HEARTWORM AND MOZZIES

Heartworm is another one of those diseases mozzies spread, and is quite an important disease for all dog owners to be aware of.

Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is a parasite that lives in the main blood vessel between the heart and the lungs. The adult worm produces infectious stages called microfilaria, which are discharged into the blood stream. These are then picked up by mosquitoes when they bite, develop a bit more in the mosquito then are injected into another dog when the mosquito bites. For heartworm to spread in a population of dogs you need two things – mosquitoes and infected dogs.

Fortunately in Bunbury we are in a lower risk area, although we do see the occasional case. We obviously have a LOT of mozzies, but few infected dogs (though those numbers can increase over summer when holiday makers from Perth bring their dogs with them). Perth, north of Perth and inland are much higher risk areas. In one study, 18% of unprotected dogs in Perth were found to have Heartworm.

The first sign of heartworm disease is normally the dog coughing. This is caused by the worms creating blood clots which lodge in the lungs. The cough can be quite severe, and in some cases fatal. Infection is normally confirmed with a blood test.

We recommend all dogs in this region have Heartworm protection. Although we are a relatively low risk area, the disease is very difficult to treat. We use a product similar to arsenic to kill the worms, and dead worms can break away to lodge in the lungs, causing potentially fatal respiratory problems.

We normally start using Heartworm preventing medications from around 12 weeks of age. For puppies less than 6 months we recommend monthly products such as Advocate which also protects against fleas and other parasites. We recommend the use of Proheart injections for adult dogs, which are given annually and provides year-round protection.

Please ask your vet about Heartworm, or give us a call on 97215999 if you have any questions. Once again, this is a disease where prevention is much better than cure.

Cost Versus Value

Why does the cost of having your pet desexed vary so much between clinics? After all, isn’t it the same no matter where it gets done? There are actually a lot of reasons why the prices vary from clinic to clinic.

The first thing to check when asking for a price is what’s included. We believe that when you get a price, it should include everything your pet needs. The price we give people includes everything including the surgery, a collar to stop them licking the wound, and pain killers to go home with. Some clinics will give you a lower price when you phone for a quote, but don’t include things like pain killers. We don’t see pain relief as an “optional extra”, so it’s included in the price we give.

A recent study from Murdoch University has shown that 85%of dogs undergoing routine desexing will experience low blood pressure (hypotension). This hypotension increases the risk of major organ damage, as well as leading to a slower recovery, delayed wound healing and an increased risk of post-operative infections. Based on these results, we have decided that all dogs and cats undergoing anaesthesia at the Bunbury Vet Clinic will have intravenous fluids administered to help prevent this hypotension.

The level of anaesthetic monitoring and intraoperative care also varies considerably. All animals undergoing anaesthesia at the Bunbury Vet Clinic are placed on a heating mat or warm air blanket for the surgery and recovery, and undergo continuous monitoring of blood oxygen levels. For animals undergoing major surgery we will also use our state of the art Surgivet monitoring machine. This allows us to run a continuous ECG of the heart, monitor core body temperature and even measure the amount of CO2 in the animal’s breath so we can gauge the animal’s respiration and metabolism. This level of monitoring allows us to recognise very early signs of problems with the animal and take corrective actions, massively increasing the safety of our anaesthetics.

The skill and experience of the staff also varies between clinics. All our vets have over 12 years experience, and our vet nurses are all fully qualified and experienced. Many vet clinics have less experienced staff, and many of their “nurses” may not actually be qualified.

When you compare prices for a procedure, ensure you are comparing apples with apples. What might seem more expensive may actually be better value.