April marks the celebration of Heartworm Awareness Month. The purpose of this month is to emphasize the value of early detection and long-term prevention for one of the most common diseases diagnosed by veterinarians. This is common upon pets such as dogs, cats, ferrets, and so forth that can cause serious and potentially fatal health problems. This month is the perfect opportunity to learn about the warning signs of heartworm diseases and what to do.
What is Heartworm?
Heartworm is a disease that affects the blood vessels in the heart, lungs, and other associated blood vessels. Long parasitic worms infiltrate your pets’ body and cause severe damage to their vital organs if not treated quickly. Heartworm affects mammals and are usually carried by feral animals such as wolves, coyotes, foxes, and so forth. These animals can live within close proximity of urban and suburban areas which put your pets at risk.
Transmission of Heartworm
Insects play a key role in the transmission of heartworm disease. When a particular animal is infected with heartworm, the blood stream becomes tainted with bacteria caused from the worms being inside. The insect bites a host animal, then bites a healthy animal which starts the transmission. After the initial bite, the development of the worms inside the new host can take up to six months to take effect.
Symptoms of Heartworm
Like most diseases, symptoms become more and more apparent as the duration of the disease continues. Symptoms vary depending on the type of animal infected but generally, these are the tall tale signs that your pet may be battling heartworm:
• Fatigue after moderate exercise
• Coughing
• Lack of appetite
• Weight loss
• Swollen abdomen
• Fainting
Heartworm Prevention
Unfortunately, there are not major measures of heartworm prevention outside of regular medication and testing. Our experts at Halo House Animal Resort recommend medication to be given to your pet on a scheduled basis to maintain protection against potential heartworm exposure. There are many medications on the market, so it is important to find the one that suits your pet the best without any side effects.
If you suspect that your pet has been exposure to heartworm or may in fact have it, make sure you call your vet and schedule a test to catch the disease before it is too late!