our advice : ASK DR . CATE
Vet Rap by Dr . Ryan Cate
Keeping Your Pets Safe from Heartworms
By DR . RYAN CATE and MELISSA MOORMAN
Dear Dr . Cate : How do dogs and cats get heartworms ? What can I do to keep our animals safe from contracting this serious illness ?
Heartworms are transmitted to both dogs and cats by mosquito bites , so although you may not have seen a mosquito yet in our part of Texas because of our mild winters , your animals should be on year-round preventative treatment for heartworms .
The American Heartworm Society recommends the yearround use of macrocyclic lactones to prevent heartworm infection . It is likely that your pet has been prescribed one or another drug from this group , possibly by way of a monthly preventative by your veterinarian . These treatments should begin as early as eight weeks in puppies . They also recommend the use of repellents to prevent the bites of mosquitoes , along with environmental measures that reduce mosquito breeding and feeding . These measures include drainage of standing water , environmental treatment for mosquito larvae , and keeping pets indoors during times of the day when mosquito feeding is at its peak .
But in order to spread the heartworms , the mosquito must first bite a carrier animal such as an infected dog , fox , coyote or wolf . Adult female heartworms living in these animals produce microscopic baby worms called microfilaria that circulate in the bloodstream . When a mosquito bites and takes a blood meal from an infected animal , it picks up these baby worms , which develop and mature into “ infective stage ” larvae over a period of 10 to 14 days . Then , when the infected mosquito bites another dog , cat , or susceptible wild animal , the infective larvae are deposited onto the surface of the animal ’ s skin and enter the new host through the mosquito ’ s bite wound . Once inside a new host , it takes approximately six months for the larvae to mature into adult heartworms . Once mature , heartworms can live for five to seven years in dogs and up to two or three years in cats . Because of the longevity of these worms , each mosquito season can lead to an increasing number of worms in an infected pet .
But there is something you can do on top of a monthly preventative . In a recent study , the products that contain
Dinotefuran , Pyriproxyfen , and Permethrin were found to be more than 95 percent effective in preventing the transmission of these baby heartworms from being transmitted to mosquitos . They both kept the mosquitoes from biting and also killed the mosquitoes before they could spread the infection .
A heartworm test is performed at each yearly checkup at your vet . There are few signs in the early stages of the disease . However as the infection persists , you could see lack of appetite , weight loss , fatigue and a persistent cough . Cat symptoms are even more subtle , so many cats are not found to have heartworms until it is too late .
Heartworms are found in every state , and because infected mosquitoes can also come inside , both indoor and outdoor pets are at risk . So utilize the three steps of heartworm prevention by testing for heartworms at least once a year ; giving your pet heartworm prevention every month in the year and using a flea , tick , vector prevention that has Dinotefuran , Pyriproxyfen , and Permethrin as the best way to keep your pets healthy and safe .
APRIL 2018 PARKER COUNTY TODAY
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