Heartworm is a revolting parasite that lives in the heart and great vessels of infected animals. The adult worms can be as long as 30cm and as wide as 2cm! And you can imagine that just one of those would be a bad idea, never mind several at once.
So how does a pet get Heartworm?
The immature heartworms (microfilariae) circulate in the blood stream of an infected animal. When a mosquito feeds on that animal, it sucks up the infected blood and so becomes infected. The microfilariae then develop into larvae in the mosquito. When the mosquito feeds on another animal, it injects some of those larvae along with its saliva to stop the blood from clotting and so infects another animal. These larvae then mature into adults in the heart and great vessels where they feed and reproduce.
What do Heartworms do to a pet?
Clearly having heartworms in the heart and other big vessels is not a good idea since it affects the functioning of the heart and leads to heart failure. However, heartworms also cause an immune response which causes inflammation, clotting and bleeding in the lungs. Individual pets can have variations in their immune response so each case of heartworm disease is also potentially varied in its presentation.
What are some of the clinical signs?
Heartworm disease is usually a slow, progressive disease that initially doesn’t have any clinical signs but gradually leads to very serious illness.
- Persistant cough
- Exercise intolerance
- Loss of condition
- Listlessness and weakness
- Abnormal heart and lung sounds
- Swollen Abdomen
- Difficulty breathing
- Death
Which pets does Heartworm affect?
Dogs are more susceptible but when cats are affected it’s usually very serious. There have also been cases of ferrets being affected.
Where is heartworm found in Australia?
Heartworm is found all over mainland Australia and can occur all year-round in Brisbane since temperatures very very rarely get cold enough to kill the mosquitoes which transmit the infection.
How is heartworm prevented?
There are a variety of products varying from monthly chews or top-spots to yearly injections. Please discuss this with your vet to find a programme that works best for you. Dogs are usually started on prevention from 12 weeks old and must be kept on prevention lifelong.
If your pet has missed a treatment or two, it may be necessary to do a heartworm test before starting on prevention again since using a preventative in an already infected pet can have some serious side effects. Please discuss this with your vet.
Can infected animals be treated?
Yes, infected animals can be treated but it is very expensive and can sometimes have serious complications. Prevention is definitely better than cure in this scenario!
If you need further advice on heartworm prevention, are concerned your pet may have skipped a treatment or two, or think your pet may be affected by heartworm disease, please give us a call on 0481 527 678 or email us to make an appointment.