{"id":1030,"date":"2012-08-30T19:02:08","date_gmt":"2012-08-30T19:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.net\/blog\/?p=1030"},"modified":"2012-08-30T19:02:08","modified_gmt":"2012-08-30T19:02:08","slug":"a-single-heartworm-can-be-fatal-in-cats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2012\/08\/a-single-heartworm-can-be-fatal-in-cats\/","title":{"rendered":"A single heartworm can be fatal in cats"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Veterinarian John Kaya reminds owners that cats are susceptible to heartworm disease and should be on a monthly prevention medication because even a single adult worm can lead to the untimely death of a cat. Dr. Kaya relates the story of 4-year-old Chisai, a cat who died of heart failure caused by one heartworm that had become wrapped around a heart valve.<\/strong> MidWeek (Kaneohe, Hawaii)\/MidWeek Kauai<\/a> (8\/29)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feline Heartworm Can Be Fatal<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

By Dr. John Kaya<\/a> on Aug 29, 2012 in Lifestyle<\/a>, The Wild Side<\/a><\/div>\n

This story is about Fumiko and her beloved cat Chisai, and their story must be told.<\/p>\n

It was a brisk morning in December, and I arrived at the office early to check on a hospital patient. Walking through our parking lot, I noticed a car parked with someone sitting inside.<\/p>\n

As I peered in I noticed Fumiko clutching a towel in her lap. I could tell she was distraught, and asked if she would like to come in to the office.<\/p>\n

Once inside, I noticed a limp tail peeking through the towel folds and ushered Fumiko into an exam room.<\/p>\n

Fumiko complied and gently laid the towel with its contents onto the exam table. With tears in her eyes, she tried to tell me what happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Kaya, I woke up this morning and found Chisai lying under the dining room table.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her voice cracked as tears came rolling down her face.<\/p>\n

\u201cI called out to my little girl but she did not move. She just laid there.\u201d<\/p>\n

At this point Fumiko began sobbing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s OK,\u201d I told her, \u201clet me take a look.\u201d<\/p>\n

As I opened the towel, I saw Fumiko\u2019s cat lying peacefully, as if asleep. Reaching down, I held Chisai\u2019s cold body and found no pulse.<\/p>\n

Fumiko looked at me as I slowly shook my head.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at my baby \u2026 Chisai\u2026\u201d cried Fumiko. She then leaned over and cradled Chisai in her arms.<\/p>\n

After a few minutes we talked about the events prior to this morning. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Chisai was a happy, healthy 4-year-old indoor cat. I asked Fumiko if I could perform a necropsy to determine the reason for Chisai\u2019s mysterious death.<\/p>\n

Culturally, Fumiko had a difficult time making a decision, but in the end consented to the postmortem exam.<\/p>\n

Carefully looking through Chisai\u2019s organs, I eventually found the reason for her death. A single heartworm was wrapped around one of her heart valves, which led to heart failure. Although sudden and unexpected, Chisai died quickly and with very little suffering.<\/p>\n

Heartworm disease is more commonly thought of as a disease afflicting dogs.<\/p>\n

The worms are transmitted by mosquitos and can live up to eight years. These worms take up residence in the heart and can grow up to 12 inches in length.<\/p>\n

Single worm infections are tolerated by the dog, but can be deadly in cats.<\/p>\n

In a cat, their presence can lead to lung and kidney damage as well as sudden death, as in Chisai\u2019s case.<\/p>\n

Like dogs, cats should be given a monthly heart-worm preventive.<\/p>\n

I called Fumiko and shared my findings with her. Although saddened by her loss, she appreciated knowing why Chisai died.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe Chisai\u2019s story can save the lives of other cats,\u201d whispered Fumiko.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure it will.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Veterinarian John Kaya reminds owners that cats are susceptible to heartworm disease and should be on a monthly prevention medication because even a single adult worm can lead to the untimely death of a cat. Dr. Kaya relates the story of 4-year-old Chisai, a cat who died of heart failure caused by one heartworm that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cats","category-medical-issues"],"yoast_head":"\nA single heartworm can be fatal in cats | The Animal Health Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2012\/08\/a-single-heartworm-can-be-fatal-in-cats\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A single heartworm can be fatal in cats | The Animal Health Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Veterinarian John Kaya reminds owners that cats are susceptible to heartworm disease and should be on a monthly prevention medication because even a single adult worm can lead to the untimely death of a cat. 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