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Scott
Cox grew up in Edwardsburg, MI and graduated
from Michigan State University College of Veterinary
Medicine. Scott has practiced in progressive,
award winning veterinary practices in Michigan,
Colorado and California. Currently he practices
in a specialty, referral practice focusing on
emergency and critical care medicine.
See
other articles by this author.
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We
made it through another winter! Longer and warmer days are just
what we all need. The trees are starting to bud and new life
is entering the world all throughout nature. New life also includes
mosquitoes, unfortunately. Ticks, too. Anybody found a good
purpose for these bugs other than spreading disease? I haven't
and I am done trying. They are disease spreaders and nothing
else in my opinion. Anyway, we can't completely avoid these
bugs so preventative measures are in order.
Mosquitoes
spread heartworm disease from animal to animal. It is a preventable,
but a serious and potentially fatal parasitic disease. There
are documented human infections, but they are thought to be
rare and do not result in clinical disease. Michiana pets
are considered high risk for heartworm disease. Actually,
heartworms are a potential threat in every state except Alaska.
All dogs, regardless of age, sex, or living environment, are
susceptible to heartworm infection. Indoor, as well as outdoor,
cats are at risk for the disease. Just because your pet has
long hair or only goes outside to use the restroom does not
mean they cannot get heartworms. It only takes one mosquito
bite to transmit infectious larvae to your beloved pet. I
do not want to scare anyone, but these are the rationale I
have heard pet owners cite for not using heartworm preventatives.
Trust me, prevention is much better (and cheaper) than treatment
if your pet gets infected.
Heartworm
tests for dogs can be performed on a tiny blood sample. Further
testing such as chest x-rays, blood profile and echocardiogram
(ultrasound of the heart) may be necessary to confirm infection.
Many infected dogs will not show signs at all. As the disease
progresses, your dog may cough, become lethargic, lose its
appetite or have difficulty breathing. You may note exercise
intolerance. I feel that dogs should be tested yearly for
heartworm disease. Some pets are on heartworm preventative
all year long so owners ask, "Why do they need the test yearly
if they are on year round preventative?" Good question. I
have seen about 10 dogs in the last 8 years that were on year
round heartworm preventative and were tested and confirmed
positive for heartworm disease. Possible explanations could
be owner compliance; pet vomited the medication unknown to
the owner, expired or ineffective medications or parasite
resistance. If you test your pet every other year, your pet
may have heartworm disease for over a year before diagnosis
as most early cases show no signs of illness. Have the test
done at your pet's yearly physical. It is only a few drops
of blood.
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Diagnosing
a cat with heartworm disease poses some challenges. Cats always
have to be different and unique. There are screening tests for
heartworm disease, but most are inconclusive. A series of tests
may be needed if heartworm disease is suspected in your cat.
Cats are not routinely tested due to the limitations and inconclusive
nature of the tests. Signs of possible heartworm infections
in cats include coughing, difficulty breathing and vomiting.
There
is an FDA-approved treatment for infected dogs. It is expensive
and can be fatal. Most otherwise healthy dogs survive the treatment
and after a period of rest can go back to a normal life. Did
I mention the treatment is expensive? There is currently no
effective and safe treatment for heartworm infections in cats.
There are medications that may help alleviate any signs from
disease. Very specialized veterinarians can remove worms surgically
(open heart surgery) in severe cases. I am pretty sure I do
not want my babies to have open-heart surgery. I think I will
test yearly and give the preventative year round.
The
kicker is that heartworm disease is almost 100% preventable
in dogs and cats. There are more effective heartworm preventatives
than I can list. Many of the heartworm preventatives currently
used by most veterinarians also include medications that prevent
and treat intestinal parasite infections. Some even help prevent
tick and flea infestations - as many healthy adult pets have
acquired parasites along the way - parasites that could be transmitted
to humans. I think of it this way: A good parasite does not
make its host sick. Gross, but true. Remember, your pet needs
to be heartworm tested prior to starting any preventatives.
Please
take your pets for yearly physical exams and consult your veterinarian
regarding testing and preventatives that fit your pet's lifestyle.
I know it is expensive to come and see us veterinarians, but
it is better for all involved to take a preventative approach.
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