Feline Heartworms
Is heartworm only a dog disease?
What if heartworm larva doesn't develop?
Is heartworm only a dog disease?
Heartworm disease is not just a canine disease. Heartworm does affect cats differently than it does in dogs. In dogs the worm lives in the heart where it matures and lays eggs. Conversely in cats the immature worm travels to the lungs and causes an inflammation. This can lead to respiratory distress and death.
It only takes one mosquito to infect a cat, and because mosquitoes can get indoors, both indoor and outdoor cats are at risk and should receive feline heartworm prevention. In a study done in North Carolina, 28 percent of indoor cats tested positive for heartworm.
The name heartworm disease is a misnomer in cats, as it mostly affects the lungs and not just the heart. Signs are often masked or mistaken for feline asthma, allergies or other respiratory diseases.
What if heartworm larva doesn't develop?
your cat does not need an adult heartworm to exhibit clinical signs; in fact the larva is the main cause of problems. Studies show that fifty percent of cats infected with heartworm larva have significant disease of the small arteries supplying blood to the lungs.
Diagnosis is difficult as negative antigen and antibody tests do not rule out heartworm disease. Positive tests, however, are significant.