Most people can believe that global warming affects sea levels and cause weird variations in weather patterns, but how many would believe that the warmer weather is contributing to a deadly disease of our pets? The rising temperatures across the globe may be helping mosquitoes to survive, which, in turn, are transmitting heartworms to our dogs. Despite this dire news, protection for our friends can be found in a simple monthly tablet. Watch this video to learn more.
Pet Dog Cat Heartworm Medication Resistance?
September 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
For more please visit: www.DogExplorer.com – comments are moderated! Follow us on Twitter http – Every month, lots of dog owners, and a few cat owners, give their pets some form of heartworm prevention. But recent studies are showing increasing numbers of heartworm positive pets across the country. Some people believe the worms now have the upper hand. Has our trusted protection failed us? Dog owners, and a growing number of cat owners understand that once-a-month heartworm preventives keep their pets safe from a very serious cardiovascular parasitic disease. Despite consistent use of preventive medications, a significant number of dogs are testing positive for heartworms, especially in the mosquito heavy Southeastern US. Are we seeing the beginnings of a resistance movement? In some cases, careful questioning of clients reveals some monthly doses of medication were not given, opening the door for potential infection. In other cases, medical records and client compliance appear to be complete, yet the pet is positive on the annual heartworm blood test. Heartworm preventive works by killing immature heartworm larvae that are spread by mosquitoes. In theory, a pet who receives medication each month should be protected and never have a positive heartworm test. Why then, do some dogs test positive? Many owners are quick to blame the heartworm preventives. They believe continued use of the drugs will create resistant worms and that will lead to an increase in positive cases …
Tips To Protect Your Dog From Ticks
September 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment
A tick is a small parasite related to spiders. They are most normally found in wooded areas and those fields of high grass and like mosquitoes and fleas pose a health hazard to your dog and to people as well as they carry the Lyme disease, Rocky mountain spotted fever and other illnesses that can affect your dogs health and even his life. While many people know that ticks can be detrimental to their dogs health they simply aren’t sure what to do to protect their dog from these parasites. Here are a few tips that may help you to protect your dogs from ticks and keep him healthy.
Since ticks are found in wooded areas and high grass and especially prevalent during the spring and summer it is a good idea to keep the grass in your yard mowed and short. Ticks are far less likely to inhabit areas where there is no tall grass.
You will also want to keep your yard free of spilled bird seed and other things which might attract mice and squirrels because ticks often use these animals as a host and food source.
Don’t allow your dog to roam. The best way to protect him from ticks is to limit his access to areas where there is not a high concentrations of these parasites.
If you take your dog camping with you check him/her every three hours for signs of ticks. Make sure you check him thoroughly including the inside of his ears and around the genital area. Ticks do not attach immediately to a new host and usually don’t start feeding until after they are on the host for about 4 hours. (It is also wise to thoroughly check all humans who are camping in wooded areas for ticks as well.)
If you find a tick use a pair of tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the body as possible and pull the tick straight out. Never remove a tick with your bare hands. Ticks have teeth designed to latch onto a host and remain fixed and twisting and turning the tick may result in leaving the head with the disease carrying fluids attached.
Once the tick is removed then clean the area with soap and water and apply antiseptic.\
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Using protectants such as Advantix and Frontline Plus and Vectra 3D may prevent ticks from using your dog as a host. Ask your Veterinarian about these and other products that may help to protect your dogs from ticks.
If your dog has had access to any area where ticks may live and suddenly appears lame, feverish and has a loss of appetite and appears lethargic then take him to your Veterinarian immediately for treatment. Be sure to tell your Vet of the places your dog has been so that he can be tested for tick spreading diseases.
Your dog is your trusted companion and your friend. You want to be able to share those outside adventures, picnics, hiking and camping trips with him but, you also want to keep him safe. Following these few tips will help protect your dog from ticks and the associated health problems they cause while still enabling him to enjoy all those out of door adventures.
Tips on Keeping your Dog Cool This Summer
May 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I was looking forward to spring this year, but somewhere I must have dozed off and missed it because the temperature is already in the 90′s, mosquitoes are carrying me away and fleas are multiplying by the thousands. The heat and parasites can also play havoc with your pets, especially your dog.
Dogs are really susceptible to heatstroke. Unlike cats, that have enough sense to find some shade and just chill out, dogs get hyper and tend to run around too much. This excessive exertion can push even the most seasoned outside dog over the edge. Dogs do not sweat and can only cool themselves through panting. The moisture on their tongue evaporates and cools their core temperature. Sometimes, this delicate balance weighs in favor of the heat, especially in short-faced dogs like the pugs, bulldogs and Lhasa Apso. Just a few minutes in a hot car or an hour in the direct sunlight can increase their body temperature to a point that they cannot cool it back down. Dogs physically can’t pant fast enough to bring their body temperature back down to normal. When that occurs, heat stroke is sure to follow. The dog’s core temperature can climb quite rapidly to over 106 degrees and emergency treatment to cool your dog down must be enacted. High temperatures can cause organ damage and sometimes death.
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Signs of Heat Stroke include:
* Panting hard and fast
* Excessive drooling with thick, ropey saliva hanging from mouth
* Listless, or the inability to stand or walk
First step is to cool your dog down by bringing him in out of the heat and a cool water bath. If your dog is still not responding , then a trip to the veterinary clinic is warranted. Once at the hospital, further cooling measures will be started along with intravenous fluids.
The best treatment is prevention. Outdoor temperatures can sometimes knock out the most seasoned dogs. Be sure your dog has ample access to shaded areas. A pen with a shade cloth or a dog house with ample air flow will help. He must also have lots of cool water available. A bucket of water left in the sun gets too hot to drink. You may want to try the
outdoor water fountains for dogs. The smart sonar sensor turns the water on so your dog will always have access to fresh, cool water.
Save $15 off any $150 purchase of doghouses, kennels or pens at Doghouses.com with code KC-6983
On walks, take some water for your dog and if he start panting too hard, take a break in the shade. Try using a dog strollers.
for your smaller dogs. They still get to go with you, but they won’t get overheated or burn their feet. There is also now available the cool-it bandanna for the dogs. Much like the human model, you place the bandanna in the freezer and put it around your dog’s neck to help keep him cool. Always check their feet to make sure they are not getting burned.
Never leave your pet in a car. Temperatures in a car can reach 120 degrees in a matter of minutes. Cracking the windows simply will not keep the car cool enough for your dog. Keep your dog on the heartworm and flea medication all year round. Controlling the parasites will also make your dog’s summer more bearable.
Heartworms in Pets
January 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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With over 250,000 known cases across the United States, canine heartworm disease continues to plague our pets, causing emotional distress to the owners and financial worries to their pocketbooks. The saddest part of all: this disease is completely preventable.
We know what causes heartworm disease, we know how to treat it, and we even have safe, effective medications to prevent the disease. So, why are more than a quarter of a million dogs and cats still getting this terrible disease?
According to a survey recently released by the American Heartworm Society over 250,000 dogs and cats tested positive for heartworm infection nationwide in 2004. Since these cases only included dogs that routinely see the veterinarian, some estimates of the true incidence of heartworms in dogs range as high as 11 million canines infected with the parasite. Throw in coyotes and foxes and one can easily see the huge reservoir of potential cases.
Heartworms are a parasite that reside in the vessels leading from the heart to the lungs of many different mammals, but are primarily suited for life in a canine. The immature larva of the adult heartworms are taken in during feeding by mosquitoes and then spread from mosquito back to dogs after a short, 2 week maturation period in the mosquito’s stomach and salivary glands. After returning to their natural host, the heartworm larva migrate through the dog’s body over the next four to six months, growing in length until they reach the heart. Upon reaching the heart, the foot long parasite becomes sexually active, producing large numbers of larva, which, in turn, wait to be picked up by a feeding mosquito, continuing the disease cycle. Infected dogs might have as few as 5 or 6 adult worms or as many as 250!
Adult heartworms absorb nutrients from the blood stream of the dog. In an attempt to rid the body of the parasite, the dog’s immune system fights the invader, often causing collateral damage to the blood vessels and lungs. In severe cases, large numbers of heartworms can block the major vessels entering and leaving the right side of the heart, causing high blood pressure, bleeding into the lungs, kidney and liver problems, and even death. Treatment of the disease itself involves the use of an arsenic compound. Although deadly side effects with the medication have been extremely rare, many dogs succumb to blood clots in the lungs as the adult heartworms die. And the cost of treatment is also a concern. Appropriate diagnostics, medications, and re-testing of the heartworm positive dog might run as high as $500 to $1,000, depending on the size of the pet.
“Many people are just not aware of how deadly heartworms can be, especially to active pets.” says Dr. Tom Nelson, President of the American Heartworm Society. “Heartworms can live 5-7 years and the owner may not see of any of the symptoms. Many of our pets might be considered less active and these pets will not show the signs of heartworm disease until it becomes severe.”
Keeping your pet indoors will not insure that your pet will not get exposed. It only takes one mosquito getting into your house or one potty trip outside to be bitten by an infected mosquito. Even a few worms can cause severe damage to the heart, lungs and kidneys. Now even cats are presenting with heartworms and we are recommending both dogs and cats use a heartworm prevention all year round.
On a more positive note, veterinary medicine has a wide variety of options available to the pet owner for prevention of this disease. Easy to give monthly chewables are the most convenient way to prevent infection. The most commonly prescribed monthly chewable is called Heartgard. Administration of these preventives at the appropriate time intervals can virtually guarantee protection for your pet. In fact, manufacturers of heartworm preventive will stand behind their product and reimburse any medical treatments necessary should a dog develop heartworms while on their product.
Newer products, such as Revolution and Advantage-Multi, are applied on the skin and also help protect against fleas and internal parasites. New Trifexis is a chewable tablet that covers heartworms, fleas and intestinal parasites.
It is vitally important to test your dog prior to starting heartworm preventive or extreme allergic reactions could develop. Your veterinarian will draw a small amount of blood from your pet and, in many instances, you might know the test results prior to leaving the veterinarian’s office. Due to the extreme prevalence of this disease, the American Heartworm Society strongly encourages annual re-testing of all dogs.
According to Nelson, pet owners seem to be likely to switch products, with or without the knowledge of their veterinarian. This product and brand switching has the FDA concerned about a perceived lack of protection, or even potential product failure. “We need to make sure we catch this disease as early as possible, thus the strong recommendation for annual testing.” says Nelson.
Also to be considered is how society has changed in the last 20 years. As people and their pets move from the wetter regions of the Midwest and Southeast to the sunshine of southern California and Arizona, they often bring along these unwelcome parasites. Nelson says “If you have mosquitoes where you live, heartworms, even if they aren’t native to the area, will be there as well.”
Hurricane Katrina caused many heartworm positive dogs to move into all parts of the country thus accelerating the spread.
As spring time approaches, we all welcome the return of the bright sunshine, the longer days, and the blooming of nature. Just remember, the return of warmer days will mean the return of mosquitoes and the potential for heartworm disease spreading. Make sure your best friend protected! Call your veterinarian today and schedule a heartworm test. For more information, visit the American Heartworm Society at www.heartwormsociety.org.
Dr. Debra Garrison is a veterinarian at the Treaschwig Veterinary Clinic
Heartworms in Cats
July 18, 2008 By Leave a Comment
How Pets Get Heartworms
Heartworm Disease is caused by a worm, Dirofilaria immitis, and is spread by mosquitoes. When a mosquito feeds on an infected animal, usually a dog, it ingests microscopic larvae in the blood. These microfilariae mature in the mosquito for about two weeks. When the mosquito bites a susceptible animal the infectious larvae are injected into its tissues. They migrate through the animals body, maturing into adult worms over a period of months. The adult worms live in the heart and major blood vessels where they reproduce to create new microfilariae. The time from infection to appearance of microfilariae is about six months.
Cats seem to have a greater natural resistance against heartworms as compared to dogs. The prevalence of the disease in cats ranges from 0% to about 9% depending on geographic area. In the United States, heartworms are found in all 50 states but are most common along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and near the Mississippi River. When cats do get heartworms, they usually only develop one or a few adult worms. The worms rarely reproduce or produce microfilariae.
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What the Disease Does
Adult worms cause inflammation of the blood vessels and the lungs, and can obstruct arteries. They can live in a cats body as long as two or three years, but may be killed sooner by the animals immune system. As worms die, they release antigens that can create life-threatening inflammatory reactions.
Symptoms of heartworm disease in cats are vague. They include coughing, difficulty breathing, vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy, and seizures. Some cats die suddenly without showing any other symptoms.
How Heartworm Disease is Diagnosed
Diagnosis of heartworms in cats is more difficult as compared with dogs. Blood tests for antibodies to heartworm are useful initially. However, the antibody test determines only whether the cat has been exposed. It will not differentiate between an infected cat and a cat that was exposed but fought off the infection. Therefore, antibody-positive cats should receive further testing. A blood test for the presence of the adult heartworm (antigen test) is often the second step. A positive antigen test confirms the presence of heartworms. However, the test can miss some infected cats, so other diagnostics may be needed too. These include physical examination, blood counts, microfilaria tests, x-rays, ultrasound, and angiography.
Treatment for Heartworm Disease
There are no medicines currently approved for treatment of feline heartworm disease in the United States. Cats with mild symptoms are monitored carefully and may be given anti-inflammatory drugs such as corticosteroids to minimize lung inflammation. A physical exam and x-rays are recommended twice a year. The goal is to support the cat until the worms have died and the inflammation has subsided. Cats with more serious symptoms are usually hospitalized and may require additional medications, such as bronchodilators, IV fluids, oxygen, and antibiotics.
Medications designed for killing adult heartworms in dogs are sometimes used to treat cats. This is considered an experimental use of these drugs and is undertaken with great caution, since the risk of fatal side effects is relatively high. Even more rarely, adult worms may be surgically extracted from a cats heart.
Preventing Heartworm Disease
Fortunately, effective preventive medications are available. They are given monthly and can be started as early as 4-6 weeks of age. Preventive medication is recommended for cats in areas where heartworms are common. Cats should be tested for heartworm before starting preventive treatment, and retested annually. Preventive is given seasonally in some parts of the U.S., but year-round in temperate areas. If a dose is missed, its best to give it as soon as possible and check with your veterinarian about the need for a heartworm test.
Visit the Heartworm Society for more information on cat heartworms
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