What, exactly, are heartworms?

In one of my recent blogs I mentioned Heartworm; an illness that can affect a variety of animals, but primarily affects dogs. Heartworms is a parasite that is transmitted through the bite of mosquitoes that have contracted microfilariae from biting an infected animal. Those microfilariae develop into larvae within the mosquito's body and are then transferred into the skin of a different animal when the mosquito bites them. The larvae uses its new host's skin to travel through its body and into its blood stream and ultimately ends up in its heart. Finally, the worms multiply in the heart until it's essentially clogged with them.

Symptoms, although generally minimal, aren't shown until about six months after the animal is infected, but there is a blood test that can be done that gives quick results. In fact, the test MUST be done and results MUST be negative in order for any sort of preventative can be prescribed. (This is because the preventative can and most likely will kill the dog if it's given to them when the dog is infected.) The veterinary clinic that I worked at had a three-in-one test that tested a dog's blood for heartworm, lyme disease and ehrlichiosis (other parasite borne illnesses).

If the the test is positive there is a treatment course available, but it's quite expensive, extremely hard on the animal and there's no guarantee that it will work. This treatment usually consists of a few days of arsenic based compounds being injected into the infected animal's body followed by a few weeks of inactivity to allow its body to absorb the dead worms. The time of rest is particularly important to the dog's recovery process because if it is too active, dead round worms are likely to be set loose and absorbed into its lungs, causing respiratory failure.

Overall, it's much more inexpensive and much less stressful to prevent against this parasite than taking a chance with your dog's health. There are a variety of preventatives on the market for this purpose and some that even include added protection against other parasites like fleas and ticks. Although, as mentioned earlier, a dog must be tested tested before being prescribed any type of medication for this purpose. Talk to your veterinarian to see exactly what their clinic's policy is on testing and preventatives as some places in cooler climates only require testing every other year and the preventative to be given in the warmer months of the year.

Safeguarding your dog with vaccines...

Dogs, cats and some other pets such as ferrets must receive a series of vaccines beginning at about five to six weeks old, then repeated every three to four weeks until they're twelve weeks to build up an immunity to common contagious viruses. The vaccines must then be given every year for the rest of their lives to continue the protection.

The easiest way to discuss these vaccines is by labeling them as core (ones that are essential to protect against viruses that are found everywhere ) and noncore (vaccines that are only administered in areas where the viruses are a problem).

Core vaccines for dogs include the four way vaccine DHPP because it protects against the four most contagious of viruses that affects them; Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza.

• Distemper is an airborn virus that mostly affects the dog's respiratory system and causes diarrhea but can result in sever neurological problems and death if it goes untreated.
• Canine Hepatitis affects the liver and is transmitted through infected dog's bodily fluids like saliva and urine. The virus affects the liver and the dog usually shows no outward sypmptoms of infection like vomiting or diarrhea. This, like Parainfluenza is more just in the mix, rather than a major danger.
  
• Parvovirus is an extremely strong and nasty virus that is transmitted through the infected feces of dogs. As mentioned in my last blog, puppies are particularly susceptible to this virus and it has a high mortality rate because of dehydration. Treatment is very expensive and owners often euthanize rather than treat for that reason.
• Parainfluenza is a virus that affects the respiratory system and is not necessarily a core vaccine, but comes with the four way automatically.

One more vaccine that could be considered a core and is often given with the above four, to make it the five way DHPP/C, is the one against Coronavirus. If you have doubts about what you should include in the vaccine-colada for your dog talk to your veterinarian to see what vaccines they carry and what they deem as necessary for your the area you live in and your lifestyles.

• Coronavirus is transmitted through the infected feces of animals and causes diarrhea and sometimes vomiting. This virus' symptoms can mimic the ones of Parvovirus, but the diarrhea of a dog with Coronavirus will not have digested blood in it.

The last, and arguably the most important, because it's generally required by law for dogs and in some cases for cats, is the rabies virus. Usually this vaccine is given around twelve weeks old with the dog's last set of vaccines. The frequency of this vaccine varies by state though. For example, in Michigan a dog gets its first rabies vaccine when at twelve weeks and it must be re-administered the following year. After these first two, it must only be given ever three years whereas some states require it to be administered every year as the virus is more prevalent in those areas.

Some noncore vaccines include ones against Kennel cough, Lyme disease, and Giardia. These are noncore because some dogs aren't in danger of contracting the illnesses. Kennel cough is airborne and usually only prevalent in places that dogs are kept in closed quarters, hence its name. Lyme disease is transmitted through parasites called ticks, most commonly deer ticks, so dogs that live in apartments etc. aren't in danger of the virus. Giardia is transmitted through beaver stool in stagnant water, so again a dog that doesn't have access to environments hospitable for these conditions wouldn't be at risk.

This is the basic outline of what the suggested vaccines for man's best friend are. Always discuss all of the different options with your veterinarian as, "the doctor knows best" (usually, anyway) as the old adage states.

As this took up much more time and space than I had originally anticipated, my next blog will discuss what vaccines are suggested for our feline friends.

Breeding for profit and the dangers of it...

One thing I have wanted to shed some light on since I started this blog is puppy mills. Actually, I want to talk about all commercial breeding places with the mill stigma attached. These breeding factories, defined as any breeding facility that values profit over the health and welfare of the animals, often exist in extremely poor conditions and make a huge contribution to the companion animal overpopulation crisis in our country every year. The animals bred in these conditions are often sold to pet stores or shipped to unsuspecting buyers with pedigrees that are essentially worthless.

These mills place higher value on money than the quality of animal's lives in many different ways. Often times, dog breeders will mate females every time she goes into heat, every six to nine months, to increase the number of litters, therefore increasing their profits. Well, it's actually not recommended for a female to give birth to more than one litter per year; it's even suggested to skip a year between litters because being pregnant so often is extremely hard on their bodies. This practice actually can drastically reduce the amount of profits these places make because they run they danger of the mother dying in birth an reducing the amount of puppies born or that survive due to the mother's poor health.

Another instance of the high value placed on profit by these places is their very non-selective breeding. They'll try to mate any dog with another until they're basically useless to them, then they discard them. For example, if a female is weak or sick from excessive breeding or anything else, instead of retiring her and letting her enjoy her "golden years," they will try to get one last litter from her which usually kills her. Breeding non-selectively is also dangerous because it often times produces sickly offspring resulting from inherited genetic defects.

Not only are these animals bred in without their welfare in mind, they're also raised this way. Dogs and cats often spend their lives in small cages packed with many other animals, often times in their waste and very rarely get out to stretch or just be free. Spending their time in cages also limits the animal's socialization with people which can cause behavioral problems when they're adopted.

The factors of excessive breeding, non-selective breeding and living conditions all combined are very likely to cause a variety of health problems also. The Humane Society of the United States lists prominent illnesses in puppy mill dogs as:

• Epilepsy
  
• Heart disease
• Kidney disease
• Deafness
• Endocrine disorders (thyroid)
• Blood disorders (anemia)
• Respiratory disorders
• Musculoskeletal disorders (hip dysplasia and luxating platella, a problem with the knee cap common in poodles)

Consequently, according to the same source, many puppies bought from pet stores and through puppy mill websites that make the breeding facilities look legitimate many times come with a plethora of illnesses also. These include:

• Distemper (A disease that mostly affects the respiratory system of both dogs and cats)
  
• Internal parasites (i.e. round and tape worms, caused by contact with the feces of their infected mothers and other dogs, and flea infestation)
• Fleas
• Heartworm (A parasite that grows in the chambers of the heart, transmitted through mosquitoes, not as common in cats as in dogs)
• Upper respiratory infections (Very common in cats)
  
• Kennel cough (Comparable to our bronchitis)
  
• Parvovirus (a very nasty and contagious disease that causes excessive vomiting and diarrhea that usually results in death caused by dehydration. This is a horrible sickness, and younger puppies are the most susceptible it)

Luckily there are courses of vaccinations or that protect against all the above illnesses. Vaccines that protect against things like distemper and Parvovirus should be given for the first time when the animal is around six weeks old (therefore, BEFORE you buy it, and come with proof) and repeated every three to four weeks until it is about sixteen weeks of age and most states require a Rabies virus to be given with the last round of vaccines. Others, like ones for Kennel cough only need to be given if the animal is around many other animals while Heartworm preventatives are given orally, but only after they are tested for the parasite. All of these vaccines and preventatives are another whole topic. With that said, it will be my next time's topic. It can all get quite confusing and I don't want to sell it short.

As for breeding mills, beware of the people referred to as backyard breeders also, as they hold the same beliefs, if you will, of the breeding mills, but on a smaller scale. In short, these people are usually just as ruthlessly money hungry as the larger scale breeders. You can help put an end to these breeding mills by avoiding buying a pet from pet stores or anywhere that doesn't allow you to inspect their surroundings or environment they were housed in. If you can, make adoption from a pet shelter an option and please, share this information with your friends; it's shocking how many people don't know about the dangers of puppy mills. You may also report possible breeding mills to authorities if you suspect abuse or neglect of animals as many states have some laws against animal cruelty.

I understand that there are many causes to fight for, and people, not only animals need help, especially in the state of the economy today. I just urge you to realize that animals have no voice; they're absolutely powerless. The animals that humans have domesticated, in most cases to make our lives easier, now need our help to make their lives easier and they can't ask for it. Please, do what you can, whether it's fostering an animal, donating old blankets, toys, or even just some of your time to a local shelter.