A Lavington veterinarian says pet owners’ heartworm awareness has dropped a decade after vaccines for the disease were introduced.
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Dr Jana’s Vet Centre veterinarian Renee Pigdon, who has worked in the Border region for 20 years, said when she started out in the industry she had to deal with heartworm cases all the time.
“Since numbers have gotten right down, people have relaxed,” she said.
A survey of Australian dog owners by online pet community PawClub found 64 per cent of those who got their animal monthly vaccines, were doing so later than they needed to.
Dr Pigdon said regardless of whether owners got their pets vaccinated monthly or yearly, they needed to be consistent.
The parasite is spread by mosquito bites, especially in hot months, and grows in hearts and lung arteries inside cats and dogs.
Dr Pigdon said the onset of symptoms could take months or years.
She said it could be difficult to treat and dogs often had to undergo chemotherapy in a bid to save them.
