Heartworm

Heartworm, as the name implies, is a parasite that lives in blood vessels close to your dog's heart. It is transmitted by several species of mosquitoes. Left untreated, dogs may develop serious, sometimes fatal, heart disease.

The mosquito bites an infected dog and sucks up heartworm larvae that travel in the bloodstream. These larvae incubate for a period of time in the mosquito, and are injected into the next dog that the mosquito bites. Thus the parasites travel from dog to dog within an area carried by mosquitos.

This disease originated in the southern United States but has made its way to areas of Canada. Recently there were dogs in Seattle that tested positive for heartworm. There has been an occasional positive test in dogs in the lower mainland over the last 5 years.

Heartworm is definitely easier to prevent than to treat. If a dog has a confirmed heartworm infection it has to be treated with a drug that contains arsenic, which will kill the adult worms. As the worms die, they can cause dangerous hearth problems. The dog must be hospitalized during the treatment period. There is a significant risk of dying from the treatment.

Prevention is much easier. The preventive medication (Interceptor™) comes in a tablet that is given once a month. There is a medication available that combines Interceptor™ with Program™ for fleas, all in one monthly pill called Sentinel™.

Consider the following when deciding whether or not to use preventive medication for your dog:

1. The risk of heartworm developing in an area is related to the number of unprotected dogs (not those on preventive medication). To keep our area low-risk, we need to have as many dogs as possible on preventive medication.

2. Testing and preventive medication is not expensive. Our price is $68.60 - $75.46 depending on which test Dr. Taylor recommends.

3. Prevention is safer and less costly than treatment for heartworm disease.

4. Coyotes, wolves, and foxes can all carry heartworm in an area.

5. The southern Okanagan Valley will always be a HIGH risk area. Any dog travelling through this area should be on preventive medication.

Other high risk areas in Canada include Winnipeg area, southern Ontario, and southern Quebec. High risk area in the United States include all of the southern and eastern states. It is considered very unwise to take your dog to any of theses areas without giving preventive medication.

It is always advisable to call ahead to a veterinary clinic in an area that you may be interested in visiting, and ask what the heartworm status is in their area.

For an interactive map of heartworm prevalence in North America, click on this link.

Questions?  Please contact us!