Heartworm Disease in the Cat is Different from Heartworm Disease in the Dog 

• The cat is not a natural host for the heartworm, which means the migrating larval heartworm is not likely to complete its life cycle. The migrating worm uses molecular sign posts to tell it how to get to its host’s pulmonary arteries. The worm is prepared to read CANINE directions and may get lost in the feline body, ending up who knows where. Most of the larvae that actually make it to the pulmonary artery die soon afterwards due to the massive immune attack from the feline body. Very few larval heartworms survive to adulthood in cats.
  
  
• Whereas a moderate heartworm infection in a dog would involve 25 to 50 adult heartworms, infected cats typically have less than six adult worms. Because the feline heart and blood vessels are so small, these few worms can wreak havoc. In a dog, six worms or fewer might not be considered worth treating. In a cat, a single worm could easily represent a lethal infection.
  
  
• Whereas worms found in the canine heart can reach lengths up to 14 inches, the average length of worms found in feline hearts is only 5 to 8 inches long.
  
  
• While an adult heartworm can expect to live 5 years in a dog, it will only live 2 to 3 years in a cat, probably due to the cat's strong immune reaction.
  
  
• Heartworm disease in cats is caused by the inflammatory reaction generated by the worm’s presence.
  
  
• Heartworm disease is primarily a lung disease in cats, not a heart disease.
  
  
• Heartworm disease is preventable. A medicated tablet/chew is given orally once a month. Or, a topical medication is applied to the pet's neck once a month.


• Heartworm preventatives are inexpensive. The cost is $8.00 per month. Equal to the cost of a Big Mac Meal Supersized. 
  
     

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