Heartworm Disease Awareness: A Deep Dive into Prevention and Treatment

Heartworm disease is a real and present threat to California pets, but one that is seemingly invisible. That is, until it affects your family.

Understanding what heartworm disease is and how we can help to protect our pets is an important part of good pet wellness care. MarketPlace Veterinary Hospital is honored to help educate our readers on this topic. 

Understanding Heartworm Disease

So what is a heartworm anyways? Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite called Dirofilaria immitis, which stays true to its name by growing into a large worm that makes its home in the heart and pulmonary arteries of its host.

Heartworms primarily affect canine species like our dogs, but cats are also known to become infected by these relentless parasites.

Heartworm larvae are transmitted when a mosquito bites an infected host (another dog or even wild canids like coyotes) then bites a new dog. Over time these larvae grow into adult worms that can reach up to 14 inches in length and clog circulation and stimulate inflammation.

It takes about 6 months after infection for us to be able to detect the presence of heartworms in our patients. 

Heartworms are definitely more prevalent in certain areas of the country. In California, for example, we do need to be aware of their presence. 

Signs of Trouble in Our Pet Patients

Heartworm disease is one of those difficult diagnoses that are not very recognizable until the infection is more advanced.

Initially most dogs (and cats) don’t exhibit any symptoms at all. Over time, though, infected pets may exhibit signs including:

• Coughing
• Tiring more quickly
• Heavier breathing/panting
• Fluid build up in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden death (especially in cats)

Not all pets exhibit clear symptoms of the disease until the late stages. Early detection of heartworm disease relies on us being able to look for evidence of infection on routine blood screenings. 

The sooner that we know a pet has been affected, the more effective heartworm treatment can be. In dogs, we are able to treat adult heartworms with a series of injections that slowly kill the parasites. While this treatment is long, expensive, and painful for the pet, it is usually effective in early disease. Unfortunately for our kitty friends, there is no safe treatment. 

Protecting Your Pet

Thankfully, when it comes to heartworm disease in dogs and cats, we have better options than ever to protect our pets. 

Heartworm preventions are medications that are used to kill heartworms while they are still in the larval state, before they take up residence in the heart. There are many options on the market that are quite safe and, when utilized appropriately, are upwards of 98% effective. 

For dogs, current options include:

• Monthly chewables
• Monthly tablets
• Monthly topicals
• Monthly chewables that also cover for fleas and ticks
• Injectable (done every 6 or 12 months)

Cats also have monthly oral and topical options to protect them. 

When it comes to heartworm disease in our pet patients, being aware of the condition and providing your pet with consistent prevention is the best approach. 

It is also important that your furry friend receive periodic screening tests as recommended so that if, by chance, they have become infected we can act as quickly as possible.

Contact us if you have questions about heartworm disease in pets, or if you need help getting started on your prevention journey. We are glad to help.