by Gina Lykins
It’s springtime again and that means warmer weather, rain and pesky mosquitoes. For people, this means getting out the mosquito repellent and having occasional red, itchy welts that subside after a couple of days. For dogs and cats, it can mean heartworm disease.
Heartworm is a type of roundworm that live in the pulmonary arteries and right side of the dog or cat’s heart. So, what exactly is the connection between the mosquito and your dog or cat getting heartworm disease? First, adult female heartworms release their young, called microfilariae, into the animal’s bloodstream. Then, mosquitoes become infected with microfilariae while taking blood meal from the infected animal. During the next 10-14 days, the microfilariae mature to the infective larval stage within the mosquito. After that, the mosquito bites another dog or cat, and the infective larvae enter through the bite wound. It then takes a little over 6 months for the infective larvae to mature into adult worms. Microfilariae cannot mature into adult heartworms without first passing through a mosquito.
Infected dogs can, over time, have as many as 250 heartworms living in the heart and pulmonary vessels. Sadly, for cats, just one heartworm can be a death sentence. An adult heartworm can live for up to 7 years and reach 12 inches in length! So, what does this mean in terms of symptoms for Fido or Fluffy? He or she may not show any symptoms at all if the number of worms is small and in the early stages of the infection. However, with greater numbers of worms, there can be a persistent cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, gagging, rapid breathing, lack of energy, weight loss and eventual death. The treatment of heartworm infection can be expensive, as well as dangerous.
Prevention is the key here. Your veterinarian can detect heartworm infection with a simple blood test done at their clinic. All dogs and cats should be tested on an annual basis, according the American Heartworm Society. Once a negative test is determined, medication for prevention of the disease can be given. There are several products on the market available. Your veterinarian can help you to decide which product is best for your pet. Many people give their pets heartworm prevention year round, because this is Central Illinois, and you never know what the weather will do. Keep your pet’s heart healthy. Why take the risk when prevention is so easy and inexpensive?
Gina Lykins
glykins1@petpro.biz
The Pet Pro Veterinary Clinic
1815 W Kirby Ave, Champaign
217-355-5051