The Heartworm Update, <link> sponsored by Ceva Animal Health, provides multiple practice scenarios and suggested roles and responsibilities for veterinarians, practice managers, technicians and front desk staff to ensure things go as smoothly as possible with implementation efforts, client education and client compliance.
Source: AAHA Red, August 1, 2018. Link.
The heartworm-positive dog scenario is called “treatment without transmission.” In other words, as long as heartworm-positive dogs are microfilaremic, they should be treated with a mosquito repellent insecticide to prevent mosquitoes from picking up the infection and passing it along to other dogs.
Also see: Repellency is critical in blocking canine heartworm transmission, AAHA Red, July 2, 2018.
Not only does Vectra® 3D protect against mosquitoes, it’s an all-in-one protection against 15 major parasites, including fleas, ticks, biting flies, mites and lice.
INSIGHTS:
Despite more than 30 years of increased awareness and preventive efforts incorporating the use of macrocyclic lactones, more dogs continue to become infected by mosquitoes carrying D. immitis microfilariae.
This increased prevalence across the United States may be due to:
- Gaps in client compliance with giving macrocyclic lactones on schedule every time
- Weather conditions ripe for mosquito breeding
- Emergence of macrocyclic-lactone-resistant heartworm strains
Ceva Animal Health is a sponsor of Animal Health Digest. Learn more at FightHeartwormnow.com <link>