Expert: Julia Booth - 12/6/2008

Question
I'm a hunter and today i shot a partridge(ruffled Grouse)and while cleaning it i noticed what appeared to be a heart worm in the body cavity alongside the heart.I have never seen this before.Is it common and is this bird still safe to eat.

Answer
It was my understanding that the typical host for a heartworm was a dog, and then possibly cats, foxes, coyotes or other mammals. I have never heard of a bird hosting a heartworm. But I have no idea if it's impossible or not. That being said, if your grouse really does have heartworm, I wouldn't eat it. The heartworm is a parasite that lives inside the animal, usually from birth, and grows inside its pulmonary artery. The problem is the young they produce and cast into the animal's bloodstream, during the course of its life. The entire animal is affected -or infected, as it were.

If you want a second opinion, call a local vet.

Hope this helps,

Julia