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Moulton Animal Hospital
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Heartworm Disease on the Rise
A recent study revealed that over 250,000 dogs and cats tested positive for heartworms in 2005 in the United States. The percentage of cases varies with each state. The picture to the left shows a dog's heart full of heartworms.
This is astounding because heartworms are easily preventable by administering a once a month preventative product. A number of heartworm preventions are available including Interceptor® and Sentinel®. Heartworm preventatives are affordable with the cost of prevention running from $3.00 per month to $11.00 per month depending on the weight of the dog and which product is chosen. This is minimal compared to the cost of treating a dog for heartworms, not only in dollars but in the permanent damage that is done to the heart and lungs by the heartworm infection. Dogs infected with heartworm disease will eventually die without treatment.
Dogs and cats get heartworms from mosquitoes. The heartworm life cycle is slightly complex but it usually takes 5-6 months from the time an infected mosquito bites a dog or cat to turn a heartworm test positive. To learn about the dog heartworm life cycle in detail, click here.
Cats with heartworms are a different story. Heartworms affect cats differently than dogs and as few as one heartworm can kill a cat. The cat's immune system is extremely reactive against heartworms. For this reason, it is virtually impossible to detect microfilariae (baby heartworms) in an infected cat. (The cat's immune system removes them too quickly). Also, symptoms of infection tend to be more immune-related than heart failure related. Cats develop more of a lung disease, complete with respiratory stress, and coughing or vomiting chronically. Feline heartworm disease is often misdiagnosed as feline asthma. Sudden death may occur just as it may occur in infected dogs. Cats can take safe monthly oral or topical preventatives Interceptor® and Revolution®.
Many owners are busy and forget to give the product even thought they have purchased it with good intentions of administering it to their pet. Most of the products come with stickers to place on your calendar to remind you to give the product and there are e-mail reminders that the companies will send you once a month for the computer dependant people! Prevention needs to be once a month year round to be effective and guaranteed.
E-mail reminders for your pets are available by signing up at:
Novartis "The Tickler" - reminder for Interceptor® /Sentinel®
Pfizer "Revolution for cats" - reminder for Revolution®
Prevent your pet from becoming infected and get your pet on a heartworm prevention. Call our office for details at 949 831-7297.
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