As they are a danger to all dogs, it is essential to be aware of how heartworms are spread. An infected dog is bitten by a mosquito which picks up the parasite’s eggs from the blood of the infected animal. In turn, these eggs produce and develop into larvae while hosted by the mosquito. The next time a mosquito feeds on a dog the larvae are passed into the bloodstream of the newly bitten dog where the worms mature and travel to the right side of the heart and pulmonary arteries. Once they breed in the new host their eggs are released back into the bloodstream to be picked up by the next mosquito looking for a meal. And so the cycle continues. As mosquitoes are the main carriers of the parasite from one dog to another, dogs are at most risk during the warmer months. Of course, in areas where there is little or no winter heartworm can be caught at anytime during the year. Even though your dog is being given a heartworm preventative they should be examined regularly, as no preventative measures can guarantee a hundred percent success rate. This should be done twice a year as it takes about six months for the worm to reach maturity at which stage the parasite is at its most lethal. The test to determine whether your dog is infected is quite simple. A little blood is drawn and sent to pathology to check for antibodies that the mature parasite makes. If it is a new infection it might not be picked up until a subsequent pathology examination is made. In the event of a positive result, your vet may decide to arrange an x-ray or an ultrasound of your dog’s heart to determine how far the infection has progressed. The presence of heartworm disease can also be ultimately detected if your dog develops an erratic heartbeat or has an irregular ECG. Unfortunately, the treatment of heartworm disease can be extremely perilous for a dog. An infected dog is injected by the vet with a highly toxic poison to destroy the parasites. The dog has to be closely monitored over a number of days and in some instances repeat injections may be needed. The major worry with heartworm is that all the worms are killed en masse and clog the coronary arteries causing a cardiac arrest. Of course, there is also the danger of adverse reactions to the medication itself. Like every disease prevention is the best form of cure. Heartworm preventatives can be readily obtained from your vet with a prescription. However, before preventative medication can be prescribed your dog will have to undergo a blood test to determine that the dog is not infected with the parasite. Preventative medication can come in pill form or as a topical application. Many dog owners prefer the pill as it is flavored and easy to give as a treat or to mix with a meal. It is important to keep all forms of the medication well out of reach of your dog to prevent an accidental overdose. What is not generally realized is that a course of heartworm preventive treatment is in fact a scaled down version of the actual treatment given to a dog suffering the full blown disease. When your dog receives a course of preventative treatment, it destroys any larvae that the dog has been exposed to the previous month before they have had the chance to mature and attack the heart. It is considered prudent to give your dog a heartworm preventative all the year round. Most oral heartworm treatments such as Heartguard or Interceptor have the added benefit of destroying a number of other intestinal parasites that you dog may have picked up. Of course, it would help if we could reduce the number of carriers of the parasite. If the area in which you live is mosquito prone, have your yard sprayed on a regular basis. Be careful not to leave filled water containers lying around as they make a perfect environment for breeding mosquitoes. If your property contains a pond, think about having the water treated with a suitable insecticide or have a pump put in to circulate the water. When out walking with your dog keep away from marshland or areas containing swamps as these are the main breeding grounds of mosquitoes. These preventative measures will go a long way to protect your dog against heartworm this summer. You will not regret it
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