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In the News

The American Heartworm Society is the leading resource on heartworm disease, and our mission is to lead the veterinary profession and the public in the understanding of this serious disease. Every year, hundreds of stories are written on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of heartworm, as well as on the plight of affected pets. These stories are an important way of reaching both veterinary professionals and pet owners with information they need to know about heartworm disease.

The American Heartworm Society is led by a board of directors comprised of veterinarians and specialists in the fields of veterinary parasitology and internalmedicine. As leaders in the fight against heartworm disease, they are available as resources and authors of related stories.

Members of the media are encouraged to contact the American Heartworm Society for information, visuals and interviews about heartworm disease. Please contact Sue O’Brien at Obriensuek@gmail.com. This email is for media inquiries only. All other inquiries, please email: info@heartwormsociety.org.

 


 

News & Alerts

Ruth Olsen and Smiles, a Humane Society resident who is being treated for heartworms

Prevention is better than the cure: April is heartworm awareness month

Ruth Olsen is the Operational Manager for the Sumter Humane Society. She provides a healthy home for the pets of Sumter County. As part of providing a healthy home, she wants the residents to know there is one simple act of kindness that could extend the life of a pet by 5 to 10 years. Ruth reports heartworms, primarily in dogs, have become an “epidemic.” A little over 25% of the dogs she meets are infected. Heartworms can cause a horrible death for a dog. It is Ruth’s hope if folks are aware of how simple prevention is, an investment can be made which will extend the quality of life for our animal friends. Local vet, Dr. Kyler Crawford, also agrees with Ruth, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Ruth and Kyler describe the effects of heartworms as being detrimental to both the animal and the folks who love them.

golden retriever

Heartworms and our Pets: What YOU need to know

Did you know? It’s National Heartworm Awareness Month: Indiana continues to rank high (top 12 ) for canine heartworm disease. Tom Dock, BSc, CVJ, Director of Communications Practice Manager, Noah’s at Wheaton, tells us what we need to look out for:

1) Heartworms are parasites that can live in our pets’ heart and/or lungs, can live for 5-7 years and are often up to a foot long in length!

Relocating heartworm-positive dogs in dangerous times

In a perfect world, any dog diagnosed with heartworms would undergo treatment and recovery prior to travel with their owner or, in the case of shelter dogs, being transported for adoption purposes.

But in a world fraught with a pandemic, hurricanes, and wildfires, delaying travel isn’t always possible for heartworm-positive dogs, especially for rescue dogs in need of rehoming.

That’s why the American Heartworm Society (AHS) and the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) have issued updated joint recommendations to safeguard the health of heartworm-positive dogs while ensuring that infected animals don’t become vectors for heartworm transmission.

American Heartworm Society announces new recommendations

In an ideal world, any dog diagnosed with heartworms would undergo adulticide treatment and recovery prior to travel with an owner or being transported for purposes of adoption. In the real world, delaying travel is not always possible for heartworm-positive dogs, especially for rescued dogs in need of rehoming. To help guide veterinarians, shelter personnel and others on the front lines of animal rescue, the American Heartworm Society (AHS) and the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) have issued a new set of joint recommendations designed to safeguard the health of infected dogs while ensuring that infected animals do not become vectors for heartworm transmission.

Safely Transport Heartworm-Positive Dogs

Rehoming. A move. Accompanying an owner on a trip. Such situations can mean that dogs diagnosed with heartworms must travel. The American Heartworm Society and the Association of Shelter Veterinarians recently released joint transport recommendations designed to safeguard the health of infected dogs while ensuring they do not become vectors for heartworm transmission.

 

Heartworm prevalence in dogs versus cats: Multiple diagnostic modalities provide new insights

Highlights

  • Prevalence of adult heartworm (HW) infection was 4 % in cats and 28 % in dogs.
  • Combining antigen and antibody testing led to an overall 19 % positive cats.
  • Prevalence did not differ between dogs and cats with added feline antibody testing.
  • Dirofilaria repens microfilariae were identified in one dog and one cat.
  • Acanthocheilonema reconditum microfilariae were identified in four dogs.

“Doctor, I missed a heartworm dose!”

Addressing pandemic-related lapses in heartworm prophylaxis

By Tom Nelson, DVM

When the COVID pandemic hit North America in March, the immediate goal of government leaders and public health officials was to preserve personal protective equipment (PPE) and avoid overwhelming human health-care systems. Lines were quickly drawn between “essential” and “nonessential” services, with definitions varying from state to state. In most states, veterinary personnel were considered essential workers and pet owners were allowed continued access to veterinary care; however, for a time, this was limited for many to emergency medical services.

The State of Heartworm Incidence in the U.S.

The 2019 AHS Heartworm Incidence Survey shows that heartworms maintain a stubborn hold in the United States.

Chris DukeDVM
Doug CarithersDVM

Changes in weather patterns. Lapses in preventive medication compliance. Pet relocation. These factors and more were cited in a recent survey of U.S. veterinarians as factors contributing to the rise and fall of heartworm incidence in their practice areas.
 
To help veterinary professionals, shelter personnel, and pet owners understand heartworm trends in their areas, the American Heartworm Society (AHS) began tracking U.S. heartworm incidence in January 2002. Since then, the AHS Heartworm Incidence Survey has been conducted every 3 years, using heartworm testing data submitted by veterinary practices, reference laboratories, and animal shelters. Following the analysis of survey results, a U.S. heartworm incidence map is generated to provide a visual representation of the spread and severity of heartworm infections.
 

Revert Back to Pre-Pandemic Heartworm Practices

As practices resume routine wellness checks, veterinarians should ensure patients are protected from parasites, AHS says

While the COVID pandemic is not yet over, for veterinarians, it continues to be “business as usual” for heartworm prevention.

5 Fall Tips for Protecting your Pet’s Health

(BPT) - Whether fall is when you switch out your exercise regimen or schedule your annual flu shot, staying healthy is at the top of most “to do” lists right now. Just remember your four-legged family members when considering seasonal changes to your wellness program. Fall is the perfect time to take steps to keep pets healthy, too.

 

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The days are getting shorter, the nights are cooler, leaves are starting to turn, and football season is here. But that doesn’t mean your clients can forget about protecting their pets from heartworms.

To keep this message front and center with your clients, we’re sharing a set of new posters you can print OR post on your Facebook or Instagram page.

  • To save or print a poster, just click on the image below, then click on the “download” button and save the PDF file.
  • To save a poster for use on your social pages, simply open the downloaded poster, then right click on the file and follow the menu instructions to save the file as a JPEG image.

For more client tools, be sure to visit the Resource Center. And if you don’t already, make sure you’re sharing our Facebook and Instagram posts!