Know the Danger Your Cat Faces

Did you know one mosquito bite can infect your cat with heartworm, a potentially deadly and quietly destructive disease? The American Heartworm Society (AHS) and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) are teaming up to get this message out to cat owners by addressing the five myths and misunderstandings about feline heartworm:

#1-Dogs vs. Cats
Heartworm disease is not just a dog disease. Heartworms affect cats differently than dogs, but the disease they cause is equally serious.

#2-Indoor vs. Outdoor Cats
It only takes one mosquito to infect a cat, and because mosquitoes can get indoors, both indoor and outdoor cats are at risk and should receive heartworm preventive medication. In a North Carolina study, 28 percent of the cats diagnosed were inside-only cats.

#3-It's a Heart Disease
The name "heartworm disease" is incorrect, as it mostly affects the lungs and not just the heart. Signs are often mistaken for asthma, allergic bronchitis or other respiratory diseases.

#4-Adult Heartworms vs. Larvae
Cats do not need an adult heartworm to exhibit clinical signs; in fact, larvae (baby heartworms) are a main cause of the problems. Studies show 50 percent of cats infected with heartworm larvae have significant disease of the small arteries supplying blood to the lungs.

#5-Diagnosis
Diagnosis is difficult as negative blood tests do not rule out heartworm disease. Positive tests, however, mean a problem.

Studies indicate that less than 5 percent of U.S. households with cats regularly administer heartworm prevention. In contrast, 59 percent of dog-owning households regularly use a heartworm prevention product.

James R. Richards, DVM, director of the Feline Health center at Cornell University and a past president of the AAFP, adds, "That's why it is important we be aware of the range of risks a cat can face and make sure they receive regular check-ups. As we're learning with heartworm, the dangers are much more significant than we'd previously thought."

Signs associated with feline heartworm infection can include: loss of appetite, blindness, collapse, convulsions, coughing, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, fainting, lethargy, rapid heart rate, vomiting, weight loss or sudden death.

"This is a very preventable disease," says Nelson.

By giving year-round preventive, the effectiveness is increased, and it's possible to actually stop most worms from developing into adults. Also, several of the monthly heartworm preventives have activity against some intestinal parasites, which infect 3 to 6 million people every year.

*Information courtesy of the American Heartworm Society, the American Association of Feline Practitioners and Pfizer Animal Health's KNOW Heartworms campaign. For additional information, visit www.knowheartworms.org.

Congratulations Tish and Jaclyn
We would like to say congratulations to Tish Owen and Jaclyn Lavy who just graduated from the veterinary technician program at Cedar Valley College. They have been following the Distance Education Curriculum on a full scholarship from Troy Animal Hospital while also working and training full-time at our hospital.

We are especially proud as Tish and Jaclyn are our first two graduates and licensed veterinary technicians who were fully trained here at Troy Animal Hospital.

We currently have five additional staff in the same full scholarship/work study program.