The month of April arrived with more light, increased temperatures and more time outdoors. Spending more time outside increases your risk of illness. petsso it is an ideal time to be attentive to the heartworm disease (cardiac filariasis) of your pet so you can take preventive measures.
Pets get heartworm disease from mosquitoes, and many cases occur near places with large water bodies.
“The most common signs of cardiac filariasis in dogs are coughing, exercise intolerance, episodes of collapse or fainting, loss of appetite and weight loss,” said Dr. Erin Katribe, director of National Veterinary Programs at Best Friends Animal Society. . “Infection is less common in cats, but the illness can present as an asthma-like cough.”
Dr. Katribe offered the following facts to help educate pet owners about preventing this disease.
- Keep dogs and cats on a preventive medication year-round, regardless of location, because cardiac filariasis is becoming more common nationwide.
- Even if a dog tests negative without being on preventatives, it could still test positive in six months as it takes that long to develop and be visible on standard tests.
- If a dog tests positive, it is important to understand that most dogs go through treatment without complications. The treatments used today are much safer than those used in previous generations, so this disease should no longer carry a stigma.
- Many shelters struggling with overcrowding in the south of the country are the same shelters with a high prevalence of heartworms. Unfortunately, dogs that test positive for cardiac filariasis are the first to be euthanized when capacity becomes an issue, so they are an at-risk population in those shelters. This disease does not directly transfer to other pets in the household, so there is no reason not to temporarily foster or adopt a positive dog.
- Cats can also get cardiac filariasis, and there is currently no treatment for it. Cats should also be on preventatives, especially in endemic areas.
“If you have the ability to help a pet diagnosed with heartworms, take them into your home, adopt them or foster them temporarily,” Katribe said. “The cardiac filariasis treatment process is not as difficult as it used to be, and you will be helping a pet who really needs you.”
To learn more about cardiac filariasis or to open your home to a pet in need, visit salvaunamascota.org
Information about Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society is the leading animal welfare organization working to end the practice of euthanizing dogs and cats in shelters across the United States by 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends pioneered the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals euthanized in shelters from approximately 17 million per year to 400,000. Best Friends runs life-saving programs across the country and has the largest sanctuary in the country. Working closely with a network of around 4,600 partners dedicated to promoting animal welfare, Best Friends is working to save all pets, Save Them All.
Social networks
Facebook: @bestfriendsanimalsocietyenespanol
Instagram: bestfriends_enespanol
