Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitus) is a deadly parasitic worm that affects your pet’s health, can cause irreversible damage to organs and can be fatal. Heartworm disease is transmitted by infected mosquito’s, the culprit of transporting this deadly worm dog to dog. When bitten by an infected mosquito, the microfilaria (larvae) travel in the blood stream and over approximately 6 months, mature into adult worms as they migrate to the heart, pulmonary artery, lungs, kidneys and surrounding blood vessels.
The adult heartworm can grow up to 30cm long, with hundreds of worms found in one dog! Heartworm disease can cause significant damage to the blood vessels and organs and if left untreated, can lead to heart failure and eventually death.
Clinical Signs
The clinical signs related to the damage done to the blood vessels near the lungs and the heart failure caused by the heartworm include:
- Coughing
- Tiredness
- Weight Loss
- Reduced ability to exercise
- Poor Coat
- Pot Belly
- Weakness
Prevention
Both outdoor and indoor dogs are at risk of heartworm disease with mosquitoes being present inside and outside the home. Your pet can be protected with an effective parasite preventative plan. There are two options:
- A monthly tablet (must be given diligently) OR
- An injection that lasts for 12 months, this can be given as early as 12 weeks of age.
Your pet will require a heartworm test prior to administering a heartworm injection or if heartworm is suspected. This test is run in house and usually takes about 10 minutes.
With the recent and much-needed rainfall, we are unfortunately seeing an increase in heartworm positive cases. We encourage pet owners to ensure their dogs are up-to-date with their heartworm preventatives, either the monthly tablet or the annual injection.
We are currently running a Heartworm Month program, offering free Heartworm test for all dogs who have the Heartworm prevention injection on the same day. This program will be run from beginning of August to the end of September.
If you have any questions about heartworm or would like to check if your dog is on any heartworm prevention, then give our friendly team a call on 07 4987 6800.