The Loveliest Village

For many people, Cats and dogs have become more than just a pet; they have become a part of the family. Many people would be devastated if something were to happen to their beloved pet. With developments in the veterinary world, researchers are discovering ways to fight disease and prolong these animals’ lives.
At Auburn University, two professors in veterinary medicine have made a significant discovery regarding cats and heartworms. Before this discovery, it was believed that heartworms only harm dogs, but this information has been proven false.
Ray Dillon and Byron Blagburn have been studying the connection between cats and heartworms. They proved that immature heartworms in cats cause long-lasting lung disease. Dillon serves as the Jack O. Rash Chair of Medicine at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Blagburn is a parasitologist and a professor at Auburn University
Cats and dogs can become infected with heartworms if they are bitten by a mosquito carrying the heartworm. In dogs, the heartworms infect their hearts. With cats, the heartworms die a few months after entering the animal’s body. Then, the heartworms break up into the cat’s lungs. This allows the disease to create tissue damage, lesions and extreme swelling in the cat’s lungs. After this happens, cats may begin to experience asthma-like symptoms. These include coughing, wheezing and having trouble breathing. This problem could remain with a cat for the rest of its life.
In the WireEagle article Blagburn said, “Heartworms are very difficult to diagnose in cats and we hope to add new information to help veterinarians spot the disease. Prevention is the best, because there is no cure yet, other than treating the symptoms.�
Dillon has assumed that heartworms could be the cause for cats’ lung disease for 20 years. He did a study of more than 200 cats that had symptoms of lung disease and discovered indications that added to his suspicion. He discovered that outside cats had heartworms just as frequently as cats kept inside. In a study he preformed at Harvard University, he also found that cats had cells in their lungs that controlled swelling, but humans and dogs do not.
Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has funded other studies to help prolong animal’s lives.
“There is no better example of how beneficial research can be than this study. Research was conducted and now the findings are being applied back in the clinics,� said Blagburn in a WireEagle article.
With advances in veterinary medicine like this one at Auburn University, people may have longer to spend with their furry little members of the family.

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