VPN Plus+ ExclusiveWhen summer ends, heartworm doesn'tOctober 10, 2024This trend of increasing incidence and regional spread is the confluence of a perfect storm — including a shift in the way pet owners acquire and care for their pets, a lack of awareness of how easily and efficiently heartworm infections are spread, and a lack of urgency regarding the growing nationwide risk of heartworm infection by pet owners.
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Revert back to pre-pandemic heartworm practicesOctober 29, 2020While the COVID pandemic is not yet over, for veterinarians, it continues to be “business as usual” for heartworm prevention.
Informed pet owners more likely to give heartworm preventativesApril 24, 2019Pet owners who have regular and open discussions with their veterinarian are more likely to consistently give their animals preventatives. Not only that, but according to a new study by Ceva, those clients have fewer issues with their cost and actual administration. "Our research showed the most consistent users follow their veterinarian's recommended steps for preventing the disease," says Ceva's senior director of veterinary services and pharmacovigilance, Charles Johnson, DVM. "They also value and rely on their veterinarian's recommendations more than inconsistent and non-users." The study's goal was to look at why consumers don't use preventatives consistently. The results point to lack of education as the main culprit. Respondents reported they are often left uninformed about the risks and health issues their pet could experience by contracting the disease, and they are confused about how preventatives work in general. The other findings of the study are: • only 25 percent of dogs receive heartworm preventives on a regular basis; • only 33 percent of users have purchased heartworm preventives during the past year; and • one in four dog owners think they are giving a heartworm preventive, but are really just providing flea and tick protection. …
Overland Park, Kans, tops list of heartworm cities for MarchApril 17, 2019According to Companion Animal Parasite Council's (CAPC's) top 10 list, Overland Park, Kans, was the number one city for heartworms in March. CAPC says annual testing is more important than ever to ensure dogs and cats are protected no matter where they live or travel. It also recommends year-round heartworm protection. "It takes just one heartworm-infected dog in an area to become a reservoir of infection, increasing the number of infected mosquitoes and ultimately spreading the heartworm parasite to unprotected dogs and cats," says CAPC board member, Michael Yabsley, MS, PhD, FRES, professor in the department of population health, College of Veterinary Medicine and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. According to CAPC, national frequency rates for heartworm have increased each of the last five years and are now up 20 percent from 2013 levels. The following U.S. cities have the highest percentage increase in positive heartworm tests for March: 1) Overland Park, Kans. 2) San Francisco, Calif. 3) Laredo, Tex. 4) Thousand Oaks, Calif. 5) Salinas, Calif. 6) Oceanside, Calif. 7) Clarksville, Tenn. 8) Portland, Ore. 9) Providence, R.I. 10) Jersey City, …
AHS releases new heartworm recommendationsApril 2, 2019The American Heartworm Society (AHS) has released its 2018 Canine Heartworm Guidelines. The guidelines recommend yearly screenings for dogs more than seven months of age, the use of heartworm preventive medications, and reduced exposure to mosquitoes. It also suggests veterinarians recommend the use of Environmental Protection Agency- (EPA-) approved mosquito repellents for heat-treating a pet patient's serum. It is especially important for pet owners in Texas to follow the guidelines as mosquitoes are extremely widespread, according to the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA). The most telltale signs a dog has been infected is a persistent cough, difficulty breathing, intolerance to exercise, decreased appetite, and weight loss, while cats will suffer from lethargy, vomiting, or asthma. It is very common for the first indication of heartworm to be a sudden collapse or death. Preventing the disease in dogs is easy, safe, and affordable, whereas treatment is not. There is currently no treatment for cats. Testing and treating for heartworm can be difficult, which is why prevention is key to protecting pets. See the website to view the updated guidelines.
Boehringer Ingelheim launches initiative to fight heartworm disease in dogsMarch 6, 2019Boehringer Ingelheim is debuting Heartworm 2020, an initiative dedicated to increasing the number of dogs who receive heartworm disease prevention in 2019. The initiative comes in response to a report from the American Heartworm Society (AHS) that found a 21 percent increase in positive heartworm tests per clinic. "We knew we could help increase the number of dogs receiving the heartworm disease prevention," says Sarah Cloud, Heartgard brand director. "Heartworm 2020 addresses this issue at the grassroots level by asking everyone in the veterinary clinic to participate. If every clinic does their part to get 20 new dogs on prevention, that means 583,240 more dogs will be protected from this potentially deadly disease in 2019 than were protected in 2018." To help clinics accomplish the Heartworm 2020 goal, Heartgard Plus will give heartworm disease education tools and incentives to pet owners. Heartgard Plus will also provide clinics with tracking tools and educational resources for staff. "Helping clinics educate pet owners on the on-going risks of heartworm disease is the first step in increasing the number of dogs on prevention," says head of U.S. Pet Veterinary Professional Services, Zach Mills, DVM. "Heartworm 2020 will help educate pet owners on heartworm …
