Current Feline Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) Infection in Cats Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors: Printed with an Education Grant from IDEXX Laboratories. Photomicrographs courtesy of Bayer HealthCare. © 2014 American Heartworm Society | PO Box 8266 | Wilmington, DE 19803-8266 | E-mail:
[email protected] Current Feline Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) Infection in Cats (revised October 2014) CONTENTS Click on the links below to navigate to each section. Preamble .................................................................................................................................................................. 2 EPIDEMIOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Figure 1. Urban heat island profile. BIOLOGY OF FELINE HEARTWORM INFECTION .................................................................................................. 3 Figure 2. The heartworm life cycle. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF FELINE HEARTWORM DISEASE ................................................................................... 5 Figure 3. Microscopic lesions of HARD in the small pulmonary arterioles. Figure 4. Microscopic lesions of HARD in the alveoli. PHYSICAL DIAGNOSIS ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Clinical