One of the most common diseases in dogs and cats in the Kansas City Metro is heartworm disease. In 2019 Overland Park topped the list of heartworm hotspots in the United States. While heartworm disease has been a problem mainly thought of in dogs, the data from Overland Park shows cats are equally as susceptible. The entire Kansas City area has seen heartworm problems in dogs and cats increase since 2016. Heartworm disease can be contracted from mosquitoes that results in a parasitic worm called Dirofilaria immitis that infects the animal. Heartworm disease can result in severe lung disease, heart failure, other organ damage, and death. Adult heartworms can grow in your pet to as much as 12 inches long.
There are some common misconceptions about heartworm disease (see graphic, click for full image):
As you can see, long term treatments can be stressful for the pet. Also, the only way of transmission of heartworm disease is through mosquitoes, so it is not transmissible from dog to dog, or pet to pet. Dogs as young as 7 months should start heartworm prevention treatment. You might not notice the symptoms of heartworm disease right away, making prevention treatments the only sure-fire way to keep your dog safe.
There is no present treatment for cats, however keeping your cat indoors will help prevent the risk. You should especially keep your cat indoors during popular times for mosquitoes to thrive, such as summer months, humid days, or when there is a lot of puddling due to rain. There are a number of treatments for cats once the heartworms are present, to prevent the heartworms from growing into adults. Whether you have a dog or cat, be wary of anyone offering natural heartworm prevention options. In many cases, these do not work, according to the American Heartworm Society.
There are safe options to prevent heartworms in your dogs. Long term prevention of heartworm disease in dogs is much more affordable than having to treat the dog for heartworms once the dog contracts heartworm disease. Heartworm prevention is a year long battle, and we recommend annual testing. At Quivira Road Animal Clinic, we help mitigate the stress in your dog by offering our 12 month injection. One shot will keep your dog safe for an entire year! Book an appointment today or contact us with your questions!
For more pet health news and advice like QRAC on Facebook!
