Help Prevent Canine Heartworm
This is a quick reminder for all of you living in heartworm country. As summer rolls on, many families travel to vacation spots and with them go their dogs. If your pet is not already protected against common parasites like fleas, intestinal worms and heartworm during their stay at home, be sure to start them on preventative with your vet’s advice. Infected mosquitoes transmit heartworm and anywhere mosquitoes are, heartworm can be.
Heartworms are aptly named. They are worms that live in the heart and decrease the heart’s ability to function properly. If the heart can’t function properly, some dogs show signs of exercise intolerance (tire easily), start coughing, have difficulty breathing and have overall decreased energy and appetite. And though an infected dog may live without any clinical signs for a long time, it may serve as a source of infection to others.
The good news is that heartworm is usually easy to detect with a simple blood test performed by your veterinarian and also very easy to prevent. Most of the medications that prevent heartworm have the added benefit of preventing other intestinal parasites that can cause damage to the intestines and can be passed to humans! They are given once a month and come in both flavored pill form and a topical liquid.
There are very few areas in the United States that do not have heartworm, so check with your veterinarian about your dog’s risk. Be sure to ask about your local area and the places you plan to visit with your pet this summer. Happy travels!
Photo courtesy of flickr.
--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.
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