Vets Offer Heartworm Disease Prevention Tips to Keep Pets Safe this Spring

Rhinelander, WI (PRWEB) April 10, 2008 -- Heartworms are nasty parasites that can wreak havoc on pets, but are easily prevented. With more than 30 years experience, veterinarians Dr. Race Foster and Dr. Marty Smith, founders of Doctors Foster and Smith, have a great deal of practice dealing with heartworms and offer tips for both the prevention and treatment of this disease.

According to PetEducation.com, a website dedicated to pet care information, heartworms prefer to live in the heart and major arteries leading to the lungs in mammals, including dogs and cats. The disease is more prevalent in dogs than cats, but some veterinarians believe it may be underreported in cats since fewer felines are tested for the parasite. Dr. Smith said adult heartworms can grow to be a foot long and resemble strands of spaghetti. These parasites, which live off of nutrients in the blood, can damage the inside of the heart and restrict its ability to pump blood.

"A worm-infested heart or lung is one of the most grotesque sights," Dr. Smith said. "If pet owners could see just what an advanced case of heartworm infection looks like, no person would ever take lightly the prevention of this disease."

Dr. Foster said mosquitoes are responsible for the spread of heartworms. As female worms mature, they reproduce and release tiny offspring in the bloodstream. The offspring, however, cannot grow to maturity within a pet. They must actually be sucked up by a mosquito, and then grow to a larvae stage within the insect. An infected mosquito then injects the larvae into an unsuspecting pet, where the parasite grows and becomes an adult within six to eight months. The worms can then survive for upwards of seven years if not treated.

"Like other diseases, one infected pet could aid in the spread of heartworms throughout a neighborhood," Dr. Foster said. "So it only takes one unaware pet parent to put many animals at risk."

It has become customary for furry friends to be tested each spring for heartworms. In the test, which must be conducted by a veterinarian, a small amount of blood is drawn from an animal and checked for heartworm antigens. The antigens are only released by adult female worms, so a blood test in spring is actually an indicator of whether or not an animal contracted the parasite the previous summer or fall. Dr. Smith said most veterinarians will remind pet owners each year that it's time for a heartworm test, but owners of new pets taking animals to a veterinarian for the first time may want to inquire specifically about a heartworm test.

Detecting heartworm disease without a blood test is difficult. Dr. Foster said some animals will show no outward sign of a heartworm infection, while others show severe signs of illness. Dogs may develop a cough, become lethargic and weak, and show a loss of appetite and weight. Cats may exhibit some of the same problems, as well as vomiting, rapid breathing and even seizures. These symptoms are, however, not exclusive to heartworm disease and could be signs of numerous other health problems. The best bet is to see a veterinarian immediately if problematic indications arise.

"If yearly heartworm exams are not conducted, the disease may go undetected until it's too late," Dr. Foster warned. "It is not uncommon for us to hear that an untested pet showed no signs of the disease until diagnosed with acute heart failure."

Luckily, many options for avoiding heartworm infection exist, including monthly tablets and topical treatments. These preventative medicines kill heartworm larvae injected by mosquitoes. The medications must be prescribed by licensed veterinarians, but once the prescription has been written it's possible to use an online pet pharmacy, such as the Doctors Foster and Smith Pharmacy, to order heartworm products and have them delivered directly to a home, so pet owners can administer medications themselves and save money. One benefit to shopping at Doctors Foster and Smith Pharmacy online or via catalog is that the company's products are among the lowest priced on the market and for the next few months shipping is free on many heartworm control products.

Saving money through prevention is certainly a consumer issue for pet owners when it comes to dealing with heartworms. Dr. Foster said some preventative medications may cost as little as $70 for an entire year, while treating a full-blown heartworm infestation can cost upward of $1,000 or more.

"This is a classic case of 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,'" Dr. Foster said. "By preventing heartworms, pet owners save a lot of heartache and money. If heartworms go unchecked, they can cause irreversible damage to a pet's organs. Treating those problems is costly. But most importantly, not being an aware pet parent could make your faithful friend very, very sick."

Along with preventative measures and yearly testing, pet owners can take other steps to limit a pet's exposure to heartworm-carrying mosquitoes. Mosquito abatement techniques, such as ridding yards of standing water during warm months, are useful. Dr. Smith also suggests that pets not be left outside or exercised during the hours around sunset or sunrise when mosquitoes are most active.

"The one thing pet owners shouldn't do is use human mosquito repellent on animals," Dr. Smith warned. "Animals will lick human mosquito sprays and ointments, which could cause problems. The best solution is to use flea and tick deterrents designed for pets which also repel mosquitoes."

For more information about heartworms and heartworm prevention, go to DrsFosterSmith.com or PetEducation.com.

###