The heartworm disease is a threat to millions of dogs and cats in the U.S. is not, experts say
According to a press release November 17, the American Heartworm (AHS) recently released new guidelines for the diagnosis, prevention and management of heartworm infection in dogs and cats. Although a cat's immune system is more resistant to infection and heartworm disease of dogs, the worms that requires much less in a cat because of serious health problems. This is cold comfort for owners of cats, however, when looking at the actual statistics. The AHE said that 61-90 percent of non-medicated cats exposed to heartworm larvae become infected, but almost 100 percent of dogs exposed to infected unmedicated. According to an article published in the online magazine "Dog Owner's Guide," Heartworms are parasites that initially infect the right side of an animal's heart through a vein. Once found mainly in southern climates, the heartworm disease is now a concern of pet owners nationwide. the heartworm disease was discovered in dogs over a hundred years, was first documented in cats in the 1920's. It has since been found in wolves, coyotes, foxes and other animals. Heartworms go through several life stages before developing into adults. The mosquito serves as the bearer of an infected animal to another is not infected. The mosquito ingests heartworm larva when it bites an infected dog or other animal and deposit the larvae in an infected host. When the new host larva emerges as an adult, traveling through a vein into the right side of the heart of his host and reproduces over time. In one dog, an adult parasite may reach 14 inches long, live and breed in a dog or cat heart and pulmonary arteries. In heavily infected animals, numerous worms grow and fill the heart chamber. Tom Nelson, DVM and President of AHS, said that heartworm prevention and new treatment guidelines recommend that pet owners have their dogs and cats a year for heartworm testing and use a heartworm year-round preventive treatment. individual veterinarians may have different views on the need for annual testing if an animal is in a prevention plan throughout the year, however.In cats, less than six heartworms can cause serious problems because the heart of a cat blood vessels are so small. An infected cat eventually develops respiratory distress, chronic cough or vomiting. In a dog, says the AHS, it usually takes 25 to 50 worms to cause such serious problems. However, death from heartworm disease can be sudden in both dogs and AHS cats.The and most veterinarians say heartworm disease can be virtually eliminated in domestic animals if pet owners implement a preventive treatment plan throughout the year. drug heartworm prevention, which can only be obtained through a veterinarian, working with the annihilation of the last stage larvae deposited by mosquitoes.Sources: Press release, "1-800-PetMeds warns that more than 118 million U.S. pets are susceptible to heartworm disease, "http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/11/prweb569630.htmArticle; http://www.canismajor.com/dog/hartworm.html
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