Dogs & Puppies Blog

Archive for the ‘Parasites’ Category

Year after year, veterinarians brace for a disease that has seriously affected our pets for many years. Yet this affliction is easily preventable by using inexpensive and safe medications. Occurrences of Heartworms both in dogs and cats continue to grow and the expense to begin treating (if detected soon enough) can be much more that the amount to prevent. Consequently, how can you defend your furry friend from the fatal repercussions of this now widespread parasite?

Flash back to 150 years ago when a scientist first detected the heartworm parasite in a dog. Then the parasite evolved and was then discovered within our cats 80 years ago. With heartworm prevention available for both cats and dogs you would reckon that we would experience a decrease in the number of cases, nevertheless every year thousands and thousands of dogs and cats are diagnosed and quite often perish too soon from this dreaded parasite. Many researchers approximate that in North America alone, cases of heartworms in our pets could possibly be in the millions.

The disease brought on by this heartworm living inside your pet’s heart is devastating. Your pet could be infected with the one-time bite of just one mosquito. The worm may then migrate through your pet’s entire body finally taking up residence in your pet’s heart chamber and the blood vessels leading to the lungs. This results in your pet’s heart having to pump harder to circulate the blood through his tiny body. The effects on the lungs is much more serious with many pets gasping for breath as the lungs fill with fluid and tiny blood clots clog the vessels. Early symptoms can include coughing and exercise intolerance that some owners just attribute to the dog being lazy. Often, symptoms do not surface until the disease is well advanced and the dog is suffering from heart failure, fluid accumulation in the lungs and belly which can eventually result in death.

In cats, it takes only one heartworm to result in harm. The early signs are asthma like symptoms and occasionally vomiting that the owners can attribute to hairballs. If that heartworm lodges in the lungs, it may result in a sudden death of the cat.

Treatment for heartworms is pricey ranging from $500 for the smaller dogs, to well over $1500 for the larger breeds. Complicated heartworm disease with heart failure is much more expensive and oftentimes there is only a 10% chance of recovery in the severely affected pets. As of yet, there is no treatment for cat heartworm disease, just supportive care.

Amazingly, veterinarians do have an answer for this problem. Safe, effective heartworm preventatives are available in a variety of easy to use applications. What is even more amazing is that the cost of a lifetime of prevention for many pets is considerably less that the single treatment for the disease. And so, why do pets continue to suffer and die from such a preventable malady?

With all internet myths, two major notions believe, that either the heartworm medications are failing or that the parasites are developing a resistance to the medicines. While conspiracy theorists love these types of ideas, medical proof for either hypothesis is lacking. Heartworm preventives have a failure rate of less than 1 in 1 million doses. Moreover, the complicated life cycle of the heartworm does not lend itself to creating a natural resistance to the drugs. The truth likely lies in the lack of remembrance in the owner to dispense the dose in a timely manner and the climate.

Increasing temperatures in our climate has led to an extended mosquito season and a larger possibility of transmission to our pets. Here in Houston, our mosquito season is all year round. Some areas are now finding significantly more mosquitoes in previously mosquito-free locations. Irrigation of dry areas and increased plantings of trees in certain locations can in fact help to increase mosquito population. With a larger number of mosquitoes, there is a larger chance of transmission of heartworm disease.

When all the facts are analyzed, the simplest reason behind our failure to manage this dangerous parasite falls on the humans themselves. We simply do not supply the preventive as we must. It might be due to forgetfulness, or maybe one husband or wife thought the other one gave it or perhaps it may be a result of the economic conditions along with the monetary limitations imposed on the household. Regardless of what the cause might be, it can trigger serious repercussions for the sake of our pets.

Luckily, as pet lovers, you do have powerful allies to help you combat the war against heartworms. Through the help of your veterinarian, you can pick the best heartworm medication for your pet and your price range. Oral medications, such as Heartgard, Sentinel, and Iverhart can be purchased. There are also topical medications such as Advantage-Multi and Revolution that are formulated to also safeguard your pet from both heartworms and fleas. Proheart 6 is additionally available as a long lasting injection. The prevention of this disease rests entirely on the pet’s owners to make certain the pet will get the prevention before the pet is exposed to the parasite. That means that this prevention must get started in puppy-hood and be provided on a monthly basis, throughout the year.

You should not waste time trying to find “natural” or organic solutions to protect against heartworms; they just do not exist. Many people believe they can formulate ivermectin to give to their pets, but improper dilution and storage can cause overdosing or underdosing. Abide by the advice of your veterinarian and the American Heartworm Society (www.heartwormsociety.org) Your pet is counting on you and prevention is far better and less expensive compared to treatment.

Responsible dog owners should understand the consequences of worms in dogs and the potential harm they can cause to people too. Worms in dogs are internal parasites which can lead to ill health in dogs as well as humans.

Although worms in dogs do cause damage to their health, there are often no symptoms until the damage is already being done. Worms in dogs are undoubtedly hard to spot but look out for vomiting and diarrhea as well as general loss of condition. Roundworms and tapeworms are the two types of worms in dogs.

Roundworms

Pale white or beige in color, roundworms look as though they are coiled like a spring and may grow up to 100mm long. You may be able to see them in your pet’s feces or vomit. The way in which dogs become infected with roundworms is by eating their larvae, allowing adult worms to develop inside the body. Later, new eggs are passed through the dog in his feces, restarting the chain again. The most common form of roundworm, Toxocara Canis, sadly affects the health of people, and notably children. When children ingest eggs as a result of contact with contaminated soil, larvae can grow in their bodies and migrate around the body. If they reach the eyes, the larvae can potentially damage the eyesight. This is one of the main reasons why dog owners should always pick up after their pet.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms look like flat segments filled with moving eggs which look a lot like grains of rice and you might be able to see them in the dog’s feces or around his anus. Dogs become infected with tapeworms by swallowing fleas carrying their larvae whilst grooming. Once inside the dog, the adult worm can grow up to 5 meters in length.

With worms in dogs, as with many conditions, it is true that prevention is better than cure. It is therefore important to ensure your dog is wormed every three months. Young puppies require worming even more regularly than that. You can buy effective worming medication from both pet shops and the vet’s surgery: your vet will be able to advise you which is best.