Heartworm In Cats Testing

The risk for infection with dirofilaria immitis in cats is the same as that in dogs yet cats are routinely overlooked in terms of annual testing and advising owners to use prevention.

Heartworm in cats testing. In a time where heartworm disease is on the rise in the u s why is there a reticence among cat owners and veterinarians to test annually for the disease and use preventives. Dogs usually have a higher adult worm burden than cats and unlike cats that frequently have a single sex infection dogs typically have a mixed sex infection. Antibody testing while not a panacea is more useful in screening cats than ag testing. Talk to your cat s veterinarian about testing.

Heartworm disease is caused by the filarial nematode dirofilaria immitis which has widespread dissemination. The heartworm antibody test determines if the cat s immune system has been exposed to heartworms. Heartworms in cats may even migrate to other parts of the body such as the brain eye and spinal cord. Here s what to expect if your cat tests positive for heartworm.

Immitis antigen in both dogs and cats antigen tests are designed to detect antigens of mature female heartworms. Severe complications such as blood clots in the lungs and lung inflammation can result when the adult worms die in the cat s body. It requires a combination of clinical and diagnostic testing as opposed to the single blood screening test seen in dogs. Of cats positive on an ab test 10 to 20 percent will have a mature infection.

The reason for these limitations stems from how heartworms develop within a cat s system. The diagnosis process of heartworms in cats is more complicated than it is in dogs. A positive test may indicate that an active infection is. Diagnosing cat heartworm disease.

Feline heartworm disease antigen evaluate all cats for feline heartworm disease by identifying heartworm antigen in feline serum plasma or anticoagulated whole blood. Here s the 411 for veterinary professionals on which tests to use and why including the best tests for cats. Heartworms in cats may even migrate to other parts of the body such as the brain eye and spinal cord. Severe complications such as blood clots in the lungs and lung inflammation can result when the adult worms die in the cat s body.

A positive result on a heartworm antibody test tells the veterinarian that a cat has or has had a hwi. Heartworm disease is accompanied by few if any clinical signs so proper diagnostic testing is a must. Several blood tests are used for heartworm diagnosis but the heartworm antibody test and the heartworm antigen test are proving to be most helpful in diagnosing heartworm disease in cats. Here s what to expect if your cat tests positive for heartworm.