HEARTWORM

WHY GUARD AGAINST DISEASE?
Protecting your dog or cat from heartworm infection is critical because the disease caused by this parasite is usually fatal without diagnosis. Expensive treatment may not reverse some of the damage already caused by the heartworm

WHAT ARE HEARTWORMS?
Heartworms are large parasites (up to 30cm long in dogs) that live in the heart and blood vessels of the lungs of dogs and cats. They are spread between infected dogs and cats by mosquitoes.

ARE ALL DOGS AND CATS AT RISK?
Heartworm infection is now found throughout mainland Australia, in both dogs and cats. While cats are less susceptible to infection than dogs, they are nevertheless at risk. Infection in cats is difficult to treat and they often do not recover fully. Heartworm infection is not confined to areas where mosquitoes are in high concentrations. It only takes one infected pet moving into a new area to introduce the infective larvae. Puppies and kittens can be bitten by mosquitoes from soon after birth, so the heartworm preventative you use from the recommended age of 6 weeks, should control infections acquired earlier.

WHY IS HEARTWORM DISEASE SO DANGEROUS?
Heartworm living in the heart and blood vessels of the lungs, interfere with circulation and damage tissues, eventually causing heart failure if left untreated, this can result in the death of your pet. Importantly, in the early stages of infection no symptoms are evident. Once symptoms are observed the disease will be well advanced. The first signs may include persistent coughing, laboured breathing, lethargy (laziness), rapid tiring during exercise and a swollen abdomen.

HOW IS HEARTWORM INFECTION DIAGNOSED?
Your veterinarian can test for heartworm infection using a small blood sample. This should be done periodically to ensure that your preventative program is effective. Ask your veterinarian for their advise.

HOW CAN HEARTWORM DISEASE BE PREVENTED?
Fortunately, prevention of heartworm infection is straight-forward. The best preventatives are given once a month, either as a tablet or a meaty chewable treat that your pets will actually enjoy eating, even your cat!

The chewable tablets can also provide control of roundworms and hookworms, the most significant intestinal parasites of dogs and cats. Because your pets will enjoy eating the meaty chewable treats, you can be sure that it is protected and because it is available only from your vet, you know it will be 100%effective. Daily pills for dog must be given every day and even then they are no more than 90% effective. Unlike monthly preventatives, if daily tablets are missed for 2-3 days, infection can occur. For these reasons monthly preventatives are clearly the best.

HOW DO I REMEMBER TO GIVE MONTHLY TREATMENT?
Your monthly preventative tablets or chewable come with a supply of handy reminder stickers for your calendar, so you know when you gave the last dose and when the next one is due heartworm life cycle:

Larvae from infected mosquito enter dog. Larvae develop within tissues.
Approximately four months later young adult worms are present in the heart and pulmonary arteries.
Worms mature and reproduce.
At six months microfilaria may be found in the blood.
Mosquito ingests microfilaria with blood meal from infected dog.
Microfilaria develop into infective larvae with in the mosquito

DO ALL "WORMERS" PREVENT HEARTWORM?
No, not all wormers prevent heartworm so please check with your veterinarian that you are using a heartworm preventative product.

WHEN SHOULD HEARTWORM PREVENTION START?
Ideally from 6 weeks of age ,at or about the time of first vaccination. Use of a monthly chewable preventative for the rest of your pets life will ensure that it is 100% protected against heartworm infection and disease.

WHY ARE PUPPIES AND KITTENS GIVEN A DOSE THEY "ARE GOING TO GROW INTO"?
Your puppy or kitten is going to grow rapidly during its first 6 months. Since most monthly preventative packs contains 6 treatments, your pet must be prescribed a dose suitable for the weight it will be 6 months later. monthly preventatives have a very high safety margin so there is no risk to your pet.

DO YOUR CATS AND DOGS NEED HEARTWORM PREVENTION IN WINTER?
It is difficult to predict just when transmission seasons for heartworm will begin and end. It is also easy to forget to resume a prevention program. therefore it is safest and easiest to use a year round, monthly heartworm preventative program prescribed by your veterinarian. Using monthly chewable year round can also control hookworm and roundworm.

WHAT IF WE MISS A MONTHLY DOSE?
Fortunately if you overlook your pets monthly preventative for up to 2 weeks after the scheduled date, the effectiveness of your preventative program will not be affected if you resume the monthly program straight away. If treatment is missed for a longer period, consult your veterinarian.

Heartworm disease, which is spread by mosquitoes, has long been recognised as a dangerous threat to dogs. Wherever dogs are at risk from heartworm disease, cats are at risk ,too. Unfortunately, the disease is difficult to diagnose in cats and dangerous. It can kill cats as well as dogs every cat exposed to mosquitoes may be at risk.

WHAT ARE HEARTWORMS?
Heartworms are parasitic roundworms up to 24cm long that live in the right side of the heart and adjacent blood vessels. They survive on nutrients in the cats bloodstream.

HOW CAN FELINE HEARTWORM DISEASE HARM MY CAT?
Even a few adult worms in the heart can block the blood flow and cause damage to the heart, lungs and liver. Heartworms can also move to the cats brain and spinal cord. The damage to internal organs can be so extensive that death can result. As few as two heartworm can kill a cat - often with no warning.

HOW DO MOSQUITOES SPREAD FELINE HEARTWORM DISEASE?

Beginning when a mosquito bites an infected animal and picks up immature heartworms from its blood.
Within two to three weeks, the immature heartworms develop into infective larvae inside the mosquito.
When the mosquito feeds again, it transmits the infective larvae into the healthy cat.
The larvae penetrate the skin and develop within the tissues.
The young worms then migrate to the heart.
Once inside the cats heart, the worm mature and cause damage and even death.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF FELINE HEARTWORM DISEASE?
Unfortunately, feline heartworm disease may cause much of its damage before there are any outward signs of infection. Even a cat that appears healthy can die suddenly from feline heartworm disease and may show one of the following signs:

Persistent cough
Vomiting
General listlessness
Troubled breathing
Fatigue
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WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR FELINE HEARTWORM DISEASE?
There is no approved treatment for feline heartworm disease.

HOW DO I PROTECT MY CAT AGAINST FELINE HEARTWORM DISEASE?
Talk to your veterinarian about the once-a-month chewable heartworm preventative made exclusively for cats.

THE SOLUTION IS PREVENTION