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 For
your dog pets to enjoy time with you, they must always be in good health. Like
you, if the pets are feeling pain they are unable to feel the mood of having
fun!
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 Heartworm
disease
Heartworm is a parasitic
disease that can affect any dog regardless of age, sex or habitat.
It is found in virtually all parts of the United States and many
parts of Canada. Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes, and tends to
have a higher incidence in areas heavily populated by mosquitoes.
Dogs are considered the most common host for heartworms, however
heartworms may also infect more than thirty species of animals (including
coyotes, foxes, wolves, domestic cats, ferrets) and even humans,
though transmission from animal to human (zoonotic infection) is
extremely rare.
 Heartworms
are parasites that live in the blood of a dog’s heart and adjacent
blood vessels. They can grow from four to twelve inches in length,
reach maturation one year after infection and live for approximately
five to seven years. Adult heartworms living in the heart produce
offspring, known as microfilariae, which circulate in the animal’s
blood. When a female mosquito bites an infected animal, it sucks
out the blood containing the microfilariae. When the mosquito bites
another pet, the infected larvae are transmitted. In many cases
the infected dog will not show symptoms in the early stages.
Heartworm is the most serious
common parasite for dogs because it stresses the dog’s heart by
restricting blood flow and also damages other internal organs. The
heart may enlarge and become weakened due to an increased workload,
and congestive heart failure may occur. Left untreated, the disease
can be fatal to dogs.
Blood screening tests can
verify the presence of heartworms. Radiographs and x-rays are used
to detect the disease in its later stages. Prompt detection prevents
needless suffering.
Heartworm
treatment and prevention
The good news is that most
dogs with heartworm can be successfully treated, usually with drugs
(adulticide, microfilaricide) that kill adult heartworms and their
offspring. But prevention is the best cure - it’s safer, less expensive,
and better for your pet!
There are a variety of options
for preventing heartworm infection, including an injectable, monthly
topicals and monthly chewable tablets. Preventative medications
are extremely effective and when given properly, on a regular basis,
can completely prevent your pet from contracting heartworm. But
remember, year-round heartworm protection is as good as your diligence
in remembering to give your pet the prescribed medication, as directed
by your veterinarian!
Canine
heartworm symptoms include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Coughing
- Fatigue, a dog that tires
easily
- Listlessness
- Weight loss
- Rough hair coat.
Ask
your veterinarian
 Because
of the regional and climate-dependant nature of the heartworm cycle,
it is crucial to consult your veterinarian before giving any medication
to your pet. Your veterinarian is your best reference, with expert
knowledge of the heartworm cycle and transmission patterns in your
region, along with the individual health and activity profile of
your dog. Before starting a preventive program, all dogs that could
possibly be affected with mature heartworms should be tested as
preventive medicines may cause severe reactions in dogs that are
already hosts to adult heartworms. A dog that is on a preventive
medicine should be tested routinely to ensure on going protection-
especially when a dose has been missed or forgotten.
Can you catch
heartworm and other parasites from your pet?
Mosquitoes transmit heartworm,
not pets. Humans are unnatural hosts for heartworm- therefore cases
of infection are rare. Many heartworm preventative medicines for
pets do eliminate other parasites such as hookworms, whipworms and
roundworms, which are more commonly seen in humans. Parasitic infections
that can be transmitted from animals to humans are known as parasitic
zoonoses :
1. Hookworms
In dogs, hookworm infection
occurs through ingestion or skin penetration of hookworm larvae
found in the stools or soil contaminated by feces of an infected
animal. The larvae then develop and migrate to the intestines where
they hook onto the intestinal wall and feast on the host’s blood.
The larvae of hookworms can penetrate the skin and infect humans
through contact with soil or sand contaminated by feces of host
dogs or cats. In a human host, the hookworm larvae do not migrate
to the intestines and become blood-sucking adults as they do in
pets. Instead, they move around under the skin and eventually die
causing an inflammatory skin reaction known as cutaneous larva migrans,
or “creeping eruptions.” It is important to keep your pet free of
hookworms with good hygiene, preventive medication and regular veterinary
check ups. Also, keep stray dogs and cats out of sandboxes and gardening
areas.
2. Roundworms
Roundworms are parasitic
worms that are round in shape, live in the dog’s intestines and
consume partially digested food. Unlike hookworms, they do not attach
to the intestinal wall, but literally swim in their food. Adult
worms resemble spaghetti and may come out in the feces or vomit
of an infected dog. Transmission to dogs is through eggs in feces,
eating a prey animal that is a host (usually rodents), mother’s
milk, or in utero. In dogs, roundworms cause diarrhea, vomiting
and in extreme cases pneumonia and intestinal obstruction. In humans,
roundworms can cause a serious condition known as visceral larva
migrans. Most victims are children who are infected when putting
contaminated fingers into their mouths. Once ingested, the roundworm
larvae, though not in its usual host, tries to complete its lifecycle.
The roundworm gets lost in the human body, usually in the eye, dies
and generates an inflammatory reaction that can cause blindness.
Proper hand washing can prevent infection.
Pet deworming of puppies
and preventive medication will reduce environmental contamination.
3. Whipworms
The only way a dog can contract
whipworms is by ingesting the eggs. When a dog walks on ground infected
by eggs, they are picked up on the paws and travel into the mouth
when he licks his paws or any contaminated toys or food bowls. Whipworm
eggs can survive extreme exterior conditions for months and even
years. Within one to three months after the eggs are swallowed they
hatch in the dog’s intestine, attach to the wall and begin to suck
blood and lay eggs. In dogs, whipworm can cause diarrhea, weight
loss and in some cases, anemia. Whipworm infection in humans is
extremely rare.
Be safe, not
sorry
Children are more prone to
contracting zoonotic parasites, as they tend to kiss and play more
readily with pets. Parasite larvae are shed in the pet’s feces and
may contaminate soil and sand. When children play in the contaminated
areas and place their fingers in their mouths this allows the eggs
to be ingested, causing infection. Hookworm larvae are capable of
infecting a host through penetration of the skin. Be sure to pick
up feces promptly and avoid eating while playing with your pet.
Frequent hand washing, as well as good general hygiene for people
and dogs, is recommended. Routine check ups by your veterinarian
- including a diagnostic test for worms and heartworm –as well as
a physical exam along with medical prevention, will not only keep
your dog healthy but will reduce any risk to you and your family.
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