Heartworm Disease

Article submitted by Appanasha Pet Clinic.  Located in Appleton and Menasha.  For more information call 920-725-8307.

Below are common questions we get asked by pet owners about heartworm disease. Hopefully they help you understand why it's so important to put your dog(s) and cat(s) on preventative like Heartgard. Q-What is heartworm disease caused by? It's transmitted by mosquitoes that have bitten an already infected animal, and then pass the infection on to other animals when they bite them. Q-What are the symptoms of heartworm disease? Just one worm can cause coughing, breathing difficulties, vomiting, weight loss, and in some cases sudden death. Normally an infected dog becomes less active and tires easily. Q-Is there a way to prevent heartworm disease? How effective is it? Yes, there are many brands of preventative; most are a chewable treat that need to be given once a month. It's 100% effective as long as it's given on time and the animal swallows it and keeps it down. Your dog must be tested for heartworm disease before it starts preventative! Q-Is there a treatment for heartworm disease? Yes, but treatment can cause significant complications, even death. Treatment is also very expensive. Unfortunately, without treatment, prognosis is very poor. This is why prevention is so important. Q-Can my cat get heartworm disease even if it never goes outside? Yes, both outdoor and indoor cats are susceptible to heartworm disease so you should consider preventative for your cat. It only takes one mosquito to cause the disease and as we all know mosquitoes are inside as well as outside.