VETERINARY HOSPITAL WINDSOR - HEARTWORM DISEASE SYMPTOMS

WHAT SYMPTOMS WILL BE SEEN IN HEARTWORM DISEASE? Due to lengthy life cycle it may take months to show any illness signs from the date when pet was bitten by mosquito. Mild cases may go unnoticed or may not show any symptoms. Signs are seen when the disease is well advanced. Severity of illness depends upon number of worms or severity of infection, stage of life cycle, host resistance to infection, stress of high blood flow associated with exercise and size of pet. Smaller pets with few worms can show serious illness. Problems can be severe in athletic or energetic pets even with low worm burden. Advanced symptoms include coughing, lethargy, difficulty breathing, weight loss, loss of appetite and fluid accumulation in abdominal cavity. In cats respiratory failure can occur with a single mature worm. Cats can show sporadic vomiting not associated with eating and asthma like symptoms. In some cases pet may not show any signs but sub clinical problem can decrease their quality of life. RIVARD ANIMAL HOSPITAL 5635 Tecumseh Road East Windsor ON N8T 1C8 519-974-7387 www.rivardanimalhospital.com