Editor’s note: Morgan Hill resident and veterinarian Dr. John Quick is joining South Valley Newspapers as a new columnist. His column, discussing pet care, will appear biweekly, alternating with columns from San Martin veterinarian Dr. Pete Keesling.
As veterinarians, our job is to offer the best information possible to pet owners and then let them decide how to allocate their resources. Some veterinarians do not spend much time educating clients about heart worm disease because south Santa Clara County has a low incidence, but that does not mean that the risk is insignificant. This disease is life-threatening for your pets and can cost more than $1,500 to treat. Here are some facts to help you decide what to do for your pets.
The rate of infection in dogs in South County is between 1 and 5 percent. In cats it is less than 1 percent, but micro environments play a big role. Areas that have more mosquitoes have more heart worm disease. Years with more rain result in more mosquitoes and more heart worm disease.
Just 30 miles up the peninsula, vector control has been checking dead coyotes and has found 45 percent of them infected with heart worm disease over the last two years. This is up in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Heart worm disease is only transmitted by mosquitoes – just the same as West Nile Virus. If you are concerned about West Nile Virus, then you should also be concerned about heart worm disease in your pets – both dogs and cats.
just the facts
n The real incidence of heart worm disease for dogs in our area is between 1 and 5 percent, depending on your local micro environment and the wetness of the year. Cats have a much lower rate of infection. They are a poor host for the larvae, but they can be infected and die from the disease.
n The tree mosquito, commonly found in Morgan Hill, is one of many heart worm-transmitting species of mosquitoes that are common in Morgan Hill.
n Coyotes, feral dogs and owned dogs that are not on preventive medication are a reservoir for this disease. It can also infect bears and wolves.
n You do not have to take your pet for a walk for them to get this disease. It can happen in your back yard or even in your house if you do not have screens on the windows.
n The heart worm preventive medications available for dogs and cats are very safe and relatively inexpensive.
n The rate of infection for pets that are on heart worm preventive is less than 0.2 percent.
n Your dog definitely should be tested before being put on preventive. The only significant risk with the preventive medication is giving it to an already-infected animal.
n Heart worm preventive medications available for dogs and cats also kill intestinal parasites such as round worms, hook worms and whip worms. These intestinal parasites have zoonotic potential, meaning they can cause disease in humans – especially children.
n More than 50 percent of puppies and kittens born in California have round worm infection, which can cause health problems for children and immune-compromised adults. One of these problems is blindness caused by the migrating round worm larva.
n Round worms are carried by many animals including dogs, cats, fox, raccoons, coyotes and others. Have you ever seen any of these in your neighborhood?
n Although rare, hook worms and occasionally whip worms can also be found in local pets and wildlife.
Although the incidence of heart worm disease is low in our neighborhoods, the benefits of using preventive medication are significant and very cost effective. These medications also protect against many very common intestinal parasites. This will protect you and your children against harm caused by the larvae of the intestinal parasites and minimize the need to spend money on testing your pets each year.
The bottom line is that for the cost of an annual stool check and worming, you can live in a relatively parasite-free environment. What is the value of that safety for you and for your children?
Dr. John Quick is a 25-year resident of Morgan Hill. He owns and operates the Animal Care Center in Morgan Hill. He is a founder of the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center as well as the Furry Friends Foundation, which does pet facilitated therapy throughout the county.
