Heartworms have been reported in all 50 states. They have been found here in Western Washington and they can effect indoor-only pets. For these reasons, we recommend heartworm prevention for all dogs and cats.
What do you need to know about heartworms?
Heartworm is transmitted by mosquito bites. When a heartworm infected mosquito bites a dog that is not on heartworm prevention that dog has a 100% chance of getting heartworm, similarly cats not on heartworm prevention will get some form of heartworm about 70% of the time.
Heartworms range in length from 6 to 12 inches in length and swim in the pulmonary artery.
Heartworms do not spend their whole life in the heart, and they cause a great deal of inflammation and damage by their presence; also they inhibit the normal flow of blood, especially for dogs.
By the time a dog or cat has signs of heartworm disease it can often be too late to help them survive. For cats the first sign of heartworm infection can sometimes be sudden death.
Some of the clinical signs in cats are vomiting, coughing, asthma, and sudden death. Any of these signs, as well as overt signs of heart disease, indicate a need for testing.
Testing requires only a small amount of blood and should be done prior to starting heartworm prevention and then every two to three years, as long as heartworm prevention is consistently given.
Prevention is the Best Medicine
We recommend testing your adult dog or cat for heartworm disease. Pending results we then recommend starting a heartworm preventative.
If your puppy came from a heartworm endemic part of the country, we recommend testing your puppy for heartworm, and then using heartworm prevention.
We recommend using preventative medication every month. There are a variety of good-quality and effective products available; ask your veterinarian which is right for you and your pet.
More Information
American Heartworm Society - This page contains a wealth of information about symptoms, prevention, treatment, the life cycle of heartworms and more. It also explains the difference between heartworm infection in cats versus dogs.
Companion Animal Parasite Council - basic information about heartworm in cats and dogs. This page also gives recommendations on how to prevent other parasites in your cat or dog.
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We recommend testing your adult dog or cat for heartworm disease. Pending results we then recommend starting a heartworm preventative.