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Feline heartworms: A hidden, deadly threat

By Dr. Sara Lash

Most cat owners don’t worry about heartworm disease, and fewer still use any sort of heartworm preventative. But as veterinary scientists continue to discover, feline heartworm disease has become a severe threat to our cat companions.

Sara Lash

Recent studies have shown that 26 percent of cats have signs of heartworm infection at some point in their lives, and 10 percent have actual adult worms. Yet only about 5 percent of cat owners use any sort of heartworm preventative for their cats. Like dogs, cats acquire the parasite from mosquitoes, but that’s where any similarity ends.

Cats are abnormal hosts to heartworms, and these heartworms will live shortened lives. You might think that this is a good thing, but heartworms actually can cause more serious and severe disease than they do in dogs. It is not unusual for a dog to live for years with 50 worms in his heart. But a cat with a single heartworm can die suddenly, often with no apparent clinical signs whatsoever. In addition, your inside-only kitty is just as susceptible as the outdoor tomcat.

Upon infecting a cat, the heartworm larva will travel to the blood vessels of the heart and lungs, where it will grow to be about two inches long. At this time, cats may exhibit respiratory symptoms that are often misdiagnosed as bronchitis or asthma.

As the heartworms get older, symptoms will often diminish. In fact, evidence suggests that the live heartworms actually suppress the cat’s immune function, and the cat appears to tolerate the infection. But when these older worms start dying, massive inflammation can occur, leading to acute lung injury and even sudden death. Your cat can literally die within an hour.

So what signs should you look for to keep your cat safe? Cats with heartworms may exhibit difficulty breathing, coughing or vomiting. Because this disease can cause such a terrible outcome in a short period of time, your veterinarian should immediately examine any cat exhibiting these signs. Tests are available to screen for heartworm disease; but again, unlike dogs, testing cats is complex and confusing. To make matters even worse, there is no approved way of treating adult heartworms in cats. So prevention is really the key.

On that note, there is good news. Heartworm preventatives are available for cats and are as easy to give as the medications designed for dogs. These preventatives are available in both oral and topical formulations, and your veterinarian can help you choose the right one for your pet. Your veterinarian can also help you make sense of heartworm testing options for your cat.

Preventing heartworm disease in cats is only one step in helping our feline friends live long and healthy lives. Twice yearly physical exams, blood tests and appropriate vaccinations can all do their part to ensure your cat’s health.

Dr. Sara Lash is a Garner-based veterinarian who runs the Healthy Pets Mobile Vet.

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