The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Protect your pets from potentially deadly heartworm

Flu contributes to Fairborn woman’s death
11/6/09
5 things parents do that upset children
10/30/09
‘Church of Facebook’ author: We need time to disconnect
11/2/09
‘Balloon Boy: The Musical’ heading to a venue near you
10/28/09
A cool watch speeds dull time, spam says
10/28/09
> More lifestyle headlines

By Laurie Denger, Staff Writer Updated 10:23 AM Wednesday, April 22, 2009

The caller wanted to know, since I had written a column about natural treatments for a number of medical ailments that afflict animals, if there was one for her dog.

The dog had just been diagnosed with heartworm.

No, I told her. The ailments I was suggesting natural herbs or alternate treatments for were more along the lines of arthritis. They didn’t threaten the animal’s life.

You don’t mess around with heartworm.

April is Heartworm Awareness Month and the folks at the American Heartworm Society want pet owners to know it is a major health concern for our pets — and a deadly disease. Even worse, it’s on the rise.

While the south has the largest increase in the numbers of reported cases, the Society says heartworm disease happens in all 50 states. And all dogs, whether indoor or outdoor pets, are vulnerable. The treatment is complicated, traumatic and expensive. Even cats can get infected and there is no approved treatment for them.

The good news is that heartworm is easy to prevent.

Heartworms are transmitted by an infected mosquito depositing on the skin tiny larvae which migrate to the heart and lungs. The damage “can rob the animal of its energy, its quality of life and, eventually, of life itself,” the Society says.

Your vet can give you heartworm medication that is easy to give a pet. My puppy loves her heartworm chewable and snarfs it right down. Check with your vet to see if your pet should be on heartworm medicine year-round.

Smoke affects pets

Did you know second hand smoke also affects your pets?

A new study shows that 28 percent of smokers would drop the habit if they knew it threatened their pet’s well-being.

The American Legacy Foundation is challenging pet owners to quit smoking for their pets during the month of April, which kicks off Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month.

A number of studies have indicated that animals, too, face health risks when exposed to the toxins in secondhand smoke, from respiratory problems, allergies and even nasal and lung cancer in dogs and lymphoma in cats. In addition, the ASPCA, one of the largest animal rights groups in the U.S., lists tobacco smoke as a toxin that is dangerous to pets, the foundation reports.

The ASPCA’s animal poison control center said dogs develop respiratory cancers living in the home of smokers.

Smokers who can’t quit should never smoke inside the house or around a pet. The foundation provides resources and information to smokers who want to quit for their own health through a national campaign called EX®, including a Web site for smokers who are quitting just for their pets.

To join or view the community of smokers who are quitting for their pets, visit http://community. becomeanex.org/group/quittingforourpets.

Hairballs no joke

And just when you thought it was safe to walk around your cat barefoot, along comes National Hairball Awareness Day on April 24.

Hairballs are no joke for cats. They can block a cat’s intestines.

FURminator recommends brushing a cat daily, especially in spring shedding season.

Here are a few other tips:

• Hairballs occur when cats over-groom. Use shampoos to reduce shedding and brush your cat daily to cut down on the amount of hair the cat is ingesting.

• Add a little butter and canned pumpkin to your cat’s meals once or twice a week. The butter may loosen the hair clod and the fiber in the pumpkin can help move it through the system.

• Encourage your cat to drink plenty of water by placing various bowls throughout the house. The water will help flush out the hair before it has time to clump in the stomach.

• Consult Your Vet: Ask your veterinarian to recommend a laxative supplement to help prevent ingested hairs from forming hairballs.

There are some malt-flavored hairball ointments available in pet stores but some cats resist eating them. Others love them. Squirt it onto the cat’s paw and let her lick if off.

Contact this

columnist

at (937) 225-2248 or ldenger@Dayton

DailyNews.com.

Share this article

ADD COMMENT

Comments feed

This is so true. It is ignorant of a pet owner to not give heartworm prevention. It is dirt cheap!!

Kristi
4:43 PM, 4/22/2009

REPORT ABUSE

The ASPCA is not an animal rights group; it is an animal welfare organization. Such terminology cannot be confused!

Though I don't support AMP (Americans for Medical Progress), it does have a helpful explanation on its website. Read their explanation:

http://www.amprogress.org/site/c.jr...

Lisa Straube
4:38 PM, 4/22/2009

REPORT ABUSE

We welcome your comments. Please remember this is a public forum and behave appropriately. Your comments must conform to our visitor's agreement.