St. Charles Veterinary Clinic is a full-service veterinary medical facility, located in St. Charles, Minnesota. The professional and courteous staff at the St. Charles Veterinary Clinic seeks to provide the best possible medical care, surgical care and dental care for their highly-valued patients. We are committed to promoting responsible pet ownership, preventative health care and health-related educational opportunities for our clients. The St. Charles Veterinary Clinic strives to offer excellence in veterinary care to St. Charles, MN and surrounding areas. Small animal appointment times vary from Monday to Friday. Please take a moment to contact us today, to learn more about our veterinary practice and to find our more information about how the St. Charles Veterinary Clinic can serve the needs of you and your cherished pet.
Use the app to:
Text when you need us Book appointments Request RX refills Share your pet’s health records |
|
Sitting in the Starbucks drive-thru thinking about how your pet needs a prescription refill? We’ve all been there. We’re excited to share that we’ve added Otto to the team! Download the app for instant access to our staff when you need us.
|
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
April is National Heartworm Awareness Month
More than a million pets in the United States have heartworms. Let that sink in, because it is
one of the most horrible statistics regarding our furry friends.
Heartworm affects an animal’s health and quality of life long after the heartworms are gone.
These creatures are heartless in what they do. The American Heartworm Society (https://www.heartwormsociety.org) reports that, typically, most pet owners would not knowingly put their pet at risk to become infected with the deadly disease, but millions of these same owners fail to protect their pet from the infestation. For a disease that is easily prevented, there are no excuses.
While the prevalence of heartworm disease historically has been high in the South,
it is now on the rise throughout the rest of the United States, including regions
that were once considered non-endemic. It is a sad state of affairs.
As an example of the prevalence, our small local shelter has, on any given day,
at least two dogs which are heartworm positive. Unfortunately, the number is often higher.
To combat the continuing rise, and help raise the public’s awareness, April has been designated as
National Heartworm Awareness Month, the perfect opportunity to emphasize
the value of heartworm disease prevention.
In companion animals, heartworm is diagnosed mainly in dogs and, less frequently,
in cats and ferrets. However, heartworms also live in other wild animal hosts such as wolves, coyotes,
foxes, California gray seals, sea lions and raccoons. Be aware foxes and coyotes are quite common
in our area and are considered important hosts of the disease. Also note, spring is here, and mosquitoes
have already started their emergence. Besides being terribly annoying, mosquitoes can carry the
nematode parasite known as Dirofilaria immitis, which causes heartworm. Mosquitoes acquire the
parasite while feeding on an infected host. Once ingested by the mosquito, the parasite develops
into mature infective larvae. These larvae then migrate to the “mouthpart” of the mosquito
so that when it bites, they move into the wound created and deposit themselves into the
bloodstream where they will then begin the harmful portion of their life cycle.
Heartworm is only conveyed through the bite of an infected mosquito, therefore an infected dog
cannot transmit the disease to either people or other pets. It will take these deposited larvae
approximately 6 months to mature into adult heartworms. If untreated, these adults will mate
and produce progeny, constantly increasing their numbers. Adult heartworms can live for 5 – 7 years in
dogs, thus each mosquito season can potentially increase the number of worms in an already infected pet.
Because infected mosquitoes can come inside, be aware that indoor pets are also at risk.
As these heartworms move through the body, they cause extensive damage to many vital organs such as
liver, lungs, kidneys, and heart. They can cause inflammation of the blood vessels, and too many of them can
cause heart failure, resulting in the pet’s death. However, by giving a relatively inexpensive monthly
oral medication, heartworm in dogs is preventable. One might wish to give the dog the chewable pill
only during the typical mosquito season but seriously reconsider that thought.
Micro-climates such as irrigated fields, ponds, and golf courses, can affect the severity and duration
of the mosquito season. In addition, because many of these preventatives also include a control for
roundworms, whipworms and tapeworms, it really is best to give the medication throughout the year.
One of the first symptoms that the animal has heartworm is coughing. Coughing up bloody mucous and
chest pain follow. Other symptoms are vomiting, weight loss, fatigue and difficulty breathing.
Some dogs may not have any symptoms until the infection is in its later stages. Even though they may
have a large number of worms present, symptoms may not be observed in inactive dogs until a
dramatic increase in activity causes symptoms to manifest.
The best way to treat heartworms is, initially, to have x-rays and blood tests done to establish
how serious the infection is. After this, a series of injections of drugs called adulticides is
administered to the dog. The two adulticides used most commonly are derivatives of arsenic.
Depending on whether all the pre-treatment tests are done, or just the treatment given,
costs can range anywhere between a few hundred dollars to over a thousand.
However, if you opt instead to use the common monthly preventative in a dog with the disease,
you can expect the dog to remain heartworm positive for as long as two years and the
heartworm disease will continue to progress during that time. This is not good for the dog
but certainly beats getting no treatment of any kind. It is also important to remember that during
and after treatment, for several months, the dog must remain quiet. After the worms begin to die,
they break into pieces that can cause blockage of vital blood vessels, which could also result in death.
Keeping the dog quiet allows his/her body time to absorb the dying worms.
Our pets depend on us to take care of them. Heartworm prevention is one of the best ways
we can protect our faithful companions from disease and help ensure that they will be with us for many years.
By Ronnie Casey
Ronnie Casey has been volunteering with the Tehama County Animal Care Center
since relocating in 2011. A retired R.N., she strives to help animals in need within Tehama county.
She can be reached at [email protected].
