Heartworms

   Spread by mosquitoes and found in all 50 U.S. states, the name heartworm is an on-target description.  Thin and whip-like, heartworms live inside the heart and can grow up to a foot long.  As they mature within the body, they travel via the bloodstream and take up residence in the heart's right ventricle and the arteries to the lungs.  They can live as long as five years, and a heavily infested dog may have as many as 250 heartworms.  Left untreated, the heartworms literally clog your dog's heart and cause congestive heart failure.   
As with many diseases, prevention is your best defense against heartworm disease, and keeping your dog on heartworm prevention year-round is your best strategy. Plus, there's an economic benefit, as well:  A year-round monthly dosage means your dog will only be required to have a heartworm test every other year.

   Equally important is the advantage heartworm prevention medication gives you regarding other parasites.  The fact is:  The heartworm medication we recommend for your dog (Heartguard) also protects against roundworms and hookworms.  And that's not only important for your pet, it's also important for your family.  Why?  Because roundworms and hookworms can also infect and cause diseases in people. 

Roundworms and Hookworms

   Roundworms and Hookworms are common parasites of the digestive tract and other organs in dogs and cats throughout the United States.  In fact, in 2006, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control released a new study finding that approximately 14% of the U.S. population are infected with roundworms.  This is important because while both hookworms and roundworms can infect humans as well as pets, roundworms can pose a particularly serious threat to humans.  Why?  Because left untreated, roundworms can cause organ inflammation and damage, or even -- in severe cases -- vision loss.

   Roundworms and hookworms are both particularly prevalent in puppies and kittens, probably due to their immature, still-developing immune systems. 
To diagnose whether your pet is infected with either type of worm, we will ask you to bring in a small stool sample for testing.  If worm eggs are found in the sample, we will dispense medication for your pet. 

For more information on Hookworms and Roundworms click here. 

Diseases Caused by Roundworms in Humans
    Roundworms can cause a significant health hazard to people.  Humans can be infected by ingesting infective eggs from the soil, from their hands, or from another object.  In areas where dogs and cats are allowed to defecate  and particularly in areas where regular removal of the feces does not occur  large numbers of eggs can accumulate in the soil.  The eggs tend to be sticky and can attach to the hands of people. 

 
    In humans, the larvae can migrate through the tissues, most commonly through the liver, lungs, and brain.  The larvae can cause severe inflammation, and even damage to the organs.   A unique form of this disease is called ocular lava migrans  While rare, in this radical form, the larvae can migrate through the eyes and can cause vision loss, or even blindness. 

Preventing Human Infection
   The best way to prevent human infection is through good hygiene.  Remember:  Roundworm eggs need to be in the environment about two weeks before they become infective. So, direct contact with an infected animal usually won't result in transmission.  However, keeping your yard clean via daily pet-waste collection, followed by thorough hand-washing, is your best prevention strategy.  Combine that with regular yearly veterinary check-ups (including parasite exams) and you, your family, and your pet should enjoy many healthy, happy years together.

In summary
    We know that good health is important for all members of your family both two- and four-legged alike.  We also believe that working with you to maintain sound prevention practices, regular yearly health exams, and common sense good hygiene habits will help to ensure that you enjoy many happy, healthy years together.
 

Need to Schedule a Heartworm Test? Need Heartguard?

We'll be happy to schedule a Heartworm test for your pet or fill your prescription for heartguard.  Just give us a call at 970-667-9230 to arrange an appointment.

Need a coupon for your heartworm test click here.

Not sure when your next heartworm test is due?  Call us at 970-667-9230  and we'll be happy to look it up for you.   If your pet's heartworm test is current, you can then just stop by at your convenience to pick up your HeartGuard packet.

For more information and statistics:

U.S. Centers for Disease Control 

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/toxocara/default.htm

American Veterinary MedicalAssociation

Hookworms:

Hookworms can infect pets and/or humans in a number of ways: 
Ingesting larvae from contaminated water or soil;
Eating an infected host (mouse, vole, rabbit etc.);
Via larvae penetrating the skin;
Through larvae infecting fetuses or through milk.

Hookworms in Pets
In pets, hookworms feed on the host's blood and can quickly cause anemia.  The gums will be pale, and vomiting/diarrhea can occur.  As the larvae migrate through the lungs, the pet can even develop pneumonia.  Animals may become emaciated and can eventually die from the infection.

Hookworms in Humans
In people, hookworm larvae penetrate the skin (usually through bare feet).  The larvae then migrate, causing a disease known as cutaneous larva migrans or creeping eruption. Red line lesions appear on the skin, causing severe itching.  Usually the larvae die in a few weeks, and the condition disappears. 


Roundworms:
Roundworms can enter a host in a number of ways
Eating an infected host.  For example, a mouse ingests the eggs, which hatch and then migrate through the tissue of the host-mouse.  If a carnivore (cat or dog) then eats the mouse, the larvae are released into the digestive system of the mouse, where they take up residency in the intestine.
Ingesting eggs.  A dog eats the eggs, which then hatch and the larvae enter the wall of the small intestine.  The larvae then migrate through the circulatory system, going either to the respiratory system or to other organs. 
In-utero.  A pregnant dog infected with Roundworms can pass them to her puppies in-utero.  (Note:  Cats cannot pass Roundworms in-utero, but can pass them via nursing.)
Via mother's milk.  Larvae can also invade female mammary tissues and enter the young during nursing. 

Diseases Caused by Roundworms in Pets
    In the intestine, Roundworms steal nutrients, interfere with digestion, and can damage the lining of the intestine.  In young puppies, these parasites can migrate to the lungs and cause pneumonia.