Heartworms a Year-round Threat on Western Slope
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Elaine Matthews, Account Manager
RSW Partners
970-257-9580
Elaine@rswpartners.com
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (March 16, 2011) – Contrary to popular belief, heartworm season never ends on the Western Slope. Due to the area's temperate climate, mosquitoes can be seen at various times all year long, and mosquitoes are what transmit heartworm disease.
"If you haven't been giving your dog or cat heartworm medication, now's definitely the time to start," Tiara Rado Animal Hospital Veterinarian Dr. Bob Marquis said. "Our temperatures are above freezing and the warmer temperatures cause the otherwise dormant mosquito eggs and pupae to hatch and become active."
Infective larvae are deposited into your pet's skin via the bite of an infected mosquito. The larvae then migrate through the tissues for the next 100 days, at which time it enters the vascular system and matures in the pulmonary arteries and heart. The heartworm preventative, if given every 30 days, will effectively kill the larvae during the tissue stage before they ever migrate tot the heart and mature.
"This is the reason heartworm preventatives are given once a month," Marquis said. "The medication kills the immature heartworm that's going through the skin."
What are symptoms of heartworm disease?
- Decrease in exercise tolerance
- Chronic cough as the disease progresses
- Weight loss
- Lethargy due to pneumonia
- Signs of congestive heart disease
- Cats will have sneezing and coughing episodes, may eat less and become more isolated
How do you prevent heartworm disease?
- Administer heartworm preventatives correctly and on time
- If a monthly heartworm preventative is given year around, annual heartworm testing is no longer necessary.
Heartworm prevention is easier than ever with monthly oral medication that is combined with intestinal wormers that can also inhibit the hatching of flea eggs.
If your dog does contract heartworm disease, it is treatable. Unfortunately, the disease is not treatable for cats due to the toxicity of the treatment.
About Tiara Rado Animal Hospital
Tiara Rado Animal Hospital is a full-service, small animal veterinary hospital serving the Western Slope since 1983. In addition to complete preventative health care, Tiara Rado offers in-depth diagnostic services and it's one of the few western Colorado practices to provide a full-range of surgical services. Dr. Bob Marquis, Dr. Frank Coons, Dr. Julie Becker and the staff are committed to your family's pet and strive to provide the most complete care. To learn more about Tiara Rado Animal Hospital visit www.tiararadoanimalhospital.com or join in the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/trahospital.
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