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ServicesLaser Light Therapy Other ServicesAdoptable Animals | Heartworm Diseaseby Dr. Dawn Bookmyer, DVM “Could it be kennel cough, Doctor?,” my client asked anxiously. Reggie, her 4 year old Rottweiler, sat on the exam room floor while his owner gently stroked his head. Reggie had started coughing recently, but the blood test I had just run revealed that the cause of Reggie’s coughing was not bordetella, also known as kennel cough. It was heartworm disease. Heartworm disease is caused by the bite of an infected mosquito. The mosquito injects heartworm larvae, called microfilariae, into the host as the mosquito feeds. The larvae travel into the bloodstream, which carries the larvae to the heart and lungs where they mature in about six months. Symptoms in dogs include coughing, labored breathing, exercise intolerance, weight loss and decreased appetite. Left untreated, heart failure can occur. Heartworm disease is typically diagnosed through the use of a blood test, followed by an x-ray which confirms the diagnosis and helps to determine the extent of damage to the heart muscle. Treatment consists of injections of a drug which kills the adult worms in the heart. Heartworm is much easier (and less expensive) to prevent than it is to treat. There are a variety of preventatives available: monthly preventatives include chewable tablets or “treats”, as well as a topical which also treats fleas and ticks. For those pet owners who tend to be forgetful, I recommend that you look into the new injectable heartworm preventative, which your veterinarian will administer once every six months. Like many vets, I recommend keeping pets on heartworm preventative year ‘round. Most heartworm medications work retroactively, killing the worms that your pet may have been infected with two months prior and making it risky to go off the medication at the wrong time. If you are thinking of discontinuing heartworm medication during the cold weather months, talk to your veterinarian first. Although the preventatives are highly effective, I like to test dogs for heartworm every year, just to be on the safe side. Some vets are willing to test every other year, but only providing that the dog is on heartworm medication year ‘round. Talk to your vet about how often your dog should be tested for heartworm disease. Although it’s often thought of as an exclusively canine problem, cats do get heartworm disease. Unfortunately, many cats show no symptoms until their sudden death. In addition to being difficult to diagnose in felines, treatment options for heartworm are extremely limited in cats. Fortunately, preventatives are available, both in the chewable form or, if your cat doesn’t like the treats, as a topical which also controls fleas and ear mites. Fortunately for Reggie, we caught his heartworm disease fairly early and the damage to his heart appears to be minimal. Because his owner admitted to having forgotten his heartworm medication quite frequently, we decided that the new injectable preventative is an excellent choice for Reggie. This will provide him with six months of protection and, since his owner will receive a reminder card in the mail, make it less likely that medication will be forgotten. |
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