Feline Asthma and Feline Heartworm Disease

Distinquishing Between Heartworm Infection and Asthma in Cats

Jun 7, 2009

Feline asthma and heartworm disease in cats produce very similar respiratory symptoms. It is difficult to distinguish between the two diseases, but treatment is similar.

Though there are many different causes of respiratory disease in cats, feline heartworm disease and feline asthma are two of the most common. Only within the past few years has the veterinary profession as a whole discovered that heartworm disease is cats is common and it is thought that many cats previously diagnosed with feline asthma might actually be cats suffering from feline heartworm disease instead.

Symptoms of Feline Asthma

Cats with asthma may present with symptoms ranging from mild to life-threatening. Common symptoms seen are:

Symptoms of Feline Heartworm Disease

Feline heartworm disease can cause a variety of symptoms in infected cats. Heartworm-associated respiratory disease, or HARD, is the most commonly seen form of heartworm disease in cats. HARD occurs when the immature heartworms invade the lungs and commonly seen symptoms are:

Other symptoms which may be seen with feline heartworm disease are vomiting and sudden death.

Differentiating Between Feline Asthma and Feline Heartworm Disease

Differentiating between feline asthma and feline heartworm disease may be quite difficult and, in many cases, may not be possible. Basic testing often recommended for cats presenting with respiratory symptoms may include:

Though specific testing for heartworm antigen and antibody can provide valuable information, these tests are not without pitfalls. False negatives are frequent and negative tests do not rule out heartworm disease in symptomatic cats.

Radiographs may provide important clues as to the cause of feline respiratory symptoms, but there can be overlap between what is expected radiographically in feline asthma and feline heartworm disease. Therefore, radiographs are not always accurate to determine the specific cause of respiratory symptoms in cats, though they may show abnormal changes within the lung fields.

Ultrasonography can provide a definitive diagnosis of feline heartworm disease if an adult heartworm is seen within the heart, but negative findings do not rule out heartworm disease as a cause of respiratory symptoms. Many cats suffer from HARD, which can occur before the heartworms mature and are present in the heart.

Treatment of Feline Asthma and Feline Heartworm Disease

Feline asthma and feline heartworm disease (particularly the HARD form of heartworm disease) often cannot be differentiated from one another diagnostically. Fortunately, treatment for feline heartworm disease and feline asthma is essentially the same.

No specific therapies exist to cure either feline heartworm disease or feline asthma. Drugs used in treating canine heartworm disease are too dangerous to use in cats.

Corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment for both feline asthma and feline heartworm disease. Corticosteroids are used to decrease the inflammation present in the lungs of cats with both heartworm disease and asthma. Corticosteroids may be given in an oral form, often prednisone or prednisolone. Alternatively, corticosteroids such as Flovent ® (fluticasone) may be administered with an inhaler.

Other medications frequently used in treating respiratory symptoms in cats caused by heartworms or asthma are bronchodilators, such as albuterol or terbutaline. As with corticosteroids, bronchodilators may be administered orally or with an inhaler.

Feline Heartworm Disease is Easily Preventable

One of the primary differences between these two diseases is the fact that feline heartworm disease is easily prevented, whereas feline asthma is not.

Numerous medications exist to help prevent feline heartworm disease and these medications are extremely effective if used according to label directions. Commonly used feline heartworm preventive medications include Heartgard Plus Feline ®, Revolution for Cats ® and Advantage Multi for Cats ®.

The copyright of the article Feline Asthma and Feline Heartworm Disease in Pet Diseases is owned by Lorie Huston. Permission to republish Feline Asthma and Feline Heartworm Disease in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.