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 for dogs and then every two to three years, as long as heartworm prevention is consistently given.
Heartworm Negative?
Western Washington now has heartworm. Broadway Veterinary Hospital is now recommending heartworm prevention for all dogs and cats in Western Washington. A heartworm test should be done on all dogs prior to starting heartworm preventative medications. This is important as heartworms are quickly becoming resistant to preventative medications and it is important not to expose reproductive adult worms to preventatives as their young are more likely to become resistant.
Washington State is a heartworm state meaning that some mosquito populations in western Washington have heartworm larvae that can be transmitted to your dog or cat. Western Washington currently has the same rate of heartworm infection as the upper New England States where pet owners regularly use heartworm prevention for their pets.
To see a map of incidence rates throughout the country, please visit http://www.heartwormsociety.org/download/incidencemap.jpg.
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. After the death of the pet they are found in the heart, yet they do not spend their whole life in the heart. They cause a great deal of inflammation and damage by their presence; also they inhibit the normal flow of blood especially for dogs. Dogs generally get 30 to 50 worms in a single infection; cats on the other hand will only have 1 to 3 worms at a time. 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.
At Broadway Veterinary Hospital we recommend Iverheart for the prevention of heartworm. This medication will additionally provide a very good general worming once a month for your pet. Iverheart is the least expensive generic heartworm preventative on the market with an excellent guarantee. Alternatively, there are other medications that can be scripted out to a pharmacy. Dogs and cats that live with children under the age of seven years, or with adults who are immunosuppressed should be on a once a month worming medication to protect humans from possible spread of animal parasites to people.ame
Prevention is the Best Medicine
If your puppy came from a heartworm endemic part of the country, we recommend testing your puppy for heartworm, and then using heartworm prevention.
If your puppy came from a heartworm endemic part of the country and is over six months of age, 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.
HEARTGARD is labeled for the prevention of heartworm disease. Heartworm disease is preventable with HEARTGARD, satisfaction guaranteed! All you have to do to protect your dog or cat from the threat of heartworm disease is to give HEARTGARD once a month and use as otherwise directed. To learn more about HEARTGARD click here.
HEARTGARD is well tolerated. In the clinical studies involving more than 3,000 doses of HEARTGARD for Cats, observations reported within 24 hours of treatment included vomition in <0.3% and diarrhea in <0.2% of the doses administered. There was no statistical difference between the HEARTGARD for Cats and the product vehicle (control) for these observations. For more information contact your veterinarian.
Heartgard (R) for Dogs:
HEARTGARD is labeled for the prevention of heartworm disease. Heartworm disease is preventable with HEARTGARD, satisfaction guaranteed! All you have to do to protect your dog or cat from the threat of heartworm disease is to give HEARTGARD once a month and use as otherwise directed. To learn more about HEARTGARD click here.
HEARTGARD is well tolerated. All dogs should be tested for heartworm infection before starting a preventive program. Following the use of HEARTGARD, digestive and neurological side effects have rarely been reported. For more information contact your veterinarian.
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ance of getting heartworm, similarly cats not on heartworm prevention will get some form of heartworm about 70% of the time.
