LePar Animal Hospital   

Many of us know that dogs need once a month heartworm preventative, but heartworm disease is a serious health risk for cats too!

The Truth About Cats & Dogs

Heartworm is transmitted to both dogs and cats through the bite of an infected mosquito. This means that if a mosquito can get into your home, your pet can potentially get heartworm disease - even if your kitty never goes outside!

Though both dogs and cats can be infected, the disease affects them differently:

In dogs it is primarily the adult stage that cause heart and lung damage while in cats, the majority of lung damage is caused by the larval stages and can result in chronic respiratory issues. Though the cat's immune system can fight the development of the heartworm to some degree, even the presence of a single adult heartworm can cause death in a cat.

Fortunately prevention of this deadly disease is easy with the safe heartworm preventative medications available today. These medications also provide your pet with protection against some of the most common intestinal parasites. While dogs do need an annual heartworm test, cats do not. not. The doctors at LePar Animal Hospital recommend year round heartworm prevention for dogs and prevention for cats from May to December. You can use your Pet Portal to check to see if  your dog is due for a heartworm test or to request heartworm preventative through our offce or our online store. Of course you can always call our office at 708-423-3200 with any questions or concerns.

For more in-depth information we recommed the American Heartworm Associations website, www.heartwormsociety.org, or their cat specific site, www.knowheartworms.org.