Some folks didn't think it would ever get here. But here it is. The grass is greening. Flowers are pushing their heads up from their winter pillow. Birds are singing, ants are anting….the long winter nap is over Even your DOG is looking forward to some more "outside" time with you. Maybe you'll throw that brand new frisbee he got for Christmas. He'd really like that, after all, it's been sitting in his crate for months now.
The fresh air will do you both some good. Tell the truth, don't you really look forward to a Spring and Summer full of sun and fun?
For your DOG, Spring and Summer can mean the start-up of a deadly enemy…HEARTWORM.
Heartworm is a mosquito-borne disease. The mosquito carrying the organism called DIROFILARIA IMMITIS, bites the DOG depositing the larvae into the skin around the bite. The larvae (eggs) move through the DOG'S system and settle in the right ventricle of the heart. It takes about 4-6 months for the larvae to move, hatch into worms and become lethal. Some DOGS may live for years with the disease, other die suddenly, often painfully.
Often the very first sign of heartworm is a nagging cough that is not accompanied by other signs of a respiratory infection. The coughing episodes may become more pronounced with exercise. Additional signs are gradual loss of weight, difficulty breathing, and a change in physical appearance. Often the DOG develops a "pot-bellied" look. Eventually the walls of the pulmonary arteries become inflamed from the dead worms. This, along with the problems caused by live worms in the arteries, hampers the flow of blood. The liver and kidneys become involved. A blood test will confirm the worms in the heart. Medication can be administered to forestall the inevitable outcome. THERE IS NO CURE FOR HEARTWORM except PREVENTION.
Dogs diagnosed as heartworm positive must begin a series of intravenous treatments designed to kill the adult worm. Heartworm positive dogs cannot take heartworm prevention medication. So it is important to test puppies as soon as they are old enough, to determine whether or not heartworm is present. If the pups do not have heartworm, they can begin taking prevention medication.
There are many brands of heartworm medication on the market, all work. (see 1-800-petmedsfor some options, but consult your vet for the best medications for your dog and your area of the country.
Read our recent Heartworm Update at Heartworm Update
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