Why Heartworm Prevention and Treatment Is Important
Is your pet up-to-date on heartworm prevention? Heartworm preventatives protect your pet from heartworms. If your pet does happen to develop symptoms of a heartworm infestation, prompt treatment could help your furry friend live longer and more comfortably.
What Is Heartworm Disease?
Heartworm disease can permanently damage your pet's heart, lungs, arteries, and organs. Heartworms are spread by mosquitos that bite infested animals. The mosquito's bite transfers heartworm larvae into pets. From there, the larvae grow into adult worms. Once larvae enter your pet's body, they grow into adult worms in about six months.
Heartworms vary in length and look like limp pieces of spaghetti. Male worms grow to 5 or 6 inches in length, while females may be as long as 10 to 12 inches, according to Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center. Although dogs most often suffer from heartworm infestations, cats and ferrets can be affected too.
Why Should I Protect My Pet?
A single bite from a mosquito transfers multiple larvae into your pet. The average dog with heartworm disease has about 15 adult heartworms, although it's possible for dogs to have hundreds of worms, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
Heartworms don't usually reach adulthood in cats, but can still cause serious health problems. As few as two or three heartworms can seriously affect your cat's health, while one or two heartworms can jeopardize your ferret's health.
Heartworm is present in all 50 states, although the disease is more prevalent in states near the Mississippi Delta, including Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Texas, and Louisiana, according to the American Heartworm Society.
Heartworm causes several problems for your pet, including:
- Inflammation. Inflammation occurs as worms bounce back and forth in your pet's pulmonary arteries. The arteries carry blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. As the blood enters the lungs, oxygen is added, while carbon dioxide is removed. Inflammation eventually damages and narrows the lining of the arteries and may cause them to become stiff and scarred. As a result, the heart and lungs must work much harder.
- Blockages. Heartworms clump together in arteries and may interfere with blood flow. Blockages may also affect the function of the triscuspid valve in the heart, according to DVM360.
- Congestive Heart Failure. Some pets may develop congestive heart failure as a result of a heartworm infestation.
- Breathing Issues. Pets affected by heartworm disease may struggle to breathe, cough, and become tired quickly.
- Weight Loss. A heartworm infection may deprive your pet of important nutrients. Pets that have heartworm disease may lose weight or seem disinterested in eating.
- Death. Heartworms can severely damage your pet's heart, lungs, and arteries and could cause collapse and death. Unfortunately, heartworm signs can be difficult for pet owners to spot and may be confused with other ailments. Pets in the early stages of the disease may show no signs or symptoms.
Preventing and Treating Heartworm
Preventing heartworm can be as simple as putting a topical preventative medication on your pet's fur, giving it a chewable tablet, or visiting the veterinarian for a shot. Injectable heartworm medication offers six months of protection, while oral or topical methods must be used every month for complete protection. Preventative medication kills larvae, but not adult worms. If your pet has never used preventatives before, your veterinarian will require a heartworm test before recommending a medication.
Veterinarians treat heartworms in dogs with medication that kills immature and fully grown worms. Surgery may be needed if your dog has many heartworms. During heartworm treatment, your pet must rest and limit its activity. Anti-inflammatories and antibiotics may be prescribed to reduce inflammation and prevent bacterial infections. The entire treatment process lasts several months.
Cats and ferrets can't tolerate the medication that kills heartworms. Their symptoms are treated with antibiotics, heart medication, and anti-inflammatory medication.
Pets that have severe damage due to heartworm may need to take heart medication for the rest of their lives.
Is your pet protected against heartworm? We can help you choose the best heartworm preventative for your furry friend. Contact our office to schedule an appointment.
Sources:
Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center: Heartworm Disease
DVM360: Pictorial Evidence: Heartworm Disease and Its Damage, 4/20/2015
https://www.dvm360.com/view/pictorial-evidence-heartworm-disease-and-its-damage
American Heartworm Society: Heartworm Basics
https://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources/heartworm-basics
American Veterinary Medical Association: Heartworm Disease
https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/heartworm-disease
U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Keep the Worms Out of Your Pet’s Heart! The Facts about Heartworm Disease
American Heartworm Society: American Heartworm Society New American Heartworm Society Heartworm Incidence Map Reveal Upward Trend in Heartworm Cases, 4/11/2023
https://d3ft8sckhnqim2.cloudfront.net/images/HW_survey_news_release.pdf?1681234747