Heartworms in cats - not your typical disease

My days as a veterinary technician are long behind me. So long behind me that new developments and technologies in veterinary medicine amaze me. The world of veterinary care is really keeping up with the overall world of medicine, for any living, breathing creature, furry-and four-legged or not.

Back in the day, back when I was the chief tech at a local animal hospital -- loving my job cause it meant helping a lot of pets get better, get vaccinated, get adopted, even...one of the 'new' problems we were dealing with was heartworms. In dogs.

I do not remember ever treating a cat for heartworms. But, lo and behold, cats get heartworm disease, too! Dr. Larry (over at S&S) told me so, and this article in the pet health library outlines it very well. Some additional research online confirmed the fact that we cat owners need not only be aware of this, but we need to be pro-active in treating it. That means bringing the subject up at our cat's regular vet visit.

Here are some details from an article out of the Marshall News Messenger, "...heartworm infection takes place when a mosquito carrying microscopic-size heartworm larvae bites a cat. The larvae enter through the bite wound where they develop in the tissues." The article states that this disease is different in cats, than in dogs.  That might be surprising to some pet parents. It's easy to think your cat and your dog are pretty much the same - you love them the same, and they return that love, and they're both mammals, etc, etc. Truth is, cats and dogs are very different. Their medical care is different, as is their diet. Don't treat the two the same - ask your vet if have ANY questions about ANY illnesses; but, especially about heartworm disease because it's that time of the year when this killer can cause your cat or dog (and you!) a lot of trouble and heartache!

According to the heartworm disease content here, diagnosis in cats is done by blood tests (which may not be diffinitive) and physical examination, along with microfilaria tests and even x-rays.

I'm tuned in now. I hope you are, too. Let's keep our kitties safe by making sure we bring this topic up at the vet's office, on our yearly visit, but certainly during mosquito season. Some symptoms are: weight loss, lethargy, and vomiting. Those are pretty generic - but if they appear during these hot summer months, a visit to the vet is surely a good idea. Ruling out heartworm should be a #1 priority.

Anyone out there experienced this? How did it work out?