April is more than rainy showers. It’s also Heartworm Awareness Month, which is celebrated each April to raise awareness about this dangerous disease before mosquito season sets in.
The good news is that heartworm disease–although potentially fatal for our furry friends–is also a treatable condition. Read on for everything you need to know about heartworm in dogs and cats, symptoms and treatment, and how to protect your pets from this serious disease.
Heartworm 101<!—->
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What is Heartworm Disease?
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Heartworm disease is a dangerous condition affecting pets across the United States. The condition is named for a parasitic worm that burrows through the heart, lungs, and bloodstream of an infected animal. Heartworm disease can be fatal if left untreated.
Who Is At Risk For Heartworm Disease?
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According to the American Heartworm Society, heartworm disease can affect wolves, coyotes, foxes, sea lions, and rarely humans, but it’s more commonly found in dogs, cats, and ferrets.
Where Do Pets Catch Heartworm Disease?
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Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitos, making heartworm disease particularly prevalent in warm, marshy climates where mosquitos thrive. Heartworm can be found in all 50 states, but it’s most common in the South. According to the American Heartworm Society, rates of heartworm infection are highest in Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Alabama.
Common Symptoms & Signs
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Heartworm disease is a progressive illness, so pets may not show many (or any) symptoms when they’re first infected. But as heartworm progresses, symptoms will grow more pronounced, resulting in cardiovascular collapse, or caval syndrome, and eventually death if left untreated. Learn more about symptoms of heartworm disease.
Signs of heartworm disease in dogs
Mild persistent cough
Reluctance to exercise
Fatigue
Decreased appetite
Weight loss
Swollen belly
Labored breathing
Pale gums
Dark, bloody, or coffee-colored urine
Signs of heartworm disease in cats
Coughing
Asthma-like attacks
Periodic vomiting
Lack of appetite
Weight loss
Difficulty walking, fainting, or seizures
Swollen belly
Sudden collapse
Prevention & Treatment
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Heartworm is curable, but treatment is most effective when heartworm disease is diagnosed early, which sadly isn’t always the case. That’s why prevention is always the safest form of treatment. Plus, preventative medicine is also much cheaper than heartworm treatment, making heartworm prevention a win-win all around.
How Can I Protect My Pet From Heartworm Disease?
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Vets recommend that dogs and cats should be screened every year for heartworm disease and take a preventive heartworm treatment year-round, even if it doesn’t seem like mosquitos are biting.
How Can I Save Shelter Dogs With Heartworm Disease?
Photo: Greater Good Charities
One of the most heartbreaking things about heartworm disease is that some needy animals are also at the highest risk. Take, for example, shelter pets in Louisiana, which leads the country by way of heartworm infection, but where crowded shelters are often forced to euthanize heartworm-positive animals.
Photo: Greater Good Charities
This heartbreaking dilemma inspired Greater Good Charities’ Save a Heart flights, which transport at-risk shelter pets from Louisiana–where they face a slim chance of survival–to East Coast shelters where they can receive life-saving treatment. When they’re healthy again, our shelter partners also help them get adopted.
Photo: Greater Good Charities
Since the program began in April 2021, we’ve already flown 1600 at-risk shelter dogs (including more than 500 heartworm-positive shelter pets) to safety, treatment, and adoption. Please make a donation to help us stop heartworm-positive shelter dogs from being euthanized over this treatable disease.
How are you celebrating Heartworm Awareness Month? Let us know in the comments!
