What is heartworm?
The heartworm is a parasitic worm about the size of thin spaghetti. When an animal is infected with the worm, it lives free-floating in the right ventricle of the heart and nearby blood vessels. The parasites are transmitted from one animal to another by mosquitoes. The first written canine documentation was in the, “Western Journal of Medicine” in 1847. The first documented cat infection was in the early 1900’s. The normal host for heartworm are dogs. Heartworms can live in animals other than dogs, but often have a shorter life, vary in size, or end up in odd locations due to aberrant migration. This is true of heartworm infections in cats. Some of the other animals that can acquire heartworm include wolfs, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, tigers, muskrats, raccoons, ferrets, otters, bears, horses, orangutans, gibbons, sea lions, and also …....humans.
Heartworm is usually diagnosed through a blood test, but the worm needs to be mature (about 6 months after entering to the pet's body) to be detectable through antigen testing. Female worms must be present for accurate test results. Cats also can get infected with heartworm. Until about 5 years ago it was believed that cats infected with heartworm are rare, but new studies show that it's more common than previously believed. There is no accurate test yet for cats, but it is in the works. Unfortunately, many cat heartworm infections are overlooked since feline heartworm disease does not commonly present with the same symptoms as dogs and the signs and symptoms look and act like other cat diseases. One worm in the cat's heart can cause sudden cardiac death or sudden (acute) respiratory signs that are indistinguishable from asthma without a medical work up.
Preventative medications
Dogs 7 months and older should be tested each year with a simple blood test. Dogs younger than 7 months but older than 8 weeks can be put on a preventative medication without testing. The most common preventative medication is Heartguard, a once-a-month chewable pill. In heavily infested areas (i.e. parts of Texas, Florida etc.) veterinarians recommend using it all year around. In the northern states with shorter mosquito seasons and less reports, it is usually recommended to use Heartguard between April and October. Holistic veterinarians try to avoid animals ingesting chemicals so many recommend using Black Walnut capsules on a daily basis as a preventative and also in addition to Heartguard. Please ask your veterinarian about your best preventative options and have your dog tested every April.
There is a low-cost clinic held the first and third Friday of each month from 8 to 11:30am and 1 to 4pm in Santa Fe at the Santa Fe Animal Shelter's Spay/Neuter & Wellness Clinic (next to the Outback Steakhouse). Their contact info: 505-474-6422 at 2570-B Camino Entrada . No appointment is necessary, but please be on time. They charge $15 for a heartworm test.
{End}
Posts
Cats and dogs naturally gravitate to cool dry places during warm months - out of the path of mosquitoes. However, mosquitoes still bite animals on heartworm pills. The key is to get the blood of the pet in a healthy enough condition that the mosquitoes won't want it.
ReplyDeleteMosquitoes are a parasite. Herbs that have anti-parasitic properties will discourage not only mosquitoes, but fleas and ticks also.
Herbs such as Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), Clove Flower Buds (Eugenia caryophyllata), Garlic (Allium sativum), Spearmint Herb (Mentha spicata), Turmeric Root (Curcuma longa), Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), and Wormwood (Artemisia annua) are examples of what can be used to formulate an effective preventative and as part of a treatment program.