• Swiss court grants Roman Polanski bail
• Donny Osmond dances to victory on "Stars" finale
• Adam Lambert makes a splash, but risks losing fans

go

• Thanksgiving
• Claws or Declaw - Now That's the Question
• The Cat Caught the Flu

Heartworms - a Problem for Both Dogs and Cats It is so easy for a pet to become infected with heartworms, and so simple to prevent. Speaking of Pets
June 27, 2009 by Mindy Norton Recently a new cat owner told me her veterinarian recommended testing her pet for heartworms and then putting it on a preventative.

The owner thought maybe the vet was pulling her leg. After all, she thought, heartworms are a dog problem, not a cat problem.

Unfortunately, that's just not so.

Cats can get heartworms; and as with dogs, it can be fatal to our feline friends as well.

The method of transmission is the same for both dogs and cats.

A mosquito bites an infected animal, then bites a healthy animal, transmitting the microscopic heartworm larva.

As the larva begin to develop into worms, they enter the bloodstream where they continue to grow, interfering with the animal's circulatory system.

In dogs, heartworms can grow up to a foot long and live about five years.

In cats they tend to be smaller, maybe six inches or so, and live for only a couple of years.

In addition, an infected dog may have thirty heartworms or more, while an infected cat may have only a handful.

The difference with cats is that their heart and blood vessels are much smaller, so those few worms can cause major problems.

In fact, just one or two heartworms could kill a cat.

One advantage for dogs is that heartworm infection can be treated.

Not so with cats – there is no prescribed treatment that is considered safe and effective for feline heartworms.

Complicating the issue is that it's more difficult to diagnose heartworm infection in cats.

Experts think that may be one reason for the lower reported incidence of heartworms in cats as compared to dogs.

The good news is that heartworms are completely preventable for both dogs and cats.

You can choose between a chewable product or one that is applied topically, but you must have a prescription.

Talk to your veterinarian about having your pet tested for heartworms first, because administering the preventative to a pet that's already infected could be fatal for the animal.

Whether your pet stays inside all the time or spends time outdoors, once again a little prevention can help to keep your best friend healthy, when you're speaking of pets.