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Dogs are the most common host for heartworm disease, but cats can be infected as well and have totally different clinical signs. Cats get heartworm disease less than 20% of the rate in dogs, they have less numbers of adult worms and the worms have a shorter life span. The signs that most strongly suggest a suspicion for heartworm disease in cats include difficulty breathing, coughing and sudden death. Other signs seen in sudden onset illness with heartworm infection may be vomiting, salivation, heart rate abnormalities, fainting, abnormal mental state, wobbling, walking in circles, head tilt, blindness, seizures or diarrhea. Cats that have been infected for a period of time may have signs also seen in dogs with heartworm disease: decreased appetite, weight loss, lethargy, exercise intolerance, cough, difficulty breathing and heart failure.
The difficulty in diagnosing feline heartworm disease is that the available blood tests cannot always detect the presence of the low number of worms cats have in their hearts and blood vessels in the lungs. These tests often only detect female worms so the sex of the worms and their maturity level also affect the test results. The tests available are specific but not exceptionally sensitive. This means that if the test is positive, the cat has been infected, but if the test is negative, the cat still may have undetectable heartworms. Sometimes ultrasound can be used to visualize the worms in the heart for a more definitive diagnosis, but even this method is not always going to show the worms.
There are no good treatment options available for cats as there is for dogs. Studies using the arsenic compounds that have been approved for use in the dog happen to kill healthy cats let alone cats with heartworm disease. Cats with heartworm disease should be placed on a preventative and steroid therapy if there are respiratory signs.
Due to the inability to successfully treat this disease, prevention is extremely important.
In the Southeaster United States, heartworm disease is about as common, if not more so, than Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FELV and FIV). For this reason, heartworm prevention is highly recommended for all cats, both indoors and outdoors. A study published by our very own North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine stated that approximately 33% cats diagnosed there were housed solely indoors.
There are 3 brands of monthly heartworm prevention available for cats. Revolution is applied topically, and Heartgard and Interceptor are pills. Please schedule a consultation for more information on how to prevent your furry children from contracting heartworm disease.
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