Heartworm Awareness Month: What Every Pet Owner Needs to Know

April is National Heartworm Awareness Month, a time dedicated to educating pet owners about the dangers of heartworm disease and the importance of prevention. While heartworms may be tiny, the damage they cause can be devastating. Fortunately, the right knowledge and preventive care will keep these dangerous parasites away and keep your fluffy sidekick adventuring and prancing around the backyard.   

What Is Heartworm Disease?

Heartworm disease is a serious, life-threatening condition caused by parasitic worms that live in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels of infected animals. It primarily affects dogs, but cats and other mammals can also contract the disease.

Heartworm is transmitted through mosquito bites. When a mosquito feeds on an infected animal, it picks up microscopic larvae from a parasitic roundworm species called dirofilaria immitis — commonly known as heartworms.  Mosquitoes can then pass these larvae to a healthy pet with their next bite. Since mosquitoes can easily get inside homes, even pets that stay indoors are at risk. Once an animal is infected, the heartworms will move through the bloodstream and begin to grow and multiply within the heart, lungs, and associated vessels of the animal.

How Heartworm Affects Dogs vs. Cats

Dogs: Natural Hosts for Heartworm

Dogs are the ideal environment for heartworms to mature and reproduce. If left untreated, a single dog can harbor hundreds of worms, leading to severe lung disease, heart failure, and damage to other organs. Symptoms often don’t appear until the disease is advanced, but common signs include:

Cats: Not Natural Hosts, but Still at Risk

While cats are atypical hosts for heartworms, they can still contract the disease, and even a small number of worms can cause serious health problems. Heartworm infection in cats is harder to diagnose, making prevention and regular vet checkups just as important as with dogs. Symptoms in cats include:

The Costly and Risky Reality of Heartworm Treatment

For dogs, heartworm treatment is long, expensive, and requires strict activity restriction. The medication used to kill adult worms can be hard on a dog’s body, and recovery may take months. In advanced cases, surgical removal of heartworms may be necessary.

Unfortunately, there is currently no approved drug treatment for heartworm disease in cats. Veterinarians can only provide supportive care to manage symptoms, and in severe cases, heartworm infection can be fatal.

Heartworm Prevention: The Best (and Easiest) Defense

The best news about heartworm disease is that it’s 100% preventable with regular veterinary care and preventative medication. Here’s what you can do: 

Missing doses of preventative medication can leave your pet vulnerable, so make sure to stick to a consistent schedule and plan reminders!

Protect Your Pet Year-Round

Heartworm disease is a serious but entirely preventable threat. By staying on top of annual testing and prevention, you can ensure your pet stays happy, healthy, and heartworm-free. Visit the American Heartworm Society for more resources and information to keep your pet safe.