Laurie Anne Walden, DVM April is Heartworm Awareness Month. How much do you know about this infection? Check out the questions, then scroll down for the answers. 1. How are heartworms transmitted? a. By mosquitoes b. By eating raw meat c. Through the feces of infected animals d. By vampires 2. About how many dogs tested positive for heartworm in North Carolina in 2017? a. 90 b. 900 c. 9000 d. 90,000 3. Adult heartworms grow to what length in a dog’s heart? a. 3 inches b. 6 inches c. 9 inches d. 12 inches 4. In addition to dogs, which animals can get heartworms? a. Cats b. Ferrets c. Both d. Neither 5. True or false: Dogs should receive heartworm preventives through the winter. a. True b. False 6. You forgot your dog’s monthly heartworm pill and now it’s a month overdue. What should you do? a. Have your dog tested for heartworms before giving the pill. b. Give your dog the pill now. c. Give your dog a double dose. d. Panic. 7. True or false: Heartworm preventives sold over the counter at pet stores work just as well as the prescription versions. a. True b. False c. Unfair trick question 8. Which state is free of heartworms? a. Maine b. Alaska c. Wisconsin d. None of the above Answers 1. a. By mosquitoes Mosquitoes pick up tiny heartworm larvae, called microfilariae, when they take a blood meal from an animal infected with adult heartworms. When the mosquito bites another animal, it injects these larvae into the new host. The larvae mature into adult heartworms in the new host in about 6 months. 2. c. 9000 According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council, 9457 dogs tested positive for heartworms in 2017 in North Carolina. This number has been increasing each year. To see more parasite statistics, see the Parasite Prevalence Maps on the Pets & Parasites website. 3. d. 12 inches Adult heartworms grow about 12 inches long in dogs. Infected dogs typically have 14 to 20 of these foot-long worms in their heart and lungs. 4. c. Both Both cats and ferrets get heartworm disease. In cats, heartworms do not grow as large as they do in dogs and are usually fewer in number. However, heartworm infection can be devastating in cats, potentially causing severe respiratory disease or sudden death. In ferrets, even a single worm can cause serious illness because ferrets’ hearts are so small. Medical options for heartworm removal (like those used in dogs) cannot be used in cats and ferrets. Heartworm preventives are available for cats and ferrets. 5. a. True For best protection, the American Heartworm Society recommends year-round heartworm prevention for all dogs, not just for dogs in southern states. Also, think of this: for several days this past February, the temperature in Charlotte was 75°F or higher. Do you want to risk your pet’s health by guessing what the mosquitoes here consider “winter”? 6. b. Give your dog the pill now. But do not give a double dose! Have your dog tested 6 months after missing a pill. The test detects adult heartworms, not larvae, so the test result will not be positive until the larvae have had time to mature. 7. b or c. False; unfair trick question All heartworm preventives approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in dogs and cats are available only by prescription. Deworming medications that are available over the counter (without a prescription) either don’t prevent heartworms or are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in dogs and cats. 8. d. None of the above Heartworms have been diagnosed in all 50 states. For more information, see the American Heartworm Society website. Laurie Anne Walden, DVM Hookworms are common in dogs and cats, especially young animals in warm climates. These parasites are also zoonotic: hookworms that infect dogs and cats can also infect people. What are hookworms? Hookworms are small parasitic worms that live in the intestines of host animals. Different hookworm species have different preferred hosts. Hookworm larvae can also infect other animals—accidental hosts—that they happen to come in contact with. The symptoms of infection depend on whether the infected animal is a preferred host or an accidental host. Adult hookworms in the intestines lay eggs that are passed out of the body through feces. Once in the environment, the eggs hatch into larvae. Larvae enter a new host’s body by penetrating the skin. Preferred hosts can also be infected by swallowing hookworm larvae, such as by eating contaminated dirt. Puppies can be infected through their mother’s milk. In preferred hosts, hookworm larvae migrate to the intestines, where they grow into adult worms that reproduce and lay eggs. In accidental hosts, hookworm larvae cause a local reaction where they have penetrated the skin, but they do not mature and reproduce. Hookworm infection in dogs and cats The hookworm species that most often infect dogs and cats are Ancylostoma caninum, Uncinaria stenocephala, Ancylostoma tubaeforme, and Ancylostoma braziliense. These worms attach to the lining of the intestines and feed on blood. Infection can cause anemia from blood loss, which can be fatal in young puppies and kittens carrying large numbers of worms. Symptoms of hookworm infection in dogs and cats depend on the number of worms and the age, size, and overall health of the infected animal.
A number of effective, safe medications are available to treat hookworm infections in dogs and cats. Young animals with severe anemia may need blood transfusions. Hookworm infection in people Humans can be infected by dog and cat hookworms if they come in contact with larvae in the environment—for example, by walking barefoot on sand or soil contaminated with hookworm larvae. The larvae burrow into the skin, causing an itchy skin reaction called cutaneous larva migrans. The larvae live only a few weeks in humans, so the symptoms may resolve on their own (contact your health care provider if you have more questions). Humans are the preferred hosts for 2 hookworm species: Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. These hookworms are a major source of human disease worldwide and were once common in the southeastern United States. Preventing hookworms Because dog and cat hookworms cause serious disease in animals and are also a health risk for people, preventing hookworm infections in our pets is important for both animal and human health. The Companion Animal Parasite Council recommends the following for dogs and cats:
The CDC recommends these steps to prevent zoonotic hookworm infections in people:
For more information Hookworms (PDF from Worms & Germs Blog) Hookworms – Dog Owners and Cat Owners (Companion Animal Parasite Council) Zoonotic hookworm FAQs (CDC) Photo by Andrew Pons Laurie Anne Walden, DVMYou probably know that ticks carry Lyme disease. But did you know that ticks also transmit other diseases that can make your pet seriously ill? People and pets get the same tick-transmitted diseases. These diseases are not directly contagious between humans and animals (you won't catch Lyme disease from an infected dog), but we are all exposed to the same ticks outdoors. And one recent study showed that people with pets were more likely than those without pets to find ticks on themselves. Rocky Mountain spotted fever According to the CDC, North Carolina has one of the highest rates of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (in humans) in the country. The disease is caused by a type of bacteria called rickettsia. It is usually transmitted from a tick to its host within a few hours of tick attachment. Symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in dogs generally begin a few days to two weeks after transmission. Some of the signs in dogs are fever, loss of appetite, joint pain (lameness or stiff gait), vomiting, and bruising of the skin or gums. It is potentially fatal but can be treated with antibiotics. Ehrlichiosis Like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis is a rickettsial infection. The Companion Animal Parasite Council reports that in 2016, over 16,000 dogs in North Carolina had positive antibody tests for ehrlichiosis--that is, they had been exposed to the bacteria at some point in their lives. The symptoms of ehrlichiosis in dogs and cats depend partly on the rickettsia species and are similar to those of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Dogs can also be infected without showing any symptoms. This disease is also treated with antibiotics. Lyme disease Lyme disease, also called borreliosis, is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. It is not as common in North Carolina as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis, although dogs do test positive here. (These tests do not show where the exposure occurred; some dogs may been exposed elsewhere and then traveled here.) The Companion Animal Parasite Council warns that the disease is spreading and that North Carolina and other states bordering typical Lyme disease areas may start to see more cases. Borrelia are transferred from tick to host a day or more after tick attachment. Symptoms of Lyme disease vary, although fever and lameness that shifts from one leg to another are typical. The symptoms can be similar to those of other tick-borne diseases. Some dogs have no signs of infection. This disease can affect the kidneys, heart, and nervous system and may be fatal. Like the other bacterial tick-borne diseases, Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. A vaccine is also available. Tick paralysis Some ticks produce a toxin that causes paralysis. The symptoms range from weakness (usually beginning in the rear legs) to a complete inability to move. In severe cases the patient can die from paralysis of the muscles that control breathing. Removing all ticks may be enough to cure the disease. However, some dogs require intensive treatment in the hospital. And others Ticks carry many other known diseases, such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and tularemia, and probably some that have yet to be identified. Because tick-borne diseases infect animals as well as people, dogs can act as sentinels for these types of diseases in humans. For instance, a CDC report published in 2011 showed that the incidence of Lyme disease in dogs could predict the risk of Lyme disease for humans in the same geographic area. To learn more Parasite prevalence maps (Pets & Parasites) Tick removal (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Ticks (Companion Animal Parasite Council) -- guidelines for controlling ticks on pets August 3, 2017 Image credit: CDC/James Gathany |
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The contents of this blog are for information only and should not substitute for advice from a veterinarian who has examined the animal. All blog content is copyrighted by Mallard Creek Animal Hospital and may not be copied, reproduced, transmitted, or distributed without permission.
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