This is why heartworm protection is important for *all* dogs and cats.
[[warning, there are some pics of animal hearts in this post.]]
Though treatable in dogs, heartworms cause lasting damage to multiple organs. And they are not treatable in cats. So it is very important to keep your pets on prevention, whether or not they ever set foot outside.
That's a dog's heart. You can see the severity of the heartworm infection with just a glance. Luckily, regular testing and early treatment can keep your dog's heart from reaching this stage should he become infected. But again, prevention is ideal.
The difference between a canine and feline heartworm infection is pretty striking. You'd think just one worm wouldn't be that big of a deal. But because cats' and dogs' bodies respond so differently to these parasites, just one worm in a cat can be a huge problem.
I used to treat just my dogs, thinking that my cats were safe because they never went out. But once I discovered that 25% of infected cats were kept inside, I changed my mind. Sure, it's a pretty low percentage, so my cats' chances of staying heartworm free were pretty good. But if I could increase those chances to a near certainty just by giving some meds once a month? Heck yeah, I'm gonna do that.
While I think it's important, obviously you get to decide for yourself how you feel about the odds. But either way, it's crucial to be informed.
