April is National Heartworm Awareness Month and to encourage owners to test for heartworms, Independence Small Animal Clinic is offering 15% off of heartworm tests along with 5% off of the purchase of 6 months of heartworm prevention, and 10% off of 12 months of prevention. Knowing the heartworm status of your dog is the first step in providing prevention, and protecting your dog from this deadly disease.
Heartworm disease can kill your dog. It is something that is easily preventable, but many people do not understand the risks their dogs face.
<– This picture shows mature heartworms in the heart of a dog that died from complications of heartworm disease.
First, let’s discuss what heartworm disease is. Heartworms are transmitted via mosquitos. After a bite from an infected mosquito,heartworm larvae migrate through the tissue. After three months, they enter the bloodst
ream and end up in the pulmonary artery of the heart. Left untreated, larvae can grow into adult worms in just over 6 months (reaching one foot in length!)—leading to heart, lung, liver, kidney damage and eventually death.
As we all know, mosquitoes are constantly around in our small Texas town. Especially with the not-so-winter “winter” that we had, we know that all types of bugs are going to be out in full force. This raises the chances that your dog will be bit by a mosquito that has fed on another dog that has heartworms, and will transmit them to your dog.
It is frustrating to see how many dog owners do not think that heartworms will affect their pet, when the numbers are out there to prove that it more than likely will affect them. According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council, 19.38% of all heartworm positive cases in the United States are in Texas. Here is a map showing the prevalence of heartworm disease in Cooke County.
Have you seen 11 dogs today while you were out driving somewhere in town? One of them is heartworm positive in Cooke County. Luckily, prevention is very affordable and easy. This past Saturday I was in an appointment with a client with two dogs, that they weren’t planning on heartworm testing because they had been on prevention off and on. I explained the importance of keeping them on prevention EVERY SINGLE MONTH, and they decided to test. Unfortunately, both dogs tested heartworm positive. It is heartbreaking to see the owner’s reaction when they learn their dog is positive, and most owners feel a sense of guilt when they realize how affordable monthly prevention is.
We do not want any owner to ever feel guilty for not doing something. This is why we always try to give our clients all of the different options we can offer. We want you to feel knowledgeable and informed, and able to make the best decisions for your pet’s health. Remember, when we look at your pets, we are seeing our pets at home waiting for us. The reason we are in this industry is because we love animals, so we always want what is best for them. And we all know that owners love their animals the same way we love ours, they are just not as informed as we are. So this is why we have started this blog.
Let’s discuss a few myths about heartworms that we generally hear on a daily basis at the clinic.
Myth #1: “My dog lives inside, so I don’t have to worry about them getting heartworms”.
Ever leave the door open while you’re bringing in groceries? Or crack a window open? Mosquitoes have to feed on blood to survive, so they are very good at finding something to feed on. They actually pick up the carbon dioxide that all living things exhale, and use that as a map to find us to have a meal. Even if your dog never goes outside, and uses potty pads in the house, there is not a house out there that has never had a mosquito in it.
Myth #2: “I only need to keep my dog on heartworm prevention during the hot months of the year”.
Another downfall of the heat aspect of Texas is that it never really gets so cold as to kill off all mosquitos. While we may have a few weeks of freezing temperatures (except for this last winter), there are multitudes of mosquitoes just waiting for the temperatures to climb above freezing to come out to attack. We always recommend to keep your dog on Heartworm prevention year round. Also, our heartworm preventions also prevent parasites (which I wrote about a last month, if you missed it, take a look here: Parasite Prevention Month ). That added protection is great for year round prevention of parasites AND heartworms.
Myth #3: “If I have my dog on heartworm prevention, I don’t need to ever test for heartworm infection”.
It is important to always know the status of your dog. Even if you miss one month of heartworm prevention, it is possible for your dog to become heartworm positive. Knowing their status is critical to treatment.
Myth #4: “It’s just as cheap to treat heartworms as to prevent it”.
This is completely FALSE! Treatment for heartworms is not only expensive, but it can be dangerous, and is painful for your dog. They have to have immiticide (a type of arsenic) injections into their back in three doses spread out over two months. They must be strictly kenneled (for approximately 3 months) and not allowed to run or get excited as they run the risk of possibly suffering from a blood clot in their lungs that could kill them. Not only is it a painful process, but many dogs become depressed. They don’t understand why they aren’t allowed to play with you or run anymore. We had a small Yorkie in for heartworm treatment a few weeks ago. I went to get her out of her kennel to take her on a short leash walk to potty, and when I lifted her up (by the belly), she screamed like I had stabbed her. Aside from scaring me, it broke my heart. She was in a lot of pain from her injection, and even though I didn’t touch her back, simply lifting her up put her in pain. When we have dogs in the hospital for treatment, they spend a lot of time in their kennels just trying to find a comfortable position to lie down. Of course they are given pain medication, but it doesn’t make the pain completely disappear. Why put your dog through that when you can keep them on heartworm prevention for less than $10 a month?
What this all comes down to is PREVENTION! Prevention is key. It could save a lot of heartache (and not to mention cash), just to protect your beloved dog from heartworms.
If you don’t currently have your dog on a heartworm prevention, or have not tested for 
heartworms, give the clinic a call. We would be happy to see you and your dog, answer any questions you might have, and help you get on the right track with a monthly prevention. Use this month and the specials we are running as a time to finally take that step and give your dog the best care you can offer by protecting them from this deadly disease. Your dog will thank you for it.
-Your Veterinary Technician
Independence Equine & Small Animal Clinic 