Each year, veterinarians brace for a disease that has seriously affected our pets for decades. However this affliction is easily preventable with affordable and safe prescription drugs. Occurrences of Heartworms both in dogs and cats persist to escalate and also the expenditure to begin treating (if discovered soon enough) is actually much larger that the expenditure to prevent. So, how will you safeguard your furry friend from the fatal effects of this now common parasite?
Flash back to 150 years ago when a researcher first stumbled on the heartworm parasite in a dog. Then the parasite evolved and was then detected in our cats 80 years ago. With heartworm prevention available for both cats and dogs you would think that we would experience a decrease in the sheer numbers of cases, however each year thousands and thousands of dogs and cats are diagnosed and oftentimes perish too soon from this dreaded parasite. Some researchers speculate that in North America alone, cases of heartworms in our pets could possibly be in the millions.
The disease resulting from this heartworm residing inside your pet’s heart is disastrous. Your pet could be infected with the single bite of just one single mosquito. The worm can then migrate through your pet’s entire 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 effects on the lungs is much more critical with many pets gasping for breath because the lungs fill with fluid and tiny blood clots clog the vessels. Early warning signs can include coughing and exercise intolerance that some owners just attribute to the dog getting lazy. Commonly, symptoms usually do not emerge until the disease is well advanced and the dog is experiencing heart failure, fluid accumulation in the lungs and belly which often can eventually result in death.
In cats, it only takes 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 lead to a sudden death of the cats.
Treatment for heartworms is pricey starting from $500 for the smaller dogs, to well over $1500 for the larger breeds. Complicated heartworm disease with cardiac failure is much more expensive and in many cases there is only a 10% chance of recovery in the severely afflicted pets. As of yet, there is no remedy for cat heartworm disease, just supportive care.
Incredibly, veterinarians do have an answer for this dilemma. Safe, effective heartworm preventatives are available in a variety of easy to use applications. What is even more amazing is that the cost of a lifetime of prevention for many pets is considerably less that a one-time treatment for the disease. So, why do pets continue to suffer and die from such a preventable disease?
As with all cyberspace myths, two major theories suggest that either the heartworm medications are failing or that the parasites are developing a resistance to the drugs. While conspiracy theorists love these types of ideas, scientific proof for either possibility is lacking. Heartworm preventives have a failure rate of less than 1 in 1 million doses. Furthermore, the complex life cycle of the heartworm does not lend itself to creating a natural resistance to the medications. The truth in all probability lies in the memory of the owner to administer the dose in a monthly fashion and the climate.
Increasing temperatures in our climate has resulted in an extended mosquito season and a larger likelihood of transmission to our pets. Here in Houston, our mosquito season is all year round. Some regions are presently finding more mosquitoes in formerly mosquito-free locations. Irrigation of dry areas and increased plantings of trees in certain locations can in fact expand mosquito population. With a greater number of mosquitoes, there is a greater chance of transmission of heartworm disease.
When all the facts are examined, the simplest reason behind our failure to manage this fatal parasite rests on the humans themselves. We simply fail to supply the preventive as we must. It may be due to forgetfulness, or perhaps one spouse thought the other one gave it or it may be because of the economic crisis plus the financial difficulties imposed on the household. Regardless of the contributing factor could possibly be, it can cause dire implications for the sake of our pets.
Fortunately, as pet lovers, you do have powerful allies to help you battle the war against heartworms. Through the help of your veterinarian, you can choose the best heartworm medication for your pet and your price range. Oral prescription drugs, for instance Heartgard, Sentinel, and Iverhart can be purchased. In addition there are topical medications such as Advantage-Multi and Revolution that are formulated to also protect your pet from both heartworms and fleas. Proheart 6 is also available as a long lasting injection. The prevention of this disease rests entirely on the pet’s owners to ensure the pet gets the prevention before the pet is actually exposed to the parasite. That means that the prevention must commence in puppy-hood and be provided each month, all year long.
Don’t waste time hunting for “natural” or organic methods to prevent heartworms; they quite frankly do not exist. Many people think they can formulate ivermectin to offer to their pets, but improper dilution and storage can result in overdosing or underdosing. Abide by recommendations by your veterinarian and the American Heartworm Society (www.heartwormsociety.org) Your pet is relying on you and prevention is more effective and less expensive compared to treatment.
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