Until recently, most people didn’t realize heartworm infection in cats was such a serious health issue that can pose potentially severe long-term health consequences.  New research reveals that contrary to common belief, cats are at greater risk from heartworms than many pet owners realize.

Pets get heartworm infection through the simple bite of an infected mosquito. Once an animal is bitten, immature heartworms are transmitted and the heartworm lifecycle begins.  The worms then develop into larvae and start their journey through the body, ultimately affecting the heart, blood vessels and lungs.

Because testing methods are inconclusive, it’s difficult to determine how common heartworm infection is in cats, but experts think that cases are severely under reported.  Most veterinarians would agree that if heartworm is affecting dogs, it’s also affecting cats in the area.

Cats are resistant hosts to heartworm infection and the cat’s own immune response will likely kill the migrating heartworm larvae before they develop into adults. However, the cat’s aggressive immune response can cause inflammatory reactions that result in damage to the lung tissues. This disease state is clinically recognized as Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease, or H.A.R.D.

Cats with H.A.R.D. generally show asthma-like signs or other similar respiratory ailments. The lung changes can be sub-clinical and therefore difficult to detect, but the bottom line is cats with H.A.R.D. can't breathe or function normally.

H.A.R.D. can be difficult to diagnose and expensive to treat, however, it is easy to prevent with a year-round parasite preventive medicine.

Dr. Kit Schmidt says "Using a year round heartworm preventative like Revolution will help keep your cat from getting this deadly disease.

UNDERSTANDING ZOONOTIC DISEASE

Pet owners may not be aware that parasites are more than just irritating to the pet, but they can also cause disease in the animal and even transmit diseases to people, called a zoonotic disease.  In fact, it is estimated that each year 3 to 6 million people are infected with Toxocara (roundworm), which causes a condition called larva migrans.[i]

In humans, roundworm infection may cause tissue damage (visceral larval migrans), affect the nerves or even lodge in the eye (ocular larval migrans). 

One type of hookworm can penetrate into deeper tissues and cause serious damage to the intestine and other organs.

Hookworm and roundworm (Toxocara) are prevalent intestinal parasites that can be transmitted to people through ingestion of infective eggs in the environment (such as eating contaminated foods), and by direct penetration of the skin (for hookworm only).  Although zoonotic diseases can affect anyone, ingestion of infective eggs is more likely to happen to children who encounter a contaminated outdoor area, get the sticky roundworm eggs on their clothes or toys, then their hands and eventually, in their mouth.

To reduce the risk of zoonotic disease transmission:

• Do not walk/allow children to walk barefoot where there is likely to be animal feces.
• Have kittens dewormed by your veterinarian at an early age.
• Keep play areas, lawns and gardens around your home free of animal waste.
  • Bag and dispose of pet feces
  • Cover sandboxes when not in use
• Keep your cat healthy and protected from hookworm and roundworm, and other harmful parasites, with a monthly preventive medicine. 

Because pets are susceptible to parasite infection and infestation any place at any time, pet owners are urged to use year-round parasite protection such as Revolution.

For more information on zoonotic disease, talk with your family physician and veterinarian.