Year after year, veterinarians brace for a disease that has seriously affected our pets for many years. However this disease is easily preventable using inexpensive and safe prescription drugs. Episodes of Heartworms both in dogs and cats continue to escalate and the expenditure to begin treating (when detected quick enough) is actually much larger that the amount to prevent. Therefore, how could you defend family pet from the deadly consequences of this now common parasite?
Flash back to 150 years ago when a scientist initially identified the heartworm parasite in a dog. Then the parasite evolved and was then recognized in our cats 80 years ago. Even though heartworm prevention is available for both cats and dogs you would reckon that we would see a decrease in the quantity of cases, still each year thousands and thousands of dogs and cats are diagnosed and oftentimes perish too soon from this dreaded parasite. Many authorities speculate that in North America alone, cases of heartworms in our pets may actually be in the millions.
The disease attributed to this heartworm living within your pet’s heart is disastrous. Your furry friend can be infected through the solitary bite of just one single mosquito. The worm may then migrate through your pet’s body finally taking up residence in your pet’s heart chamber and the blood vessels leading to the lungs. This results in your pet’s heart having to pump harder to circulate the blood through his tiny body. The consequences to the lungs is far more critical with many pets gasping for breath because the lungs fill with fluid and tiny blood clots clog the vessels. Early signs can include coughing and exercise intolerance that some owners just attribute to the dog being lazy. In many cases, symptoms usually do not appear until the disease is well advanced and the dog is fighting with heart failure, fluid accumulation in the lungs and belly which could eventually result in death.
In cats, it takes merely one heartworm to bring about damage. The first symptoms are asthma like symptoms and in some cases vomiting that the owners may attribute to hairballs. Whenever that heartworm lodges in the lungs, it can result in a sudden death of the cats.
Treatment for heartworms is costly starting from $500 for the smaller sized dogs, to upwards of $1500 for the bigger breeds. Complicated heartworm disease with heart failure is even more expensive and sometimes there is only a 10% chance of recovery in the severely affected pets. As of yet, there is no treatment for cat heartworm disease, just supportive care.
Incredibly, veterinarians do have an answer for this dilemma. Safe, effective heartworm preventatives are available in many different easy to use applications. What is even more amazing is that the expense of a lifetime of prevention for most pets is considerably less that the single treatment for the disease. And so, why do pets continue to suffer and die from such a preventable disease?
With all cyberspace beliefs, two radical theories suggest that either the heartworm medications are failing or that the parasites are developing a resistance to the medicines. Although conspiracy theorists love these types of thoughts, medical proof for either explanation is lacking. Heartworm preventives have a failure rate of less than 1 in 1 million doses. Furthermore, the intricate life cycle of the heartworm does not lend itself to developing a natural resistance to the medications. The truth perhaps lies in the remembrance of the owner to administer the dose in a timely fashion and the global temperature.
Increasing temperatures in our climate has resulted in a lengthier mosquito season and a greater chance of transmission to our pets. Here in Houston, our mosquito season is all year round. Some places are presently finding significantly more mosquitoes in previously mosquito-free regions. Irrigation of dry areas and increased plantings of trees in certain regions may actually expand mosquito population. With a more substantial number of mosquitoes, there is a greater chance of transmission of heartworm disease.
When all the facts are reviewed, the simplest reason behind our failure to control this deadly parasite falls on the humans themselves. We simply fail to supply the preventive as we need to. It could be because of forgetfulness, or maybe one partner thought the other one administered it or even it may be as a consequence of financial crisis plus the monetary difficulties imposed on the household. Regardless of the explanation may be, it can result in dire consequences for the health of our pets.
Fortunately, as pet owners, you do have powerful allies to help fight the war against heartworms. Through the help of your veterinarian, you’ll be able to pick the most effective heartworm medication for your pet and your price range. Oral medications, such as Heartgard, Sentinel, and Iverhart can be purchased. In addition there are topical medications for example Advantage-Multi and Revolution that are formulated to also provide protection to your pet from both heartworms and fleas. Proheart 6 is also available as a long lasting injection. The prevention of this disease rests solely on the pet’s owners to make certain the pet will get the prevention prior to the pet is actually exposed to the parasite. That means that the prevention must commence in puppy-hood and be provided on a monthly basis, throughout the year.
Do not spend your time seeking “natural” or organic methods to prevent heartworms; they simply just do not exist. Many individuals believe they can formulate ivermectin to give to their pets, but improper dilution and storage lead to overdosing or underdosing. Follow recommendations by your veterinarian and the American Heartworm Society (www.heartwormsociety.org) Your pet is depending on you and prevention is more practical and less expensive ?n comparison to the treatment.