At Avoca Drive Animal Hospital, we prioritise the health and well-being of your pets. Recently, we’ve observed a troubling rise in heartworm cases in dogs, particularly on the Central Coast of New South Wales. As your trusted local veterinary clinic, we believe it's crucial to raise awareness about this potentially deadly parasite and the increased risk facing our community in the summer months especially.
What is Heartworm?
Heartworm disease is caused by a parasitic worm called Dirofilaria immitis, transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Once inside the dog’s bloodstream, the larvae travel to the heart and lungs, where they develop into long worms that can severely damage the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Left untreated, heartworm disease can lead to heart failure, lung disease, and death.
The Growing Risk of Heartworm on the Central Coast
In the last few years, one of the laboratories we work with has seen nearly 1,000 confirmed heartworm cases. Recently, there’s been a noticeable uptick in confirmed cases on the Central Coast, NSW. This increase is particularly concerning, as it highlights the rising risk of heartworm infection in our local community.
While heartworm disease is preventable, compliance with prevention protocols is a significant issue, and for various reasons many pet owners do not prevent heartworm or can’t afford to keep up a monthly regime. Therefore, unfortunately, many pet owners miss monthly doses of heartworm prevention, and regular heartworm screening is often overlooked.
The Challenges of Heartworm Prevention
Despite the availability of monthly heartworm preventatives, more than 40% of confirmed heartworm cases were in dogs that were on monthly prevention. This also points to poor compliance with preventative regimens, even for those that can afford it. Statistics from manufacturers reveal that the average dog owner using heartworm prevention only purchases 7.2 doses per year, leaving their pet unprotected for a portion of the year.
Furthermore, around 80% of dogs with heartworm disease show no clinical signs until the disease has progressed significantly, and they eventually present to a veterinarian like us for help. By then, damage to the heart and lungs is often irreversible, and there is not much we can do. Sadly, the damage caused by heartworms is progressive, and the longer it goes untreated, the harder it is to reverse. This is why planning and being proactive is so crucial.
A Disturbing Trend: Misunderstanding Prevention
Finally, many pet owners believe they are adequately protecting their dogs from heartworm, but studies show otherwise. In fact, 91% of dog owners who thought they were protecting their pet—only 47% of those owners actually followed the correct prevention frequency with a reliable product. We suspect the emergence of resistant heartworm strains that aren’t adequately addressed by older, traditional preventatives may be to blame, and there is now some evidence to support this.
How We Can Help
At Avoca Drive Animal Hospital, we believe that proper prevention is the best course of action. To ensure your pet remains protected, we recommend a year-round prevention injection, and regular screening. To make it easier for our clients, we’re now offering free heartworm screening tests for dogs who switch to annual Pro-Heart injections with us, which we believe offers the most reliable, long-term cost-effective protection against heartworm.
The Pro-Heart injection provides continuous protection for a full year, eliminating the risk of missed doses and offering peace of mind. By switching to the annual injection, you can rest assured that your dog is fully protected from heartworm disease, and we take the worry out of protection for you.
Book Your Appointment Today
Don't wait for the symptoms to show up, as they often don’t. Heartworm is a serious and deadly disease with damage that is progressive and difficult to reverse, and prevention is easy and effective. Call us today at Avoca Drive Animal Hospital to schedule a free heartworm screening test for your dog if you book the annual Pro-Heart injection with us -for the best protection in your vets’ hands. Your dog’s health is our priority, and we’re here for you.