HEARTWORM DISEASE – A PREVENTABLE TRAGEDY
Anyone who lives in Southeast Queensland will tell you that whilst we love our outdoor lifestyle, mozzies are an unpleasant pest that can quickly cause us to want to retreat back inside. For us, mozzies are mainly just an annoyance, but for our pets, they can carry a deadly disease, which years down the track can cause a tragic and easily preventable, too often lethal disease.
The disease I am referring to is Heartworm disease. I never thought that, in the modern day of excellent drugs and education, pets in our community would still be suffering from Heartworm disease, but only recently I saw my first ever heartbreaking, unnecessary death due to Heartworms.
So how are mosquitoes related to Heartworm disease? Mosquitoes will ingest tiny heartworm microfilaria from an infected dog, which then develop into infective larvae inside the mosquito. This mosquito then bites a healthy dog, and if this dog is not on heartworm preventing medication, the larvae will develop into adult heartworms within the tissues of the dog. In six months the adult heartworms will have migrated into the arteries of the lungs as well as the chambers of the right side of the heart.
These worms can effectively start to block off the arteries as well as set off inflammation in the lungs, and compromise heart function. Usually this takes anything from months to a few years after the dog is first infected and signs can be subtle and missed in the early stages. Signs include gradual exercise intolerance and a chronic cough, and in the late stages they can even cough up blood. Eventually the heart will start failing, as it cannot effectively pump blood into the body anymore, and the dog will have collapsing episodes, or die suddenly. This disease also affects our cats, but is even more sinister, as there are usually no signs of the disease; sudden death is the most common finding.
The saddest part of this is that with simple preventative medication, this is one of the most easily preventable diseases we see, and ANY dog in Southeast Queensland will be exposed to heartworm for most of the year on a daily basis…even indoor dogs!
Prevention is the most important part of eliminating heartworm disease in our pets, as most medications can only act in any significant way on the early stages and minimally on the adults. Adult heartworm disease can be treated, but is much more difficult and potentially dangerous.
From monthly chews or top-spots, to yearly injections, there’s a choice to suit most people’s and pets’ lifestyles and habits. Something to remember is that all-wormers only cover intestinal worms and not heartworm. If your pet has not been on heartworm prevention previously, your vet will most likely recommend two 6 monthly blood tests to ensure they don’t already have adult heartworms that need treating.
As vets, we don’t see deaths from heartworm disease much anymore, but every death is saddening to us, because we know how easily it could be avoided. As the warmer weather approaches (and it’s coming too fast!) please check that your pets are on heartworm prevention.
If you have any questions regarding heartworm disease or prevention, please call the Old Mill Veterinary Surgery on 3425 2222.
So how are mosquitoes related to Heartworm disease? Mosquitoes will ingest tiny heartworm microfilaria from an infected dog, which then develop into infective larvae inside the mosquito. This mosquito then bites a healthy dog, and if this dog is not on heartworm preventing medication, the larvae will develop into adult heartworms within the tissues of the dog. In six months the adult heartworms will have migrated into the arteries of the lungs as well as the chambers of the right side of the heart.
These worms can effectively start to block off the arteries as well as set off inflammation in the lungs, and compromise heart function. Usually this takes anything from months to a few years after the dog is first infected and signs can be subtle and missed in the early stages. Signs include gradual exercise intolerance and a chronic cough, and in the late stages they can even cough up blood. Eventually the heart will start failing, as it cannot effectively pump blood into the body anymore, and the dog will have collapsing episodes, or die suddenly. This disease also affects our cats, but is even more sinister, as there are usually no signs of the disease; sudden death is the most common finding.
The saddest part of this is that with simple preventative medication, this is one of the most easily preventable diseases we see, and ANY dog in Southeast Queensland will be exposed to heartworm for most of the year on a daily basis…even indoor dogs!
Prevention is the most important part of eliminating heartworm disease in our pets, as most medications can only act in any significant way on the early stages and minimally on the adults. Adult heartworm disease can be treated, but is much more difficult and potentially dangerous.
From monthly chews or top-spots, to yearly injections, there’s a choice to suit most people’s and pets’ lifestyles and habits. Something to remember is that all-wormers only cover intestinal worms and not heartworm. If your pet has not been on heartworm prevention previously, your vet will most likely recommend two 6 monthly blood tests to ensure they don’t already have adult heartworms that need treating.
As vets, we don’t see deaths from heartworm disease much anymore, but every death is saddening to us, because we know how easily it could be avoided. As the warmer weather approaches (and it’s coming too fast!) please check that your pets are on heartworm prevention.
If you have any questions regarding heartworm disease or prevention, please call the Old Mill Veterinary Surgery on 3425 2222.
