True or False: Cats are immune to Heartworm disease

Answer: False

While more common in dogs, outdoor and indoor cats can also get the life-threatening disease called heartworm. 

Heartworm disease is spread through the bite of a mosquito carrying immature heartworm larvae (microfilariae). Larvae travel to the heart and pulmonary arteries where they develop into adult heartworms. Because the cat is an atypical host, most worms don’t survive to adulthood, so cats often have less than six adult heartworms. However, immature worms can still wreak havoc on your cat’s heart and lungs leading to heartworm-associated respiratory disease.

Signs of heartworm disease in cats can be subtle or dramatic, and unfortunately, the first signs, like a sudden collapse, can be impossible to predict. While there are no specific clinical signs, some symptoms may include sudden onset of coughing, rapid breathing, weight loss or vomiting. Treatment is complicated, as there are no drug treatments approved for cats, and the condition can lead to premature death, so year-round prevention is the best medicine when it comes to heartworm disease! 

Talk to your veterinarian about which heartworm preventive is right for your cat. >>