by Karen Dugan Holman, B.S., B.S.E., M.S.
Visiting my in-laws in Arkansas was often an educational and entertaining pastime. While driving at dusk, I learned that the large splats on my windshield, resembling an Oklahoma hailstorm with ice as large as baseballs, were just the “skeeters.”
On one occasion, relaxing in my in-laws’ den, I heard the strangest noise, like the neighbors’ house was being doused with a fire hose. “Did anyone hear that noise?” I asked. My mother-in-law, as syrupy sweet as Mayberry’s Aunt Bee, chimed in, “Oh, sweetie, that’s just the skeeter truck.” I peered through the shutters to witness a “skeeter truck” creeping down the street. It was a large city truck that looked like a World War II tank with a gun on top. The “gun” was rotating and spraying a chemical to help control the hummingbird-sized mosquitoes that inhabited the area.
Mosquitoes Transmit Several Diseases
Big things can come in small packages, and mosquitoes pack a dangerous punch. They are considered one of the deadliest threats to humans on the planet, transmitting malaria, West Nile virus, elephantiasis, dengue, yellow fever, and now the Zika virus. Mosquitoes kill more than one million people per year because of malaria alone. But did you know they are also a very dangerous threat to our pets?
When spring rains depart and summer heat and humidity arrive, the population of annoying mosquitoes begins to grow. A mosquito can transmit heartworms to a pet with a single bite. Heartworm disease can result in permanent health issues and is potentially fatal, but it is almost 100 percent preventable in dogs and cats.
Indoor and outdoor dogs should be protected. If you live where mosquitoes thrive, your dog is at high risk for heartworms. When a mosquito bites a dog or cat, the infective larvae are deposited onto the surface of the animal’s skin and enter through the bite wound that the mosquito caused. Once inside the body, it takes approximately six months for the larvae to mature into adult heartworms.
Signs of heartworm disease are a mild, persistent cough, fatigue, decrease of appetite, weight loss, and reluctance to exercise. As the disease progresses, heart failure can develop, and swelling of the belly might be evident. Heartworms can grow to as much as a foot long and can damage the heart. This reduces the heart’s pumping ability, resulting in lung and heart disease.
Heartworms are much more difficult to diagnose in cats. Most heartworm larvae will not survive to adult stage in cats, but they can still cause damage to the respiratory system. Signs of possible heartworm disease in cats are coughing, vomiting, and respiratory distress. Cats can die suddenly from the infection.
Pets Should Be Tested Annually
Any pet exposed to mosquitoes should be tested for heartworms annually. That includes pets that venture outside only occasionally because mosquitoes can make themselves right at home inside your house. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), your veterinarian can perform annual blood tests to detect the presence of adult heartworm infection in your dog. Obtaining the correct diagnosis is critical for determining the correct treatment plan for your pet.
As with most medical problems, it is much better to prevent heartworm infection than to treat it. If your veterinarian finds that your dog does not have heartworms, the animal can start on a preventive treatment plan. Your veterinarian can recommend several FDA-approved preventives available in a variety of formulations. They do not kill adult heartworms and will not eliminate heartworm infection or prevent signs of the disease present in your pet’s body, according to the AVMA.
Prevention is highly cost-effective compared with the cost of treatment. Preventive medication averages $100 to $400 dollars per year.
In northeastern Oklahoma, treatment for a dog who does have heartworms can average $1,000 to $1,200 for a small animal and more than $1,800 to $2,000 for a larger one. Complications can occur, increasing the treatment cost. Treatment for heartworms can be difficult for the dog because movement must be restricted, and the treatment can involve painful injections. The AVMA warns that substantial risk is involved in treating a dog for heartworms.
There is no current treatment for cats with heartworm infections. In our region, you are gambling with your pet’s life without a heartworm preventive.
Don’t forget to help control the pet population and keep our shelters empty. Spay and neuter your pets!
Happy tails, Karen
Three Oaks Animal Behavior Counseling LLC
