PURRaffection

Archive for the ‘Heartworm’ Category

Year after year, veterinarians brace for the disease that has plagued our pets for many years. Yet this affliction is easily preventable with inexpensive and safe drugs. Occurrences of Heartworms both in dogs and cats continue to escalate and also the expenditure for treatment of (when diagnosed early enough) can be much larger that the amount to prevent. Therefore, how can you safeguard your furry friend from the deadly repercussions of this now wide-spread parasite?

Flash back to 150 years ago when a researcher first stumbled on the heartworm parasite in a dog. Then the parasite evolved and was then recognized within our cats 80 years ago. With heartworm prevention available for both cats and dogs you would believe that we would see a reduction in the number of cases, yet each year thousands and thousands of dogs and cats are diagnosed and oftentimes die too soon from this dreaded parasite. Some researchers speculate that in North America alone, cases of heartworms in our pets might actually be in the millions.

The disease brought on by this heartworm living within your pet’s heart is disastrous. Your furry friend could be infected by the solitary bite of only one mosquito. The worm may then migrate through your pet’s body ultimately taking up residence in your pet’s heart chamber and the blood vessels leading to the lungs. This results in your pet’s heart having to pump harder to circulate the blood through his tiny body. The consequences to the lungs is much more critical with some pets gasping for breath as the lungs fill with fluid and tiny blood clots clog the vessels. Early clues include coughing and exercise intolerance that some owners just attribute to the dog getting lazy. In many cases, signs usually do not surface until the disease is well advanced and the dog is fighting with heart failure, fluid accumulation in the lungs and abdomen which often can eventually result in death.

In cats, it takes merely one heartworm to bring about damage. The first signs are asthma like symptoms and sometimes vomiting that the owners can attribute to hairballs. Once that heartworm lodges in the lungs, it can lead to a sudden death of the cat.

Treatment for heartworms is pricey ranging from $500 for the smaller sized dogs, to upwards of $1500 for the bigger breeds. Complicated heartworm disease with heart failure is even more expensive and sometimes there is only a 10% chance of recovery in the severely affected pets. As of yet, there is no treatment for cat heartworm disease, just supportive care.

Amazingly, veterinarians do have a remedy for this problem. Safe, effective heartworm preventatives are available in a number of easy to use applications. What is even more incredible is that the cost of a lifetime of prevention for many pets is considerably less that a single treatment for the disease. And so, why do pets continue to suffer and die from such an avoidable illness?

As with all cyberspace misguided beliefs, two major hypotheses exist. that either the heartworm medications are failing or that the parasites are developing a resistance to the medications. While conspiracy theorists love these types of thoughts, scientific proof for either hypothesis is absent. Heartworm preventives have a failure rate of less than 1 in 1 million doses. Also, the intricate life cycle of the heartworm does not lend itself to developing a natural resistance to the medications. The truth most likely lies in the memory of the owner to dispense the dose in a monthly fashion and the climate.

Increasing temperatures in our climate has resulted in an extended mosquito season and a greater likelihood of transmission to our pets. Here in Houston, our mosquito season is all year round. Some areas are currently finding a lot more mosquitoes in previously mosquito-free regions. Irrigation of dry areas and expanded plantings of trees in certain areas can in fact help to increase the mosquito population. With a more substantial number of mosquitoes, there is a greater risk of transmission of heartworm disease.

Once all of the facts are considered, the simplest basis for our failure to manage this dangerous parasite falls on the humans themselves. We simply do not supply the preventive as we must. It might be due to forgetfulness, or perhaps one husband or wife thought the other one gave it or even it may be a result of the overall economy as well as the money limitations imposed on the household. Regardless of what the rationale could possibly be, it can lead to serious repercussions for the sake of our pets.

Fortunately, as pet lovers, you do have powerful allies to help you combat the war against heartworms. With the aid of your veterinarian, you are able to choose the most effective heartworm medication for your pet and your price range. Oral medications, including Heartgard, Sentinel, and Iverhart are available. In addition there are topical medications for instance Advantage-Multi and Revolution that are formulated to also protect your pet from both heartworms and fleas. Proheart 6 is additionally available as a long lasting injection. The prevention of this illness rests entirely on the pet’s owners to ensure the pet gets the prevention before the pet might be exposed to the parasite. Which means that this prevention must start in puppy-hood and be administered each month, all year long.

Do not waste time in search of “natural” or organic solutions to defend against heartworms; they simply do not exist. Many people think they can formulate ivermectin to give to their pets, but improper dilution and storage leads to overdosing or underdosing. Follow recommendations by your veterinarian and the American Heartworm Society (www.heartwormsociety.org) Your pet is depending on you and prevention is far better and cheaper in comparison to the treatment.