Spring means time to think about heartworm

Spring is in the air, and warm breezes and higher temperatures have taken the place of snow showers and icy sidewalks. Warmer weather also means mosquitoes, which means heartworm prevention for our dogs.

The American Heartworm Society, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association provide information about the parasite and heartworm disease. According to these organizations, heartworm is a preventable, but serious and potentially fatal, parasite that primarily infects dogs, cats and ferrets.

"Heartworm has recently been diagnosed in about 30 species of animals in all 50 states, and affects millions of indoor and outdoor pets," according to the American Animal Hospital Association.

All dogs, regardless of age, sex, or living environment, are susceptible to heartworm infection, notes the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Heartworm can only be transmitted from animal to animal by mosquitoes that are infected with heartworms. One bite and your pet can be infected. The cycle goes like this: When a mosquito bites an infected animal, young heartworms enter into that mosquito's system. In the next two weeks, they develop into infective larvae inside the mosquito. Then the mosquito bites another dog or cat (or other animal) and the infected larvae enter through the bite wound.

Once inside the body, the heartworms develop invisibly within the dog, or other pet, nesting and reproducing, lodging in your animal's lungs and/or right sides of your animal's heart.

The larvae migrate through the animal's body, eventually reaching the blood vessels of the lungs. The immature worms continue to develop and grow into adults, with females growing to lengths of 14 inches. The heartworms damage blood vessels and reduce the heart's pumping ability.

The presence of heartworms in the vital blood vessels of the lungs can cause death. When the animal shows signs of illness due to adult heartworm infection, it's called heartworm disease.

If a dog is recently or mildly infected with heartworms, he may not show any signs of illness until the adult worms have developed in his lungs.

The signs of heartworm disease include a mild, persistent cough, reluctance to move or exercise, lethargy, fatigue after only moderate exercise, reduced appetite, weight loss and difficulty breathing.

The Veterinary Medical Association reports there are numerous diagnostic tests available for your veterinarian to detect the presence of adult heartworm infection in your dog. Antigen tests detect the presence of adult female heartworms and antibody tests determine if your pet has been exposed to heartworms. The antigen test is most commonly performed and is very accurate in dogs.

There is an FDA approved treatment available if your dog becomes infected with heartworms, but there is substantial risk involved in treating dogs for heartworms. However, serious complications are much less likely in dogs that are in good health and when a veterinarian's instructions are followed carefully.

The goal of heartworm treatment is to kill the heartworms present in your dog as safely as possible. When a dog is treated, it's important to consider heartworms are dying inside its lungs. Therefore, while your dog is treated, he will require complete rest throughout hospitalization and for some time following the last treatment.

Other medications may be necessary to help control the body's inflammatory reaction as the worms die and are broken down in the dog's lungs.

The American Heartworm Society reports heartworm infection is almost 100 percent preventable. There are several FDA-approved heartworm preventives available, including daily and monthly tablets, chewables and other formulations. Your veterinarian can recommend the best method of prevention based upon your dog's risk factors and lifestyle.

The American Heartworm Society sums it up: "Heartworms: Agonizing to treat, easy to prevent."

Even after all of the cold weather we've had recently, I did see a mosquito yesterday, so I guess spring has arrived. I'm taking my dog to the veterinarian this week for his heartworm test. Our dogs depend on us to help them stay healthy.

• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is a volunteer nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization with all funds directly assisting its animals. For information, visit thebuddyfoundation.org or call (847) 290-5806.