Heartworm Information

This is a picture of a dogs heart infested with heart worms.

Heartworm Disease in Cats and Dogs
                            What you need to know.......

Although heartworm disease in dogs has been well known for decades, recent advances in research have helped us better understand this serious disease in cats too. Here are some things you should know about heartworm disease in both animals:

• Heartworms are carried by mosquitoes. If an infected mosquito bites your cat or dog, the heartworms enter the blood stream and travel to the heart and lungs where they can cause permanent damage.

• Even indoor cats and dogs can get heartworm disease. In fact, a recent study found that 55% of all animals that tested positive for heartworm infection lived strictly or mostly indoors

• Heartworm disease can cause sudden death in cats and dogs. Although many cats and dogs show no symptoms at all, heartworm disease can cause your cat to experience vomiting, coughing, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite and even sudden death.

• The best course of action is prevention! Treatment of heartworm disease in cats can be dangerous and even fatal. FDA approval of a heartworm preventive for cats and dogs now gives you the ability to protect your cats and dogs from this dread disease before treatment is necessary.
  

The following photos are of two dogs with advanced heartworm symptoms. You can see the engorged stomachs, wasted appearance, and sad looks on their faces. They were weak from the heartworms in their bloodstreams. One was cured and is doing quite well. The other, sadly, was never strong enough to undergo the necessary treatments. All of the following images are thumbnail images of the originals. To see the originals in their full size, simply click on the thumbnails.Then click your browers "back" button to return to this page.

Caval

Even if all the dogs in Lake and Kenosha Counties were on heartworm preventative,  the wildlife in our area still carry the parasite, as shown by this coyote heart.

Although rare, heartworm can affect humans through mosquito bites.  This X-Ray image of a person with heartworm was in a human medical journal.

This ultrasound image shows an actual heartworm in the right atrium of the heart. This dog was in advanced heart failure due to the worms, but was treated and is now doing fine.

The following X-Ray images show advanced changes to both heart and lungs to dogs with advanced heartworm disease. These dogs were coughing, and had breathing difficulty. They were given antibiotics for pneumonia in addition to diuretics to help them breath easier. They responded well to the treatment.

Here at Harbor Animal Hospital, we can guide you to the best possible program for your dog or cat to prevent heartworm disease. Just ask one of our doctors at your next visit, ask one of the assistants for more information, or call us at 847-746-1915. Whether your cat or dog spends its days inside or outside,  now is the time to prepare for your animals best protection against heartworm disease.