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. …
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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.
Salt Lake City, Utah, tops the list of heartworm cities for February in the U.S.March 15, 2019Salt Lake City, Utah, was the number one city for heartworms in February according to Companion Animal Parasite Council's (CAPC's) top 10 list. The monthly report warns pet owners, veterinarians, and pet-related service providers of U.S. metropolitan areas with highest percentage increase in positive heartworm tests. CAPC is devoted to monitoring and reporting emerging threats to pets. "The new CAPC Top 10 Cities Heartworm Report demonstrates heartworm disease—transmitted by mosquitoes—is a national threat to pets who are increasingly vulnerable to this debilitating and potentially fatal illness in most communities across the country," says CAPC board member, Michael Yabsley, MS, PhD, FRES. These are the U.S. cities with the highest percentage increase in positive heartworm tests for February: 1) Salt Lake City, Utah 2) Alexandria, Va. 3) Riverside, Calif. 4) Topeka, Kans. 5) El Paso, Tex. 6) Paterson, N.J. 7) Chesapeake, Va. 8) Reno, Nev. 9) Modesto, Calif. 10) Boise, Idaho "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," Yabsley says. "This is why CAPC recommends monthly …
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 …
Report reveals top 10 heartworm cities in the U.S.February 13, 2019Cincinnati, Ohio, and Stockton, Calif., have topped the list of heartworm infested cities in the U.S. for January.
American Heartworm Society releases 2018 Canine Heartworm GuidelinesSeptember 17, 2018 The American Heartworm Society (AHS) has released 2018 Canine Heartworm Guidelines, which focus on reducing heartworm transmission, clarifying testing recommendations, and avoiding shortcuts in treatment. The 2018 guidelines reflect the following updates to the AHS' recommendations: Prevention Given the highly preventable nature of heartworms, prevention practices are the cornerstone of any practice's heartworm management program, said Chris Rehm, DVM, president of the AHS. "Unfortunately, the latest AHS survey found that incidence has been trending up rather than down, with the number of infected dogs per clinic rising by 21 percent in the U.S. and its territories between 2013 and 2016." Environmental and climatic changes, as well as the relocation of microfilaremic dogs and the expansion of microfilaremic wild canid territories are considered to be contributing factors to both incidence numbers and the spread of heartworms to areas once considered nonendemic, according to the AHS. "For these reasons, we continue to stress the importance of year-round administration of macrocyclic lactone preventives, along with practical steps to reduce mosquito exposure, such as eliminating standing water on the property and keeping pets indoors during peak mosquito times," said Dr. Rehm. "Year-round prevention is the single most important step …
Heartgard producer launches feline parasiticideJuly 16, 2018A new monthly heartworm disease prevention product for cats has been announced by Boehringer Ingelheim. Applied topically, Centragard (eprinomectin and praziquantel transdermal solution) can also treat and control hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms.
Zoetis awards $200K in grants for heartworm researchJune 12, 2018Zoetis has awarded three teams of scientists with $200,000 in research grants to support projects that will help advance understanding of the fundamentals of heartworm and explore novel interventions to help prevent it. "Heartworm disease is a debilitating and potentially fatal condition, particularly in dogs and cats," said Debra Woods, Ph.D., research director and head of parasitology global therapeutics research at Zoetis. "New therapies are likely to be required as heartworm resistance to current therapies develops over time." Grant recipients are: Sean Forrester, Ph.D., associate professor of biology at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Guilherme G. Verocai, DVM, MSc, Ph.D., DACVM, director of the Parasitology Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine Mostafa Zamanian, Ph.D., and Lyric Bartholomay, Ph.D., of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine "We were impressed with the caliber of the innovative research proposals we received and selected three that will augment our internal research and development and could lead to new scientific insights in parasitic disease, in particular, heartworm disease," said Dr. Woods. The research grants were awarded by a committee comprised of leaders from across divisions and disciplines, with external …
CAPC forecasts problematic heartworm, Lyme in 2018April 19, 2018 The Companion Animal Parasite Council, or CAPC, has released its annual 2018 parasite forecasts, and the news isn't good. The agency reported there will be an increase in prevalence of heartworm and Lyme disease, and heartworm is predicted to continue its aggressive spread across the U.S., with the growth of Lyme disease focused east of the Rockies. The spread of heartworm is attributed to the hot and wet weather over a two-year span, shifting weather patterns that allow for ideal mosquito breeding conditions, and the relocation of unknown heartworm-positive dogs across the country, according to CAPC. CAPC also predicts the spread of Lyme disease into nonendemic areas, including the Dakotas, Iowa, Missouri, southern Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina. "Our annual forecasts provide critical and important information to help veterinarians and pet owners understand parasites are a true risk to both pets and people," said Dwight Bowman, MS, Ph.D., CAPC board member and professor of parasitology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. "This year, there are significant shifts in prevalence, making our maps a critical educational tool for veterinary hospitals, and allowing veterinarians and pet owners to see that parasites are ever changing …
