VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTime to Tick TalkMay 9, 2024In this session: Ruth Scimera, VMD, MSc, PhD, DACVM-Parasitology, reviews several different tick-borne diseases in dogs and cats with an emphasis in clinical diagnostic challenges and treatment options.
SPONSORED CONTENTThe Case for Year-Round Heartworm Prevention and Affordable OptionsVeterinarians are often more than just clinicians - they’re advisors, educators, and, increasingly, financial counselors. In today’s economy, pet owners may hesitate to invest in year-round prevention due to budget constraints; but, skipping even a few months of heartworm protection can have serious consequences. + Learn More
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveManaging Atopic Dermatitis: Why Parasite Control MattersMay 3, 2024In this session: Valerie Fadok, DVM, PhD., Dipl. AVCD, discusses isoxazolines as a key management tool for allergic pets, and shows how they improve outcomes for patients.
At-risk shelter dogs spared from euthanasia through a heartworm awareness initiativeApril 15, 2024More than 12,800 shelter pets, including nearly 1,300 asymptomatic heartworm-positive dogs, were transported to adoptive homes as part of a heartworm awareness initiative.
Flatworm that preys on dogs found in Southern CaliforniaMarch 15, 2024The 'dog-killing parasite' (Heterobilharzia americana flatworm), previously only seen in Texas and other Gulf Coast states, was confirmed by experts to be present in a portion of the Colorado River.
Specialty and emergency veterinary care training focus of new military-civilian partnershipMarch 13, 2024The collaborative program, announced in honor of the K9 Veteran’s Day, aims to enhance the abilities of army veterinarians to treat military working dogs (MWDs) combat casualties
Every month is tick month: Making the case for year-round, broad-spectrum tick controlFebruary 26, 2024Although the species, stages, and number of questing ticks vary throughout the year, these ectoparasites are always active in most populated areas of North America, creating an ongoing risk of pet infestation and infection. Consistent year-round tick prevention is the best way to combat the growing risk.
Heartworm prevention nonadherence prevalent in the U.S., study findsOctober 31, 2023A Morris Animal Foundation-funded research reveals an ‘alarming’ gap in heartworm prevention in canines, citing less than 40 percent of dogs studied are on preventatives
Battling heartworm starts with client educationMay 4, 2023One of the most insidious parasitic infections in dogs is heartworm. If unchecked, the parasite, Dirofilaria immitis, wreaks havoc in the dog’s heart, lungs, and arteries, often resulting in death.
Lyme disease likely at higher risk this year, CAPC saysMay 2, 2023Lyme disease is expected to pose higher-than-average risk this year, the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) reports.
Southeast U.S. "hotbed" for heartworms, warns AHSApril 11, 2023An influx of heartworm-positive dogs across the U.S. and a general lack of prevention compliance are the driving factors behind the uptick in heartworm cases. This is according to the American Heartworm Society (AHS). The group has unveiled its 2022 Heartworm Incidence Map, drawn from data provided by thousands of veterinary practices and shelters across the U.S. The numbers show the locales with highest heartworm incidence continue to be those in and adjacent to the lower Mississippi Delta, AHS reports. These areas typically experience conditions fostering widespread heartworm infection, including, among other factors, a mosquito-heavy climate. "The states with the highest density of diagnosed heartworm cases in the latest survey were Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, and Arkansas," says AHS president Jennifer Rizzo, DVM. "Meanwhile, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and the Carolinas all saw expansions of high-density areas on our incidence map." Additionally, the report shows "unexpected increases" in incidence for states with historically low heartworm rates, including Washington, Oregon, Kansas, North Dakota, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. These areas also saw the development of new "hot spot" areas within their borders. Further, several urban cities (including Seattle, Wash., and Boise, Idaho, in the Northwest; Bismarck, N.D., in …
