Heartworm disease is a potentially devastating condition caused by a worm that lives in the chambers on the right side of the heart. This worm can be up to a foot long and cause irreparable damage to your pet’s heart. This parasite is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitos. The baby worm then travels around in your pet’s fat for a period of time before finding its way to a blood vessel and from there it travels to the heart.
While most people have heard of this disease, many are still not providing protection to their animals. This can be for a variety of reasons, so I want to take a moment to clear up some of the common misconceptions about this disease.
- “We don’t have heartworm around here.” Many people in this area believe their pets are not at risk because of environmental factors like cold winters and shorter summers but the fact is that heartworms are present in all fifty states and the number of infections is rising each year. Heartworm is found in wild canids such as wolves and coyotes which provide a constant reservoir for infection of our pets.
- “My pet is indoor only. He never goes outside.” It is very rare to find a dog that is truly indoor only. Most pets go outside to urinate and defecate. They take trips to the groomer, or kennel or vet. Every time your pet is outside there is a chance of a mosquito bite. In addition, many bugs, mosquitos included, find their way into the house so even a pet that doesn’t go out may be exposed to an infected mosquito.
- “My dog is so hairy that mosquitos can’t get to him. ” Length of hair provides no protection – a Chow or Husky or Pomeranian is just as likely to become infected as a lab or boxer or other short haired breed.
- “My dog can’t take those drugs. He’s sensitive.” Heartworm preventions are very safe and rarely cause any problems. Take your concerns to your veterinarian, they can help you navigate all the choices out there to find one that your pet can tolerate that will keep him safe.
- “What is a heartworm test and why do I have to have one every year?” A heartworm test involves taking a small amount of blood from your pet and looking for a substance produced by the female worm. It takes about 10 minutes and is quite accurate. We always test because we do not want to give prevention to a dog that is already infected. A different course of action is needed in those cases.
In short, heartworm disease is potentially devastating, difficult and expensive to treat and entirely preventable. Talk to your veterinarian today about testing your pet and starting on prevention.
Dr. Laura Marji (Emerald location)
