Heartworm & Asthma in Cats

Heartworm symptoms are sometimes misdiagnosed as asthma in cats, according to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). You can protect cats against heartworms by taking preventative measures.

  1. Differentiation

    • Asthma is a respiratory disease that causes symptoms such as coughing and wheezing in cats. Heartworm disease, as it is called, affects cats' respiratory system.

    Signs

    • Cats with heartworm disease exhibit much more serious symptoms than cats that have asthma alone. They may not only cough, but vomit, convulse and even go blind.

    Cause

    • Cats get heartworms from mosquitoes that have bitten other infected animals. Heartworm larvae are carried by mosquitoes and develop about two weeks after the insect is infected, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Once a cat is bitten by an infected mosquito, heartworm larvae go to the lungs, where they block the arteries and cause severe inflammation, resulting in symptoms similar to asthma, according to the AAHA.

    Warning

    • Even cats that are tested for heartworms can be misdiagnosed with asthma due to false test results. Undetected heartworm disease in felines can result in death after a few years.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Cats should be given preventative treatments and anti-inflammatory drugs to recover, per a veterinarian's prescription. Prevent heartworms by treating all indoor cats with preventative medication.