As a veterinarian here in the mid-Atlantic region, I know when springtime has sprung because everyone starts calling for heartworm preventative. Why is having your dog on heartworm preventative so important? Why do dogs need to be tested before starting preventative? What are the differences in the products available for heartworm? This article should provide you with all of the basic information you need to keep your dog safe and heartworm-free.
Heartworms, Dirofilaria immitis, belong to the same class of worms as roundworms. In fact, they look a bit like roundworms. Heartworms spend their adult life in the right side of the heart and the large blood vessels connecting the heart to the lungs. Heartworms are found most commonly in dogs. There have also been reports of heartworm disease in cats, ferrets, California sea lions, foxes, and wolves. Heartworms have rarely been found in people.
It Begins With a Tiny Mosquito
Heartworms are transmitted by a mosquito. When an infected mosquito bites another animal, very tiny larvae (also called microfilariae) enter the animal’s skin. The larvae grow for about 3 months and then they migrate to the heart where they mature into adults. Some adult heartworms can be as long as 14 inches. The entire life cycle of a heartworm is about 6-7 months in dogs.
Why is using heartworm preventative so important? In many cases, heartworm treatment is very intensive and can be high risk. If your dog gets heartworm disease, they can become very sick. In severe cases, heartworm disease will cause your dog to get right sided heart failure. Other symptoms of heartworm disease include a cough, loss of appetite, weight loss, fluid accumulation in the abdomen (ascites), and even death. Because heartworm disease can cause severe illness and because diagnosis/treatment can be very expensive, it is much more practical and safe to prevent heartworm.
A Blood Test is Needed to Identify Antigens.
Why is testing for heartworm so important? Blood tests are available to help identify antigens (small protein and carbohydrate components) of heartworms in the bloodstream. There are different varieties of this test. One of the most common types is called an ELISA test. Some test kits run one sample at a time and can be done right in your veterinarian’s office. Others are designed to test multiple samples in large batches. This batch-type of test is generally performed by outside laboratories to which your veterinarian sends your dog’s blood. Since heartworm disease may not cause any symptoms at all, having a test done at your veterinarian’s can identify the problem before it gets too severe. If your dog has not been on heartworm prevention, or has been off of prevention for more than a month, testing is important. This is because dogs with heartworm disease can actually have a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction if they are given many types of preventatives. The frequency of heartworm testing depends on how prevalent mosquitoes are and how long mosquito season lasts in your area. The American Heartworm Society (AHS) recommends yearly heartworm testing. Your veterinarian can help you to determine how frequently to test your pet.
Healthy and Heartworm-Free!
The best way to keep your pet safe is to have them on a good heartworm preventative. There are many types of preventatives on the market. It is important to understand that preventatives DO NOT kill adult worms. Preventative products should be used year-round, even in areas where mosquitoes only occur seasonally. Even if doses are accidentally skipped, preventative products are still beneficial. If given consistently over a 12-month period, it’s possible to actually stop worms from developing into adults. Also, monthly heartworm preventatives have activity against intestinal parasites, which can be transmitted from pets to people and vice versa (zoonosis). So, these preventatives protect pets and people too!
Heartworm disease can potentially cause life-threatening problems. Having your dog on a good heartworm preventative and protecting them from mosquitoes is the best way to keep them and you safe.
What about my cat?
Cats Can Get Heartworm, Too.
Although heartworm disease is more common in dogs, it does also affect cats – and is 100% preventable. You should speak with your veterinarian regarding his/her recommendations on how to best protect your cat.
URL for American Heartworm Society: http://www.heartwormsociety.org/
[...] Why is Heartworm Prevention Important? | It's a Pet's Life | PetFoodDirect.com [...]
thank! for this news it’s a good infomation !
Really good sharing this.
Thank you..really informative!!
It’s always pleasure to read your site, will back here soon
Thank you! Please keep checking in with us for more interesting and useful information.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for reading. Please keep checking back in with us.
Good article Thank you so much
This is my first visit to your blog. We are starting a new initiative in the same niche as this blog. Your blog provided us with important information to work on. You have done a admirable job.
This is my first time i visit here. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! keep up the good work.
The blog was absolutely fantastic! Lots of great information and inspiration, both of which we all need!
It does seem that everybody is into this kind of stuff lately. Don’t really understand it though, but thanks for trying to explain it. Appreciate you shedding light into this matter. Keep it up
I totally go along you! I have often felt that way but nobody really would like to take it as seriously as we do apparently. Excellent blog anyway, I am going to have to stop by more frequently.
I would like to thank you for the endeavors you have made in publishing this article. I am trusting the same best work from you in the future as well. In fact your fanciful writing abilities has inspired me to start my own blog now. Genuinely the blogging is spreading its wings rapidly. Your write up is a fine example of it.Thanks again for sharing this free online
Thx for the wonderful write-up, I have emailed the link to my brother, totally sure he will become a subscriber soon as well.wty1d8
I have to say, every time I come to http://www.petfooddirect.com there is another remarkable article to read. A friend of mine was talking to me about this topic several weeks ago. I think I will send them the link here and see what they say.
Only want to say your article is as tonishing. The lucidity in your post is simply spectacular and i can take for granted you are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your rss feed to keep up to date with succeeding post. Thanks a million and please keep up the good work.
Congratulations for the exciting post! I really enjoyed reading it, you are a excellent author. I will make sure to bookmark your blog and come back quite soonto your blog. Keep up your excellent work, have a nice daytime!
good share, great article, very usefull for us…thanks!
Super-Duper site! I am loving it!! Will come back again – taking you feeds also, Thanks.
Enjoyed reading
the report – most informative thanks
I just wanted to say your website is one of the nicely laid out, most inspirational I have come across in quite a while. Thx!
Thank you for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbour were preparing to do some research about that. We got a very good book on that matter from our local library and most books where not as influensive as your details. I am incredibly glad to find out such info which I was checking for a long time.This made us incredibly glad!
Interesting…and I agree in the most part. Keep up the great work…I will definitely be back soon
I have to state, you chose your words well. The ideas you wrote on your encounters are well placed. This is an incredible blog!
Thank you! Please keep checking in with us!
Thanks For This Blog, was added to my bookmarks.
Very informative post. Thanks for taking the time to share your view with us.
great share, great article, very usefull for me…thank you
I find the topic really informative as well as interesting. But, it would help a great deal if you have some more images for this post.
Thanks for the feedback!
been visiting ur website for several days. really love your posts. btw i am doing report regarding this issue. do you happen to know any other good sites or maybe forums where I might get more information? many thanks.
I thought it was going to be some boring old post, but it really compensated for my time. I will post a link to this page on my blog. I am sure my visitors will find that very useful.
I am glad you found this helpful. Please keep checking in with us!
Hey guys, nice to be here! I love http://www.petfooddirect.com!