Yesterday I was finally able to take Danni in for her Heartworm test. We went to the clinic where she was spayed mainly because of the cost, but also because the people there are really great. When Danni saw me take the carrier out of the closet she started to jump around and when I put it down she jumped right in. When we got to the clinic there were a couple big dogs there and one small one, well as soon as anyone would start to bark Danni would let her presence be known by barking and then a deep growl and more barking. This happened every time a new dog would come in AND when the cats arrived oh boy it was loud and ear shattering. But I can say the people at the clinic took it in stride and talked to the dogs who were frightened or needed encouragement. My only fault was with the kitten owners who brought their pets in sans crate or carrier.
Anyway Danni got her test and we are now on our first year of heartworm meds which she hates - it doesn't taste like chicken. Oh and Danni said to tell Auntie DD that she weighs an even 9 pounds. Danni here yeah, but they used the kitty scale to weigh me.
I use a topical treatment for heartworm on Parker as he tends to hold the pills in his mouth, and then I find them hidden in the sofa.
I finally did get Danni to take her pill by hiding it in C-A-T food, but now she's addicted to kitty food.
:2funny: I can just picture her barking at all of them. One thing I do to get Porky to take his pills is I hide it in a small ball of peanut butter. This seems to work really well for him. If I try to hide it in his food, bread, or anything else really... Porky will "sniff" it out and not eat that part. :doah:
Quote from: Marcia from MI on June 04, 2010, 06:42:44 AM
I finally did get Danni to take her pill by hiding it in C-A-T food, but now she's addicted to kitty food.
C-A-T fud is GREAT!!! Go Danni!!
My Herd INHALES anything!! They've digested the medicine before they even know what it is!! :2funny:
Auntie Karen :sunny:
Oh my word 9 lbs our little girl is sure growing up! Do you think she will get much bigger? I would have loved to be a fly on the wall in that vet clinic, everyone slinging rude comments at each other from their crates (or no crates in some cases). We don't have to treat for heartworm here since we dont' have it but when I was showing Fred and Jessie years ago we would travel to shows where there was heartworm so they were on the meds, and it came in chewable form which both of them just loved. And they were not big on any kind of meds especially poor Fred who was so ill most of the time and always having to take pills of one kind or another. Do you know if they still make those, maybe Danni would like that better?
Quote from: Dee Dee and Hallie on June 04, 2010, 12:26:31 PM
Oh my word 9 lbs our little girl is sure growing up! Do you think she will get much bigger?
DD, I don't think she'll get much bigger. She runs around so much outside that she doesn't gain weight and she seems to be built somewhat like whippet. So I think 9 or 10 pounds will the the most. She keeps my neighbor entertained when they are both outside Danni runs around the yard and its so funny to see her lean into a curve. The neigbor just sits and laughs at her. Ne pictures will be up this weekend, hopefully.
Wow Dee Dee you do not have mosquitoes where you live must be nice last I check they are saying there are Heart worms in all 50 states. Just googled Heart worms found a vet forum they were talking like the preventive medication you give every month is less effective than it was. I would not be too surprised over that seems like all critters build up a immunity over time to everything they come up with to get rid of the tiny critters like mosquitoes, fleas & ticks have heard those treatments are not as effective either.You just can't win sometimes.Papbouv
Also can't believe everything you read on the Internet just makes you wonder sometimes.
We have mosquitos, our climate doesn't support the ones that carry the heartworm. There have been cases here very rarely but they think the majority are dogs that came here from somewhere else that does have heartworm. I imagine it's possible for a dog to get heartworm here but I've never heard of it and neither has my vet so the risk is very low. I think most of the cases they have found were in eastern washington (I'm in western) where it gets hotter in the summers. Now that you brought it up I will ask my vet about it again on Hallie's next allergy shot visit but I would hope she would have told me if it has become an issue here if it is and she hasn't she'll be in big trouble LOL. If there are cases showing up here I would defintely put Hallie on the treatment I hope I won't have to though. that is disturbing to hear the treatment they do have is not working as well!
Here's something I found on the net it's a few years old (2006) and a lot of reading but talks about some theories. If it is correct, it says there is one confirmed canine case every decade and those usually have a history of coming from another area.
Purpose of this report
This report is written to provide information for Washington State Veterinary Medical Association members, their clients, and the public at large concerning a recent group of three heartworm cases reported in eastern Washington. Newspaper reports of these cases have generated an unusually high call volume from concerned clients of some practices.
This report was prepared and reviewed by both the current WSVMA leadership and faculty of the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Specific expertise was lent by Dr. William J. Foreyt, professor of parasitology, WSU College of Veterinary Medicine as noted below.
It is important to note that Washington does not require reporting or maintain a database of heartworm cases. Trends noted below are speculative and are not supported with statistical data except for portions attributed to the American Heartworm Society. This discussion is intended to provide perspective for Washington, based only upon the number of cases that have been diagnosed in both government and commercial diagnostic laboratories.
Review of current situation
Recently, two cats and one dog from Liberty Lake, Wash, were reported to be diagnosed with heartworm in the July 1, 2006, edition of Spokane’s Spokesman-Review newspaper.
All three animals were the patients of a Liberty Lake practice and had no history of travel from the Liberty Lake area. Positive tests were reported by Antech Diagnostics.
Why has this occurred?
Anecdotally, it has been suggested that perhaps adopted animals imported from Hurricane Katrina affected areas have transmitted heartworm into the susceptible mosquito population of eastern Washington. From those mosquitoes it is speculated that the naïve local dog population is receiving the parasite and then developing heartworm disease.
This scenario has not been confirmed in Washington. It is possible it could occur but there are reasons why it may not, too. It has been postulated to occur in other communities that adopted Katrina animals.
A recent history of heartworm in Washington
In the last decade, heartworm has been diagnosed rarely in Washington dogs that have had no discoverable travel history. Until now, Dr. Foreyt is unaware of a confirmed case of heartworm occurring in a cat in Washington during his career and reserves some respectful, professional skepticism of the cases reported in Spokane. The disparity in infection between species is consistent with disparate occurrence rates seen in enzootic heartworm areas.
The most common occurrence of heartworm in Washington pets has been diagnosed in those that have relocated to the state from known heartworm enzootic regions elsewhere. Diagnosis has still been uncommon and occurred most often on or around military installations with a large mobile population.
There have also been very sporadic case reports that occurred in some of the warmest local regions of Washington (i.e. Tri-Cities, Othello/Moses Lake, and the Yakima Valley). Some patients had allegedly never traveled from the local region, although histories have also been reported to be less than complete. It should be noted that the areas in question support a large population of agricultural and related industry workers who migrate annually with their pets following seasonal employment. This migration typically moves from heartworm enzootic areas to Washington and beyond.
The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory reports an incidence of about one confirmed canine case per decade and those animals are usually imported from enzootic regions to the state.
Regions of the state are known to support populations of at least three species of mosquitoes that can carry and support the development of the heartworm parasite. There is dispute as to whether or not the majority of Washington experiences the sustained environmental conditions (degree-days, moisture, moderate temperature fluctuations, etc.) to support a threshold population of any of the three species known to carry the microfilariae into the larval stage. Consider the following from the American Heartworm Society:
A climate that provides adequate temperature and humidity to support a viable mosquito population, and also sustain sufficient heat to allow maturation of ingested microfilariae to infective, third-stage larvae (L3) within this intermediate host is a pivotal prerequisite for heartworm transmission to occur. Laboratory studies indicate that development and maturation requires the equivalent of a steady 24-hour daily temperature in excess of 64°F (18°C) for approximately one month. Intermittent diurnal declines in temperature below the developmental threshold of 57°F (14°C) for only a few hours retard maturation, even when the average daily temperature supports continued development. At 80° F (27° C), 10 to 14 days are required for development of microfilariae to the infective stage. The length of the heartworm transmission season in the temperate latitudes is critically dependent on the accumulation of sufficient heat to incubate larvae to the infective stage in the mosquito.
The peak months for heartworm transmission in the Northern Hemisphere are July and August. Algorithmic predictions based on analysis of historical temperature records have consistently overestimated actual transmission periods confirmed independently by a variety of field studies and appear to represent conservative guidelines. Under the most favorable conditions, these estimates range from less than four months in southern Canada to potentially all year in the subtropical zones of southern Florida and the Gulf Coast. The model predicts that heartworm transmission in the continental U.S. is limited to six months or less above the 37th parallel, i.e., Virginia-North Carolina State line.
Washington lies within the parallels of 45 degrees 32 minutes N to 49 degrees N latitude.
Is Washington experiencing a heartworm disease increase now?
No data is currently available to state conclusively that the incidence of heartworm in dogs and cats is increasing in Washington. During the last decade, there has not been a documented increase in heartworm diagnoses that would suggest or indicate that the state is becoming enzootic for the parasite and its life cycle.
It can be argued that if heartworm transmission could be sustained by Washington mosquitoes it should have occurred previously and certainly within those areas that historically have had cases imported on a regular basis. Similarly, it could be argued that local regions of the state with the highest mosquito populations should be showing an increased incidence of heartworm in dogs.
Neither of these hypothetical situations has been observed to be occurring.
Assuming for discussion that microfilariae are infecting Washington mosquitoes, there is no epidemiological evidence that the parasite can sustain its life cycle. In communities where a small number of cases have been diagnosed in local animals on an intermittent but recurring basis, the subsequent seasons have not shown increasing or sustained caseloads.
Current studies
Dr. Foreyt is currently conducting a heartworm incidence survey at WSU of harvested, free-ranging coyotes from around the state. To date he has necropsied 457 coyotes with a total sample size to be more than 600 at completion. Coyotes in the study were harvested before, during, and in the months after Hurricane Katrina and subsequent domestic dog importations. Harvest areas include areas of the state that have been known to report heartworm in domestic dogs as described above.
No cases of heartworm have been discovered in coyotes in the study.
Really good to hear you have no heart worm here in Tulsa OK area they have 5 man made lakes + the natural rivers & streams so we have mosquitoes all over the place.Plus high humidity which makes it feel hotter in the summer so that does not help we have had people die from mosquito related diseases usually the elderly, some with immune problems.Thats bad when you have two-three people a year die also really bad if your pet gets it when you have been giving the medication which is very expensive to try and prevent it guess they are right the insects and bugs & such will still be here after we are all gone.
Mosquitos can be scary for sure. We have plenty of mosquitos I guess they just don't harbor the microflora or whatever it is for heartworms here due to the weather? I am going to be asking my vet though, to make sure things haven't changed. We don't usually have super hot summers but the climate is changing all the time.
Marcia I hope they still make the chewables I would think Danni would like those better my 2 ate them like candy.
I just throw mine in with the dog food along with the Salmon oil capsules, they get Vitamin E twice a week they just eat them down or I put them in my hand and say cookie down they go.Never a problem to give pills or capsules.