Mar2015_This worm is a real heart breaker !
There are certain topics in veterinary medicine that makes an owner’s eyes glaze over pretty quickly and in our experience, heartworm is one of those. Thanks to the promotion and use of excellent preventative products over the last two decades, heartworms are often thought of as a ‘thing of the past’. We even hear things like ‘We don’t get heartworm at Oceanview’. The reality is this: wherever you have mosquitoes, you have a high chance of heartworm infestations. A recent patient has really brought that home.
Albie, a 14 month old Boxer, has been on heartworm prevention from 8 weeks old but has had a persistent cough of late. His monthly worming tablet has been known to make him vomit in the hours following administering, so with this and the coughing symptom in mind it was decided to test for heartworm. It showed a positive result and when examined under the microscope, we could see copious amounts of worm larvae swimming through the bloodstream.
Whilst a heartworm infestation is always fatal if left untreated, the treatment for heartworm is a risky and unpredictable process as well. The challenge to treating heartworms is to kill them off slowly or in stages, as the dead worms flow through the veins and can cause blockages. The process takes place over a few months, with tablets given at first, then two days of intensive care for Immiticide injections. The pet must stay calm and quiet for the months following the injections, as any strain or stress on the heart may be enough to cause irreparable damage.
Heartworm incidences have become less common in recent times, but with one dog testing positive in the local area you can be sure that unprotected pets are at a greater risk now than ever before.
Heartworm is spread by mozzies feeding on the blood of the infected dog, then transferring that to the next pet they feed off.
If it has been greater than three months since your pet has received a heartworm preventative, then a blood test is recommended, and if it has been greater than six months then a test is essential. The tests are run on-site while you wait, and treatment or prevention can begin the same day.
Talk to the Old Mill Animal Hospital staff about a heartworm prevention that suits your schedule. Protection comes in the forms of annual injections, monthly chews, monthly spot-ons or daily tablets. Ph 3425 2222 (3546 Mt Mee Rd, Dayboro.)
