Posts tagged "heartworm"

The thought of our canine companions having worms is more than disgusting, especially when the parasite is deadly. It becomes even more scary if treatments to keep dogs safe don't work, or become unavailable.

Heartworm, a type of roundworm parasite, was first identified in 1922 and are found all around the world. Although they can affect cats, they are particularly fond of dogs. This parasite Dirofilaria immitis lives in the right heart chambers and lungs and causes severe damage and even death.

Heartworm Life Cycle
The complete life cycle of heartworms lasts approximately seven months and requires the help of another ugly parasite. A dog catches the disease from a mosquito that has already bitten an infected dog. The mosquito swallows baby worms--called microfilariae--when it sucks the dog's blood. Then it transmits the disease to other dogs, cats, coyotes and wildlife it subsequently bites. The baby worms go through several development stages until it migrates to the heart and pulmonary arteries where it matures.

If my dog is anything like me, he probably gets eaten alive by flies and mosquitoes every time we go hiking. To fend off the little critters, I usually slatherDEET on myself, but I dare not put any on my dog because he'd probably try to lick it off.

I already use a topical flea product on my dog, but since heartworm is spread by mosquito bites, I checked out Bug Bam! tags. Made of a rubbery red material, the tags, which attach to your dog's collar, are infused with natural bug repellents like citronella, geranium and lemongrass. The tags are sweatproof and waterproof and the makers of Bug Bam! state there are no known side effects when using the tag in conjunction with other flea and tick products.

At $8 for a two-pack which lasts 15 days once opened, the tags are relatively affordable. Once opened, the tag has a strong citronella scent, which is meant to mask your dog's natural body odor from blood-thirsty mosquitoes. Unfortunately the fragrance also bothered my dog; he rolled around trying to get it off, but after a few minutes, settled down and forgot about it. I, however, could not forget about it: measuring 2¼" by 1½", it looked comically large hanging off my 8-pound dog. When out and about, the brightly-colored tag elicited curious questions from other dog owners, who ended up wanting to get the tags for their own outdoor-loving pets.

I liked the Bug Bam! tags for their ease of use, natural ingredients and added assurance against mosquitoes, fleas and ticks. But will I use it year-round as I do a topical flea medication? I doubt it. Perhaps dog owners who live in year round mosquito regions may wish to do so.

The good: It's extra protection for my dog and since it's a tag that loops and clasps around my pet's collar, there are no gooey ointments or creams to rub into my dog's skin.

The bad: The tag has an almost overpowering scent when you first open the bag, which made my throat itch when I put the tag on my dog while in the car. The smell did dissipate over time. It would be nice if, rather than a "one-size fits all" tag, Bug Bam! introduced tags for all size varieties of dogs.

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With winters becoming more mild, pest populations are increasing, turning into a major nuisance, to say the least. New Scientist reports that, "the European dog tick is transmitting a malaria-like disease, canine babesiosis, into countries where it was once rare including Belgium, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. Meanwhile, lxodes ticks are living at greater densities across Europe, increasing their risk of passing tick-borne encephalitis to horses and dogs."

Heartworm, cat flea typhus, and canine leishmaniasis are of concern as well, and not just in Europe. Tick, flea, and mosquito numbers are ballooning everywhere.

What can you do to protect your pets and yourself?

• Check yourself and your furry friend for ticks anytime you're out in tick prone areas.
• Use flea killing meds such as Advantage or Revolution to keep biters at bay.
• Keep your pup up-to-date on heartworm meds.

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