Does Your Dog Need Year Round Parasite Prevention?
I am seeing an alarming trend among dog owners in that they have no idea what the name of the medication is that they are supposedly using each month in order to protect their dogs against Heartworm. I say supposedly using because Heartworm medication because it is a monthly preventative and so should be on a strict once per month schedule meaning you should be seeing the box or at least the sticker on your calendar to know what it is called. Yes, heartworm medication can be expensive if you factor in the visit to your Veterinarian every 12 months and the blood test to determine that as of that moment your dog is heartworm negative on top of the medication that is prescribed. But the cost of preventative care is minuscule compared to the cost of treatment for a heartworm positive diagnosis.
According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council 2016 is predicted to be a year of above average risk for heartworm disease in many parts of the country now is the time to get educated about the facts of heartworm disease.
This isn’t a judgement against you but a wake-up call to say now is the time to get back on track and keep your dog healthy. Make an appointment at the Vet and get your dog protected. If you live in the US your dog is at risk. According to the American Heartworm Society Stray and neglected dogs and certain wildlife such as coyotes, wolves, and foxes can be carriers of heartworms. Mosquitoes blown great distances by the wind and the relocation of infected pets to previously uninfected areas also contribute to the spread of heartworm disease. This happened following Hurricane Katrina when 250,000 pets, many of them infected with heartworms, were “rescued” and shipped throughout the country. Because it was an “emergency” situation dogs were often shipped out of the area untested or without instructions to visit a vet for a heartworm test and start on heartworm preventative immediately and go back to the vet in 6 months to retest.
Last summer I was in Alaska for a week and many of the people I met were seasonal visitors spending their entire summer working in Alaska. I know for a fact that some of them brought their dog(s) from areas more prone or known for high rates of Heartworm disease. All it would take would be for those dogs to travel out to Alaska untreated for heartworm to spread the disease not through direct contact with other dogs but through mosquito bites that then carry the larvae and bite the local dog and wildlife population. It can take 6 – 7 months from the time of an infected mosquito bite for an adult heartworm to be detected during testing. Once your dog is infected this nasty and often deadly parasite can mature in your dog to full adult worms in your dog’s bloodstream regardless of the temperature outside which is why it is so important to protect your dog year round.
Evidence was presented at the 2008 North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC) that heartworm is present across the US. So why are pets being left unprotected or only partially protected? Is the conversation not taking place at Veterinary Clinics or are people tuning the Vet out because they don’t want to be told how to care for their pet? We need to stop tuning out our Veterinarians or talking over them and actually allow them and their staff to give our dogs the best care possible. Bring a notebook so when they explain things you can write them down to go back and look at them later. That includes sharing at least a few options that they feel are the most practical and useful in your area. It means giving you information about the product so that you can learn more and become a better more factually informed advocate for your dog. It means hearing about discounts being offered by the various brands that month or rebates if purchased through the clinic. It also means sharing information that some products treat for just one parasite or two parasites while others including Virbac’s Sentinel® Spectrum® is a preventative for 6 parasites including heartworm, fleas, tapeworm, roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm. Not sure what those parasites are or why you should care about their prevention please check out our post Why Should You Protect Your Dog?
Maybe you do live in a lower risk area. If you have friends or family coming this spring, summer, or fall from high risk areas or you plan on traveling with your dog this summer it is time to visit your Vet. Have them do a heartworm test and purchase or get a prescription for heartworm preventative and ask them if Sentinel Spectrum might be the right solution for your area. In fact print out the product info sheet or save the link to your phone so that you have it with you and can show it to your vet.
Now that you know a bit more about Heartworm disease and why year round parasite prevention is key for your dog’s continued health take this survey about some of the other more prevalent parasites to better understand why protection with Sentinel Spectrum that covers 6 different parasites is a really smart option.
https://goo.gl/M6iv0F
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Virbac® Sentinel® Spectrum®. The opinions and text are all mine.
Thanks Fellissa !!!
You makes me to wake up in case of care of my Dog (He has sweetname – Patty).
I think this will make Patty Happy..
thanks for post…
Pritam Nagrale recently posted..Poor Vs Middle Class Vs Rich in America
Thanks for the useful information, Felissa!
Good post..It’s a good point to remember that even if you don’t think the parasites are in your area, your dog could still get the parasites from mosquitos that are blown in you area or from other dogs visiting.
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This was really informative! I didn’t know how prevalent those parasites were with other dogs and mosquitos before reading this.
Great blog article. I didn’t stop to think how if one dog gets bit by a mosquito, then that can transfer to another dog. I think for those of us who live in colder climates, we think that it is unlikely to have to deal with heart worm issues in the bitterly cold winters. But according to my vet, it’s best to prevent, so we give our dog heart worm treatment year round. I’d rather be overly cautious than have to deal with a real issue later!
It’s not worth taking chances. It’s so simple to do regular monthly prevention!
Prevention is really best when it comes to parasites!! This sounds like a great way to prevent them and protect your dog.
Vera Sweeney recently posted..Sing Street Is Now On Digital HD, Blu-ray™, DVD & On Demand!! #SingStreetDVD (GIVEAWAY)
Sentinel is great stuff. We protect our dogs with it down here in Georgia, and it is SUPER effective.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle recently posted..Toppik Hair Building Fibers
I always gave my dog a pill every month. We had a sticker on our calendar so we wouldn’t forget.
I get my dogs tested every year for heartworm and put on preventative medication. They are like any other family member and I want them to have the best of care.
Tara recently posted..The Keg Lobster Summer
We currently don’t have a dog but we always kept up on the prevention of parasites. Testing for heartworm was always a must.
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What an important discussion to have, I think that pets need parasite prevention at all times but we forget year round sometimes in the winter when it’s cold outside for some reason.
Lots of great info here! I never knew most of it. I definitely need to keep an eye out year round!
Wow! I had no idea. I have the sweetest grand dogs on the planet. I need to talk to my son about parasite prevention.
Cathi Crismon recently posted..Fresh Veggie Wraps
My vet recommends year round prevention. My dog was just diagnosed with lymes, so honestly I am so afraid of anything else!
Our fur baby needs this! Nothing is more important than our pet’s health!
We had a dog die of heartworms when I was little. I think they were just starting to discover them in dogs. Not sure but it was so upsetting. Keep them protected for sure.
Often people do not realize what they need to do in order ot protect their pets from dangers like illness. It was good of you to share this information.
I do not take any chances and have our pets treated year round. Our dog is allergic to fleas and will pull out chunks of her fur when fleas bite her.
I think it is important to protect your pets the best way you can. I make sure our pets are always protected.
I had no idea – I need to get my dog on a year round schedule!
I care a lot about my pooch! Thanks for posting this, it’s important to take care of them and their fur.
Wow, I had no idea heart worm was more prevalent in certain parts of the US. I know my little pooch gets testing done yearly, and so far, so good.