Heartworm - Is Your Pet At Risk?

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Heartworms. See If Your Pet Is At Risk

I have been reading my latest issue of Animal Wellness Magazine . I came across a very interesting article which I wanted to share with my readers.

The article was titled Getting To The Heart Of Heartworm . The article was written by Charlotte Walker. Charlotte decided to outline the risks involved in preventing heartworm with spot-ons, etc. I was surprised to learn how rough and toxic chemical treatment is to a dog.

There are several types of products available to use as a preventive to protect against heartworms. Charlotte told the side effects could be any of the following:

lipomas
cancer
liver disease

Charlotte suggests, "...(preventatives) should really only be used in cases where the dog's risk of contracting heartworm is high. First asses your dog's risk to find out whether it's really necessary".

For those who don't know, heartworms are spread by mosquitoes.

Charlotte made a check list for you to use to determine if you should use preventatives on your dog.

Risk Assessment - for each question there is only one answer, "yes" or "no". Each question has a value placed next to each answer. Take the test, add your score and find where you fit in with Charlotte's results.

Is there a high incidence of heartworm in your area? Yes = 0 No = 4
Does your animal get a heartworm blood test every year? Yes = 5 No =2
Do you live near a swampy area? Yes = 1 No = 5
Do you live on a farm? Yes = 2 No = 5
Does your animal have sort hair or lots of exposed skin? Yes = 1 No = 4
Doe he sleep outside at night? Yes = 0 No = 5
Do you apply a natural bug repellent to your dog during bug season? Yes = 5 No = 3

Score: 19 - 33

Your animal is most likely at a low risk for heartworm. He probably doesn't need preventative medication.

Score: 11 - 18

There is some risk of your animal being infected. Keep him indoors at night and apply natural bug repellent to your dog when he's outside.

Score: 0 - 10

Your animal is likely at high risk for heartworm. Do everything you can to protect him from mosquito bites and talk to your vet about a preventative program.

Charlotte added a little information about heartworm:

"Heartworm has been found just about everywhere in the U.S. and Canada, but it's especially in the southeastern regions of the continent. In the States, the most cases are found along the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys, as well as along the Gulf coast and into Louisiana. Southwestern Ontario accounts for around 90% of all heartworm cases in Canada, but the disease is also found in other provinces, notably southern Quebec, southern Manitoba and B.C.'s Okanagan Valley.