As the weather warms up and the floodwaters settle in beautiful Albury-Wodonga, so too does the lovely mosquito population!
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Heartworm is our greatest concern in pets with our strong mosquito population, as it is the way that the disease transmits between pets.
Heartworm disease is a reasonable risk for pets in Australia, particularly as we work our way up north of Melbourne.
With the trafficking of pets around the country and the significant increase in the pet population over the past two years, the risk of heartworm outbreaks in our community is on the rise.
In dogs, once contracted from an infected mosquito, heartworms can go on to obstruct the pulmonary arteries and chambers of the heart, causing classic signs of heart failure - coughing, weight loss, exercise intolerance and fainting.
In cats, unfortunately, the leading sign of heartworm is sudden death.
It is a big reminder that heartworm prevention in pets is better than looking for a cure. Heartworm can be treated in dogs; however, it is often a risky, debilitating and expensive exercise.
Heartworm prevention comes in a number of forms - there are daily, monthly and once yearly preventatives available.
I'm not sure about you all, but a busy life often means that a tablet here and there can be missed throughout the year, meaning your pet can easily run behind with their all-important heartworm preventative.
In fact, 70 per cent of Australians are unreliable and run behind when it comes to administering a monthly treatment. This, in turn, means that 70 per cent of pets on a monthly preventative are at risk of missing out on heartworm protection during the year.
Given heartworm is a deadly disease, most vets give preference to a yearly heartworm injection.
Given heartworm is a deadly disease, most vets give preference to a yearly heartworm injection.
The injection allows for a safe and sustained release of cover for dogs and enables protection from the disease all year round.
So much so that you can afford to be up to three months late for the shot and be assured that your dog will still be protected.
Very handy considering that it can be given in conjunction with the usual yearly check-up and vaccination against the other deadly diseases.
What about the kitties?
Unfortunately, a yearly jab for cats is not yet available but there are a few wonderful spot-on products that work a treat to cover heartworm, fleas, mites and ticks as well as intestinal worms, giving an all round cover.
