active and not show any symptoms. Other dogs have difficulty even while resting. Heartworms can often affect the respiratory system, so coughing or fatigue with minimal activity is often an early sign. Decreased appetite, swelling, vomiting, and weight loss are other symptoms of the condition. If you notice any of these signs in your pet, it is important to schedule an appointment right away.

A new heartworm infection often causes no symptoms, though dogs in later stages of the disease may cough, become lethargic, lose their appetite or have difficulty breathing. Infected dogs may tire after mild exercise. Unlike most of the conditions listed here, which are passed by urine, faeces, and other body fluids, heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes. Therefore, diagnosis is made via a blood test and not a faecal exam.

LINK TO HEARTWORM VIDEO

https://youtu.be/oy8JwuCIXbY

https://youtu.be/_2nu1yDAPaM

Treating Heartworm

Of course, the first line of defence against heartworm is prevention. Trying to reduce the mosquito population in your area can help. This means eliminating standing and stagnant water around your property that is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. In addition, you can avoid having your animals outside at peak times for mosquito activity, put a repellent collar on your animals, or use repellent in your outdoor spaces.

It is important to note that heartworm medication is only available with a prescription from your veterinarian. The good news is that heartworms are completely preventable. There are numerous preventatives on the market, and a veterinarian can help you identify which options are right for your pet. For dogs, heartworm prevention should be part of a biannual routine. This means that every six months, they should receive a prescription from the vet for some type of treatment to prohibit them from being infected. Treatment options include chewable or swallowed medicine or injections that allow the medication to be put directly into the bloodstream.

Cats are a different story than dogs. Cats that are diagnosed with heartworm typically do not have any adult stage heartworm present in their system. In addition, while dogs can have hundreds of heartworms in their bodies, cats may only have 2 or 3 that have not reached the adult stage. Even though the number of heartworms is far less in cats than dogs, significant death and damage can still occur. Additionally, the same medication that is used in dogs cannot be used on cats. There is no current medication for cat heartworm. This means that prevention is the best course of action to protect your cat from becoming infected.

Each time you and your pet come in for a visit, we will review your pet’s individualised records and vaccine boosters will be given as needed. We look forward to your questions about disease and parasite prevention, so feel free to bring them to your pet’s wellness visit or call our office.

What happens if my dog tests positive for heartworms?

No one wants to hear that their dog has heartworm, but the good news is that most infected dogs can be successfully treated. The goal is to first stabilise your dog if he is showing signs of disease, then kill all adult and immature worms while keeping the side effects of treatment to a minimum.

Here’s what you should expect if your dog tests positive:

• Confirm the diagnosis. Once a dog tests positive on an antigen test, the diagnosis should be confirmed with an additional—and different—test. Because the treatment regimen for heartworm is both expensive and complex, your veterinarian will want to be absolutely sure that treatment is necessary.
• Restrict exercise. This requirement might be difficult to adhere to, especially if your dog is accustomed to being active. But your dog’s normal physical activities must be restricted as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed, because physical exertion increases the rate at which the heartworms cause damage in the heart and lungs. The more severe the symptoms, the less activity your dog should have.
•  Stabilize your dog’s disease. Before actual heartworm treatment can begin, your dog’s condition may need to be stabilized with appropriate therapy. In severe cases of heartworm disease, or when a dog has another serious condition, the process can take several months.
•  Administer treatment. Once your veterinarian has determined your dog is stable and ready for heartworm treatment, he or she will recommend a treatment protocol involving several steps. The American Heartworm Society has guidelines for developing this plan of attack. Dogs with no signs or mild signs of heartworm disease, such as cough or exercise intolerance, have a high success rate with treatment. More severe disease can also be successfully treated, but the possibility of complications is greater. The severity of heartworm disease does not always correlate with the severity of symptoms, and dogs with many worms may have few or no symptoms early in the course of the disease.
• Test (and prevent) for success. Approximately 9 months after treatment is completed, your veterinarian will perform a heartworm test to confirm that all heartworms have been eliminated. To avoid the possibility of your dog contracting heartworm disease again, you will want to administer heartworm prevention year-round for the rest of his life.

What if my cat tests positive for heartworms?

Like dogs, cats can be infected with heartworms. There are differences, however, in the nature of the disease and how it is diagnosed and managed. Because a cat is not an ideal host for heartworms, some infections resolve on their own, although these infections can leave cats with respiratory system damage. Heartworms in the circulatory system also affect the cat’s immune system and cause symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. Heartworms in cats may even migrate to other parts of the body, such as the brain, eye and spinal cord. Severe complications such as blood clots in the lungs and lung inflammation can result when the adult worms die in the cat’s body.

Here’s what to expect if your cat tests positive for heartworm:

• Diagnosis. While infected dogs may have 30 or more worms in their heart and lungs, cats usually have 6 or fewer—and may have just one or two. But while the severity of heartworm disease in dogs is related to the number of worm, in cats, just one or two worms can make a cat very ill. Diagnosis can be complicated, requiring a physical exam, an X-ray, a complete blood count and several kinds of blood test. An ultrasound may also be performed.
•  Treatment. Unfortunately, there is no approved drug therapy for heartworm infection in cats, and the drug used to treat infections in dogs is not safe for cats. Nevertheless, cats with heartworm disease can often be helped with good veterinary care. The goal is to stabilize your cat and determine a long-term management plan.
•  Monitor your cat. Heartworm-positive cats may experience spontaneous clearing of heartworms, but the damage they cause may be permanent. If your cat is not showing signs of respiratory distress, but worms have been detected in the lungs, chest X-rays every 6 to 12 months may be recommended. If mild symptoms are noted, small doses of prednisolone may be administered to help reduce inflammation.
•  Provide veterinary care. If the disease is severe, additional support may be necessary. Your veterinarian my recommend hospitalization in order to provide therapy, such as intravenous fluids, drugs to treat lung and heart symptoms, antibiotics, and general nursing care. In some cases, surgical removal of heartworms may be possible.
• Maintain prevention. A cat that has developed heartworm disease has demonstrated that it is susceptible to heartworm infection, and both outdoor and indoor cats are at risk. It’s important to give your cat monthly heartworm preventives, which are available in both spot-on and pill form. Preventives keep new infections from developing if an infected mosquito bites your cat again.

Parasite Prevention

Parasites pose a serious health threat to people and animals in the Sacramento area. Left untreated, parasites can threaten the life of your cat or dog, and in some cases can even be transmitted to other people or pets living in your household. Our parasite prevention products can help protect your dog or cat from the following common parasites:

Fleas

Fleas are external parasites that feed on the blood of birds and mammals.Fleas are small, wingless, brown, fast moving insects you can see in your pet’s fur. Some animals are allergic to the saliva of fleas, which can cause inflammation and more discomfort. If ingested while your pet is grooming themselves, fleas can transmit an intestinal parasite called tapeworm. Flea infestations can lead to anaemia and fleas are also capable of transmitting serious diseases.Left untreated, fleas can quickly spread throughout your household.

Ticks

These external parasites/members of the spider family that consume the blood of mammals and are responsible for the spread of a number of serious conditions in people and pets. They live in cracks and crevices in the home or outside in vegetation such as grassy meadows, woods, brush, and weeds. Some tick bites only cause mild irritation or swelling at the site, but other tick bites can infect your pet with serious illnesses. If left untreated, these diseases, such as lyme, can lead to more severe health problems or even be fatal.

Note: If you see a tick and cannot remove it, we will gladly help you. Call us immediately to limit the impact of the tick’s attachment. It’s much safer to have one of our trained professionals remove the tick for you. Make an appointment with us immediately to limit the impact of the tick.

Ear Mites

Tiny, highly contagious ear mites reside in the ear canals of dogs, cats and other mammals. These parasites reproduce continuously throughout their lifespan.

Heartworm

This thread-like parasitic roundworm is spread through mosquito bites and makes its home in the heart, lungs and blood vessels of infected animals.

Hookworm

These parasites live in the digestive tract of cats and dogs, where they feed on the pet’s blood. Hookworms can lead to anaemia and other serious conditions.

Roundworm

This parasitic worm lives in the intestine and feeds on partially digested intestinal contents. This parasite can rob your pet of vital nutrients necessary to stay healthy.

Tapeworm

Tapeworms are spread through the ingestion of infected fleas during grooming. These hook-like parasitic worms live and grow in your cat or dog’s intestines. 

Whipworm

Whipworms are spread through the ingestion of soil that has been in contact with an infected dog’s faeces. Whipworms pose a serious health risk to dogs.