Heartworm disease, in which the parasites invade dogs’ and cats’ hearts and other organs, can be fatal. Treatment for dogs is expensive and time-consuming, and no effective treatment exists for cats. The good news is that heartworm infection in dogs and cats is 100% preventable. 

Our veterinary team at Lebanon Animal Hospital, accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), stays up-to-date with the latest research in heartworm disease prevention. We believe strongly in the power of prevention, and our veterinarian can recommend the most effective parasite preventive for your furry friend. While heartworm preventives are available elsewhere, only veterinarian-prescribed medications are effective, so steer clear of websites and brick-and-mortar retailers that offer preventives over the counter.

Year-round prevention is a must for all pets, including those who stay indoors. Consistency matters because a mosquito can infect your pet after only one missed dose. Additionally, dogs need heartworm tests every year. Some pets have developed heartworm infection despite year-round preventives, so annual tests are the best way to ensure your four-legged pal remains heartworm-free.

Report regarding high heartworm disease incidence in pets 

“Heartworms are running rampant in Tennessee, officials report.”

You beam with pride when your state makes the news for a positive accomplishment. This news from television station WDEF, not so much. The February 2024 report from the Chattanooga-based TV station, quoting the American Heartworm Society (AHS), is correct in noting that Tennessee consistently ranks among the top 10 states for heartworm disease incidence in pets. You likely interpret this WDEF report as a loud wake-up call about the importance of learning about heartworm disease and doing all you can to prevent it from harming your pet.

Every three years, the AHS conducts a heartworm incidence survey. In the wake of the most recent survey, published early in 2023, the society’s president, Jennifer Rizzo, DVM, reported that “Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas all saw expansions of high-density areas on our incidence map.” 

Notable advances in heartworm disease prevention

Because heartworm disease is so prevalent, veterinary research on prevention is ongoing. More effective products are always being introduced such as:

  • Long-acting protection for dogs — For convenience and peace of mind, you can now protect your dog from heartworm disease with one shot that will last a full year. With this option, you won’t worry about forgetting a monthly dose that will create a gap in your pet’s protection.
  • Combination preventives — Another choice that makes life easier for pets and their owners is using a heartworm preventive that also protects against parasites such as intestinal worms, fleas, and ticks. 
  • Special formulas for cats — Easy-to-apply topical medications have been developed specifically to prevent heartworm disease in cats. Scientists are also looking into novel delivery systems such as long-acting injectables and sustained-release formulations.
  • Tasty pills — Does persuading your dog to swallow a pill require a team effort—one person to hold your pet in a snug hug, another to pry their jaws open, and a third to pop in the pill and massage the dog’s throat to ensure it goes down? Does the mere thought of pilling your quick-witted, sharp-toothed, razor-clawed cat give you a migraine? Then you’ll be happy to know oral preventives now come in flavors that pets enjoy.
  • Preventives for drug-resistant heartworms — If your pet who has regularly been receiving preventives tests positive for heartworm disease, you feel extremely frustrated and so does our Lebanon Animal Hospital team. Keep in mind that scientists are looking into the genetics of heartworm strains that resist medication. Veterinary professionals hope this research will lead to molecular tests that can determine for certain whether a drug-resistant heartworm has infected a pet. Such tests will allow researchers to develop new treatments to eliminate these drug-resistant parasites.

Annual heartworm testing and consistent prevention are necessary to keep your pet as safe as possible from this disease. Call our Lebanon Animal Hospital team for an appointment if your pet has missed a parasite preventive dose or you would like us to prescribe the most effective preventive for your dog or cat. Remember, we are Fear Free Certified, Cat Friendly practice.