Heartworms, fleas and ticks, oh my!

Heartworms, fleas, and ticks, oh my!

What is heartworm disease? 

     

Heartworm disease is a very serious and oftentimes fatal disease caused by a foot-long worm residing in the heart, lung, and blood vessels associated with those organs. This can cause severe damage to those organs including heart failure and severe lung disease. Dogs are natural hosts for these worms. Being natural hosts means these worms live inside the dog mature into adults, mate, and produce offspring. If untreated, the number of worms can increase and cause blockages which can lead to these diseases. For such reason, heartworm prevention is the best option, and why we recommend protection year-round. 

How is it transmitted? 

    

Mosquitoes play a key role in the transfer of heartworms. Adult females living in an infected canine or feline produce baby worms called microfilaria which can circulate in the bloodstream. When a mosquito bites, it takes about these microfilariae to develop and mature to the infective stage for about 10-14 days. Once infected, when the infected mosquito bites another dog or cat, the larvae infect and enter the new host through that bite. Once mature, these worms can live for as long as 7 years in dogs and up to 3 years in cats before showing any signs or symptoms. 

Recommendations: 

    

We recommend heartworm prevention year-round. During the annual exam, we offer a blood-borne parasite screening that tests for the presence of heartworm, Lyme, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma. The last 3 are tick-borne diseases. Make sure you ask your vet about heartworm disease and prevention during your next annual exam.

Fleas and ticks: 

Fleas and ticks are a few of the common external parasite concerns in our companion animals. Fleas can live for as few as 12 days and as long as a year. During this time they can produce millions of offspring. Symptoms of fleas can include droppings of flea dirt, flea eggs, excessive itching and scratching, hair loss and scabs, and hot spots. Fleas like having a warm body to live in, especially when it comes to cooler weather. They thrive in 65 to 80-degree weatherFleas are usually found outside. Adult fleas spend most of their lives on the animal, laying eggs in fur. Prevention is the best option. 

Ticks are parasites that feed on unlucky host animals such as cats and dogs. Species and certain disease transmissions vary based on where you live. Therefore, check with your vet about the best kind of prevention. Most species of ticks require blood meals from hosts to survive. When ticks bite, they bury their head into the host's skin and engorge on blood to survive. Ticks prefer to attach close to the head, neck, ears, and feet of pets but can be found anywhere on the body. Ticks are particularly prominent in warm climates and certain areas of the Northeast. Some complications that can arise with tick-borne diseases include anemia, paralysis (lameness), and Lyme disease. 

Recommendation: 

   

We recommend flea and tick prevention from early spring until late November/ early December, usually based on the weather. As previously mentioned, these fleas and ticks thrive in 65 to 80-degree weather. Once the first snowfall hits are a good time to stop giving the preventative, however, be mindful these parasites can still be living on other warm bodies. Be cautious when around other dogs or cats, fleas and ticks can still be living on them. Chances are if you're finding fleas during winter, most likely from another dog or cat, your pet came across.