Ah, summer! Time to break out the bbq and soak up some sun. Unfortunately, summer is also mosquito time and that can be bad news for dogs and cats.
That's because it's during the summer months that mosquitos can pass on the blood parasite heartworm to susceptible animals.
Because adult heartworms reside in the heart and lungs, these are the areas that are directly affected in dogs. Clinical signs may include difficulty breathing, coughing, nosebleeds, lethargy, seizures, weight loss and even sudden death. In cats, these symptoms tend to be more diverse and thus difficult to detect.
Heartworm's estimated to affect up to 60 percent of dogs, but only about 15 percent of cats. Cruelly ironic, about 30 percent of all North American cats are strictly indoor pets, and therefore considered higher risk because they lack the immunity to mosquito bites that their outdoor counterparts possess.
Heartworms release their offspring, called microfilariae, into an animal's bloodstream. Mosquitos become infected with microfilariae while feasting on blood from an infected animal. It takes about two weeks for the microfilariae to develop to the infective larval stage within the mosquito. Subsequently, the insect bites another dog or cat and the larvae enter the animal through this wound. From there, it takes about six months for the larvae to develop into adult worms. Within dogs, the worms may live for up to seven years; in cats, about two-to-three years.
Heartworm detection is normally obtained through blood tests for substances like antigen or microfilariae. Tests can take up to seven months to be positive after infection has occurred.
Since the condition is avertable, pet owners should speak to their veterinarian about a plan to best protect pets from this dangerous condition. Prevention is generally safe, convenient and affordable. Treatment in dogs is promising, but is complex and expensive, often taking weeks for an infected pet's recovery. There is no effective treatment for heartworm in cats, so an emphasis on prevention is critical.
Thankfully the concept of "wellness" has evolved enough to include health strategies in pets, and it's critical that successful interventions include early prevention. Once a pet has been assessed, it's important to establish a prevention program that reflects the local climate where the animal resides. Mosquitos generally require certain climate conditions to transmit the illness.
There are several preventive products available on the market and some are successful against a broad constellation of parasites. Some of the most effective contain preventives like milbemycin oxime, which is a key ingredient in pet medications like Interceptor White (also a dewormer and effective in both dogs and cats) and Sentinel (which also helps control fleas but used only for dogs). Consult your vet about the various ways these pet medications can be obtained, including mail order.
By collaborating closely with your veterinarian, heartworm disease can be successfully intercepted and your pet can and will manage to have a successful quality of life. And the summer will become a season to celebrate for many reasons.
