Feline Heartworm – part 1
Posted in health
Although outdoor cats are at a greater risk of being infected with heartworm, both indoor and outdoor cats can become infected.
The average age is fours years – but cases have been reported from nine months to 17 years.
Cats usually have fewer and smaller worms than dogs and the life of the worm is shorter: two to three years verse five to seven in dogs. In addition the percentage of worms that develop into adult stage is 0-25% compared to dogs 40-90%.
Signs of Heartworm
It is very difficult to diagnosis infection by clinical signs alone. Many signs can be non-specific and can look like other diseases. “Signs associated the first stage of heartworm disease, when the heartworms enter a blood vessel and are carried to the pulmonary arteries, are often misdiagnosed as asthma or allergic bronchitis, when in fact they are actually due to a syndrome newly defined as Heartworm Associated R espiratory Disease (HARD).” (From the Heartworm Society)
Acute Signs:
- collapse
- dyspnea
- Convulsions
- diarrhea/vomiting
- blindness
- tachycardia
- syncope
- sudden death
Chronic Signs:
- coughing
- vomiting
- dyspnea
- lethargy
- anorexia
- weight loss
- chylothorax
