Heartworm disease is a very serious and deadly disease that no pet should have to live with. By giving your pet an approved monthly heartworm preventative you are literally saving their lives by protecting them from this deadly parasite. The preventatives available are so effective, when given as directed, that the manufacturer of the preventatives guarantee their product. This means, if your pet were to be infected with heartworm disease or any of the labeled intestinal parasites they will help pay for any necessary testing and treatment. This is almost like having an insurance policy on your pet for these parasitic diseases. So isn’t your pet worth it??

 

Now to address some of the most common questions we are asked by clients:

 

Q: Why do we recommend year-round heartworm preventative if mosquitoes are a seasonal pest.

 

A: There are a few good reasons for this:

It is recommended by the American Heartworm Society and Center for Disease Control because:

 

1) It’s The Best Preventative Measure To Protect Your Pet

Giving heartworm preventative year-round is the best way to ensure that your pet does not get infected with heartworm disease during the warm weather season. It prevents infection due to the most common mistakes made by most pet owners when the preventative is given seasonally: starting the preventative too late in the season (ie. after the pet has already been infected), discontinuing the medication too early and just forgetting to give the medication as directed.

 

2) Helps Protect Your Family From Zoonotic Diseases

Most heartworm preventatives also treat your pet for the most common intestinal parasites that infect pets, but also can cause disease in PEOPLE!!! Since many pets can be infected with these parasites and yet show no clinical symptoms wouldn’t you want some protection?! Pet’s have become a big part of the family and commonly they sleep where you sleep, lay where you lay and I bet in some cases, eat where some of us eat (we do not recommend this due to zoonotic diseases). This is also why we recommend routine fecal examinations, to treat these sometimes silent infections before serious problems occur.

 

Q: “Why do I need to test my dog every year for heartworm disease if he is on year-round heartworm preventative?”

 

A: Does your dog ever vomit after eating food, grass and other non-food items? During your spring cleaning do you ever find food, treats, toys or medication under furniture, in their doggie beds or hidden elsewhere? Have you ever forgotten to give the heartworm preventative on time or completely missed a monthly dose? Most dog owners will answer yes to at least one of these questions. After hibernating all winter long, many of us decide to take summer vacations and travel, some may have children that are out of school or are involved in summer activities, so generally this time of year people are busy. By missing just one dose during the heartworm season your dog is at risk. Due to the severity of the disease, it is critical to catch an infection before clinical problems develop. Treatment for heartworm disease is very costly and on average is around $1000. Even with treatment, there is risk for death and serious complications.

 

Q: 1) “Why do I need to test for heartworm disease in the early spring, can’t I perform this in the Fall/Winter with the rest of his/her vaccinations?”

 

2) “Why do I need to re-test my dog for heartworm disease if he already had the test in the Fall/Winter?” “and if I have to test him again in the spring then why can’t I wait until then to perform the test?”

 

A: Routine heartworm tests evaluate for the presence of antigens in the blood primarily found in mature female heartworms. These antigens are not present in the immature (larval stage) parasite, meaning that a pet can be infected with the larval stage of heartworm and test negative for heartworm disease. This is why the timing of their heartworm test is very important and why testing in the Fall/Winter is not recommended. It takes 6-7 months from the time of exposure (ie. mosquito bite) before we can detect infection and due to our winter season, the best time to test your pet for heartworm disease is in the early spring/summer (April-early June). Testing them during this time period will indicate any infection from the previous heartworm season. It will not detect infection within the last 6 months, so testing them in the Fall/Winter will require retesting again in the spring to detect infection from the most recent heartworm season. You should never postpone testing your dog for heartworm disease as early detection is critical.

 

Q: “Why is heartworm disease a concern in cats?”

 

A: The adult heartworm in cats can cause death without warning. The larval stages cause severe respiratory disease that can mimic asthma and the respiratory signs require long term medications to control. It is safer and less expensive to prevent exposure than to risk infection. Most monthly heartworm preventative also control and treat some of the most common intestinal parasites that can cause problems and be spread to people.

 

Q: “Why does my cat need heartworm preventative when they are strictly indoors?”

 

A: Even indoor only cats can be infected with heartworm disease because all it takes is one bite from an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes are very small and can enter the home through open windows, doors, imperfections or damaged screens. Most of us I’m sure have found or seen mosquitoes, flies or other winged pests in the home during the spring and summer months and this is why we must protect even our indoor only cats. Even allowing them to go outside on enclosed decks or 3 season porches increases their risks for infection. Unlike dogs, there is no approved treatment for heartworm disease in cats so it is even more important that they are protected as death may result with infection.

 

Q: “Do I have to test my cat for heartworm disease before I start a monthly preventative?”

 

A: Cats do not require testing, unless they are showing signs of disease. The routine test used for dogs is not as reliable in cats. This is because cats are not the preferred host for the parasite and typically, if infected, will have fewer adult worms and sometimes will only be infected with the larval stages, unlike dogs.

 

Symptoms of heartworm disease in cats can be very non-specific or they may show signs of intermittent vomiting, breathing difficulty, weight loss, loss of appetite, gagging, asthma-like symptoms or sudden death.

 

If you have any other questions or concerns regarding heartworm disease, preventatives, testing or treatment please feel free to give us a call at 763-560-6906 and we will be happy to answer your questions.

 

You may also visit the American Heartworm Society at www.heartwormsociety.org for more information.