With the recent flooding from Ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie hitting parts of the country, pet owners are warned to stay up to date with heartworm prevention.
Research shows the recent rainfall may contribute to higher mosquito numbers because stagnant water from heavy rainfall often provides ideal conditions for mosquito breeding.
Heartworm disease is transmitted through mosquito bites, where the mosquito injects the larval stage of the worm into your pet. It can take about six months for the larvae to mature and travel towards the heart. Once the worms mature, they will reproduce and if the mosquito feeds on the infected dog and then feeds on another pet it can infect the other pet, and the cycle continues.
PetSure’s Vet Advisor, Dr Betty Chan, says heartworm preventatives need to be given to your pet all year round.
“Dogs can start on heartworm preventative from six to eight weeks of age, so it’s important to give them preventative medication early on.
“You need to give your pet heartworm preventative continuously because if you accidentally skip heartworm preventative for more than six months, you’ll need to take your pet to the vet to check they aren’t infected with heartworm before they can restart on the heartworm prevention medication.
“You can give your dog monthly oral tablets or otherwise your vet can give your dog an injection that provides longer protection depending on the age of your dog. If you’re unsure of your preventative options, speak to your local vet.
“Early signs of heartworm in dogs could be shortness of breath, loss of stamina or a dry cough while for cats the signs can be more mild but generally may include slight lethargy or a cough.
“Remember prevention is always best, so make sure you take extra care to ensure your pet is up to date with preventative medication to protect them from this disease,” she said.
One pet parent, Talia based in Brisbane, had to rush her two-year old dog Nala to the vet to be treated for heartworm in March 2022. The claim cost was $1,228 but with a PetSure administered policy, her insurance provider reimbursed a benefit of $637.
To learn more about heartworm prevention, and Talia’s story, check out the press article 9Honey – Pets
