This disease affects dogs and cats and occurs when an infected mosquito bites your dog or cat. The mosquito passes larvae that then mature into adult male and female worms. In dogs, these live inside their major blood vessels in the lungs and the heart. In cats, they live inside the lungs. It takes approximately 6–7 months for the worms to mature. The adult worms cause damage to the blood vessels and lungs that can lead to severe lung disease, heart failure, and sudden death.

The heartworm test is a simple blood test that detects a protein produced by adult female heartworms. This protein is released by the adult female heartworm into the blood stream of the infected animal. This test is most accurate in dogs; testing cats is more difficult and requires a combination of heat treating samples and an antibody test in addition to the test for dogs.

All heartworm preventive products are highly efficacious when given according to their label directions.
We recommend either Simparica Trio or Proheart for dogs. For cats, we recommend Revolution Plus.

Since it takes only one bite from an infected mosquito, your pet is at risk for infection any time mosquitoes are around. Even a short visit outside by your dog is enough time for a mosquito to bite. Mosquitoes can be brought into the home when you open/close doors and windows and some types of mosquitoes prefer to live indoors as well. The risk is real regardless of wherever your pet spends his time. Heartworm disease has been diagnosed in pets living primarily outside and primarily inside. In one study comparing cats and dogs, the prevalence (number of cats and dogs testing positive) was nearly equal.

Absolutely! All monthly heartworm preventive products work by affecting the larval stages that have been picked up from a mosquito bite in the last 30 days. They are “backwards facing,” not “forward facing.” The juvenile and adult life stages of the heartworm are not affected by preventive products. This means the products will not work if the heartworm has had enough time to mature. Therefore, it’s important to dose your pet every 30 days with his heartworm preventive. If you have concerns about remembering doses, we recommend Proheart injections for dogs. Unfortunately, there is no comparable option for cats at this time.

No heartworm preventive — and no medication period — is 100% effective in preventing heartworm disease. Adult heartworms in the lungs and heart cause damage to major blood vessels, which can lead to severe lung disease and heart failure. The earlier this disease is detected, the earlier your veterinarian can start treatment. Testing your dog each year should be a part of every dog’s preventive wellness check-up.

All it takes is one bite by an infected mosquito to infect your pet with heartworms. Prevention is better, and less expensive, than treatment for heartworm disease. Remember, many heartworm preventive products also treat and/or control other parasites in your pets as well.

A full course of heartworm treatment and care can run 1400–2400 dollars for dogs. There is no treatment for cats. A year’s supply of a generic heartworm preventative from our online pharmacy can be as low as 100 dollars.

Heartworm disease is a potentially deadly disease. It is becoming a bigger issue – it’s increasingly common in our area and diagnosed in pets in this area nearly every week.

Prevention is better and safer than treatment for dogs. Irreversible damage occurs as soon as immature heartworms enter your pet’s heart and lungs. Treatment requires intensive care, restrictions on activity and exercise, and a lot of follow up. Complications can occur during treatment, some of which can be severe.

There is no treatment for cats.

Initially, in dogs with heartworm disease, there are no visible signs at all. In early stages of the disease, your dog may not have any outward signs of infection. The progression and severity of heartworm disease depend upon several factors, including how many adult heartworms the dog has, as well as how active the infected dog is. As the disease worsens, respiratory and heart-related issues can develop, including coughing, fatigue, and difficulty breathing.

For cats, the symptoms can be a bit harder to diagnose. Cats may have a cough, may lose weight, or they may even suddenly die without any previous symptoms.

Heartworm preventive products all work by affecting the same tissue stages —the immature worms — of the heartworm after your pet is bitten by an infected mosquito. Older heartworm life stages are not affected by the preventive products. Therefore, it is important to dose your pet with his prevention before the heartworms are able to mature to these older stages and to keep to a strict schedule of dosing every 30 days. Giving your pet his heartworm prevention on the same date each month will affect the tissue stages he may have accumulated since his last heartworm preventive dose.