Winter has officially given way to Spring. Spring brings warm weather, and warm weather brings mosquitos. Mosquitos are responsible for the spread of heartworms in pets, primarily dogs. As the warmer weather brings us closer to Summer, it is time to reevaluate your pet’s heartworm preventative program, if you have not already done so.

     According to the American Heartworm Society, heartworm disease is on the rise nationwide, including the southeast. Tennessee ranks in the top five states for heartworm disease. 

     Heartworm disease is caused by the parasite Dirofilaria immitis. It is transmitted when a new dog is bitten by a mosquito carrying the parasite. Once the parasite enters the new dog, it takes approximately six months to mature into adult worms in the heart. Adult heartworms can be up to a foot in length. 

     Clinical symptoms include appetite loss, exercise intolerance, weight loss, cough, difficult breathing and swollen abdomen. Symptoms are not usually exhibited until the heartworm disease is fairly advanced. Although medications are available to treat the disease, irreversible heart damage can occur. Testing and prevention is the best approach to heartworm disease. Heartworm prevention is safe and easy, and much less costly than treatment for it.

Spring time brings warm weather and new life.  Grass turns green, flowers begin to bloom, calves and lambs appear in the fields.  Spring also finds increased activity in wildlife, including those wild animals that carry rabies. 

The Center for Disease Control collects information about cases of rabies in humans and animals each year.  In the United States there are five to six thousand cases of rabies yearly, with two to three of those cases being humans. 

Wild animals account for 92 percent of reported cases of rabies.  Bats are the most frequently reported rabid wildlife species, followed by raccoons, skunks and foxes.  Domestic species account for 8 percent of rabid animals reported.  60 to 65 rabid dogs and 250 to 270 rabid cats are reported yearly in the US. 

The number of human deaths attributed to rabies in the United States has decreased from 100 or more each year to an average of 2 to 3. Multiple factors have contributed to this decline. First, domestic animal control and vaccination programs have been very successful in minimizing the number of rabid dogs and cats. Secondly, oral rabies vaccines distributed to wildlife has decreased the wildlife reservoir of rabies. Thirdly, effective human rabies vaccines have been developed. 

Clinical signs in domestic animals include sudden changes in behavior with severe agitation alternating with depression. Dogs will have a characteristic bark which is loud and furious. Cats will often become more affectionate than normal.  Paralysis of the masticatory muscles will develop, resulting in the inability to eat or drink and causing excessive drooling.  Progressive paralysis will result in death.  The time interval between an animal being bitten by a rabid animal and the development of clinical signs can be several weeks. 

Spring time is when local vaccination clinics are scheduled.  These clinics are an excellent opportunity for pet owners to have their dogs and cats vaccinated for rabies. Contact Five Rivers Mobile Veterinary Services today to schedule your appointment to protect your pets and your family from Rabies.