April is heartworm prevention month
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease that all pet owners should be aware of. The best way to protect your pets from heartworms is to work with your veterinarian to develop the best prevention plan for your pets.
Pets often don’t show any symptoms until the disease has progressed and thus regular testing and preventives are important. The American Heartworm Society recommends that you “think 12” (1) get your pet tested every 12 months for heartworm and (2) give your pet heartworm preventive 12 months a year.”
What are heartworms? Heartworms are long parasitic worms called Dirofilaria immitis that live in the heart and lungs causing extensive damage including lung disease, heart failure and failure to other body organs.
How is heartworm disease spread? Heartworm disease spreads via mosquitoes. When a dog is infected with heartworms, the female worms release their offspring, microfilarie, into the dogs blood stream. The mosquito bites the infected dog and becomes infected with the microfilarie that develop into mature larvae over the course of the next 10-14 days. Once the microfilarie have matured into the larvae they are then able to be transferred into the next dog’s blood stream via mosquito bite.
What are some signs of heartworm disease? Many pets will show few if any symptoms at the start of infection. As the infection persists and the worm burden grows symptoms will start to develop. Signs of heartworm infection can include cough, lethargy, lack of appetite, weight loss, and reluctance to participate in normal activities such as walks and playtime.
How is heartworm disease treated? The best treatment is prevention! There are many different FDA-approved products to prevent heartworms. Your veterinarian will work with you to discuss what option is best for you and your pets. Preventing heartworms is more cost effective and easier on your pets than attempting to treat once they have become infected.
As part of a heartworm prevention plan, your veterinarian will test your dog on a yearly basis via a simple blood draw during your annual wellness visit. This allows your veterinarian to test for any heartworm proteins. Cats are not tested regularly like dogs, but they should be tested before starting heartworm prevention and re-tested as determined by your veterinarian based upon risk factors.
Helpful resources:
US FDS – Keep the Worms Out of Your Pet’s Heart! The Facts about Heartworm Disease
American Veterinary Medical Association – Heartworm Disease