Heartworm Prevention

Many are familiar with the heart model at the vet with spaghetti like worms sticking out of it.  At Upper Arlington Veterinary Hospital and Northstar Animal Care, we strive not only to provide progressive treatment options and preventative medicine but also the education you need to make the best decision for your pet.

We recommend heartworm prevention for both dogs and cats.  If our feline friend gets bit by an infected mosquito, their immune system typically stops heartworms from reaching adulthood*.  An inflammatory reaction occurs when larvae die however, causing symptoms and radiographic changes that mimic asthma or allergic bronchitis.  For larvae that do develop into adults, acute death of the cat is commonly seen.  A recent study revealed 25% of heartworm positive cats studied were indoor only cats. Annual heartworm testing is not indicated for cats, since in-clinic tests only detect adult worms*.  

We also recommend prevention year round.  Climate changes make it difficult to depend on parasitic “freeze outs”… remember the 60 degree days in January?  Monthly heartworm preventatives also protect your pet from intestinal parasites, some of which can survive 8 months to a year in the soil and some that are transmissible to humans.  Heartworm disease exists in every state across the nation.  If contracted, it reaps havoc on your pet’s cardiac and respiratory health or causes death.  There is no specific heartworm treatment or clear test for cats, and canine treatments are painful, costly and sometimes unsuccessful.  Contact us at our Upper Arlington Clinic at 614.841.8014 or our Northstar location in Grandview at 614.488.4121.  We can offer canine heartworm test results in 10 minutes and the right preventative product to fit your pet’s needs!

PS. Three heartworm positive dogs were diagnosed at Northstar in 2007, and two dogs diagnosed at Upper Arlington just this May!

P.S. Go to www.natvetlab.com for complete and emerging information about Bartonella. This is home to the National Veterinary Laboratory, which Northstar uses for all Bartonella testing.