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Keep
Your Dog Safe From Heartworms
Auburn, July 20---Recent
reports in Alabama and surrounding states of equine encephalitis and
West Nile virus, which are spread by mosquitoes, have alerted many
people to the problems mosquitoes can bring.
Pet owners need to be
reminded that the heartworm parasite is also transmitted through the
bite of mosquitoes, says Dr. Byron Blagburn, a parasitologist with
the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. Big or small,
long-haired or short-haired, an indoor or outdoor pet, all dogs, no
matter what breed, are susceptible to heartworms.
Heartworms are internal
parasites that live and breed primarily in the heart and pulmonary
(lung) blood vessels of infected dogs.
The heartworm lifecycle
begins when a mosquito picks up the immature worms, called
microfilaria, from an infected animal's bloodstream. Once inside the
mosquito, these microfilaria develop into larval form that can
infect dogs.
A mosquito infected with
the heartworm larvae feeds upon an uninfected dog, transmitting the
larvae to the dog. These larvae migrate through the dog's body until
they reach the heart, where they mature into adults and begin
producing microfilaria.
Common signs of
heartworms in dogs include coughing, difficulty breathing and
inability to exercise. These signs are usually not seen until the
disease is in its advanced stages.
The first step toward
protecting your dog is to call your veterinarian and arrange for a
heartworm blood test. It's important to have your dog tested before
starting a protective program because preventative drugs can be
harmful when given to an infected dog.
If your dog has
heartworms, treatment to eliminate the infection is available but is
expensive. It can also cause severe side effects. Since the disease
is usually severe when discovered, some damage may be irreversible.
Most veterinarians
recommend that pet owners keep their dogs on a year-round heartworm
program since some mosquitoes can survive the winter. This also
ensures that pet owners don't forget to initiate prevention measures
in the spring.
Dr. Blagburn says
although a dog has been on a preventative program all year, it
should still be tested annually for heartworms, usually in the
spring. The cost of prevention is only a fraction of the cost of
treating a dog for heartworm disease.
SOURCE: Dr. Byron
Blagburn, a Parasitologist with the Auburn University College of
Veterinary Medicine, (334) 844-2702
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