Mosquitos make heartworms a year-round threat
Q: My wife and I moved here from California last year. I brought my Goldendoodle to the vet last week, and they were telling me about heartworms – the pills, the testing, all that. We never did this in California. Is this really a thing?
P.R., Lenoir City, TN
A: Welcome to East Tennessee. And yes, heartworms here really are ‘a thing’. Transmission of heartworms is dependent on a bite from a mosquito; due to our warm and humid climate, mosquitos can be present year-round here. My assumption is that you moved from an arid region of California, which had fewer mosquitos. Heartworm disease has been documented in all 50 states, but the risk in California is much lower.
Heartworms are spread from mosquitoes infected with heartworms, which that mosquito, in turn, acquired from another dog (or coyote). If an infected mosquito bites your dog, it basically injects microscopic heartworm larvae into your dog. If your pet is on heartworm preventative, that microscopic larvae will die.
For pets that are not on heartworm preventative, that larva instead will grow inside them. The larva matures in approximately six months to become an adult, moving into the heart and surrounding large vessels. There are male and female heartworms, and they reproduce to make the heartworm infection worse. Undetected and untreated, heartworm disease will lead to congestive heart failure and death.
It only takes one mosquito to transmit heartworms. At our office, we diagnosed three cases this week. Please talk to your veterinarian about heartworm medication for your dog; options include a monthly pill or an injection that lasts one year. Your dog’s blood should be tested yearly to ensure they remain heartworm negative. Like so many diseases, prevention and/or early detection is key. For more information, www.heartwormsociety.org is a great resource.
If you have questions about your pet, please email Dr. Myers at lenoircityac@gmail.com
