Canine heartworm (Dirofilara immitis) is a nasty parasitic infection of dogs that’s relatively rare in Canada, but it’s still a concern because of how severe it can be and because treatment isn’t easy. It’s transmitted by mosquitos (we have lots of those), but transmission is also influenced by temperature (which varies a lot
Local Risks of Imported Heartworm in Dogs
I’ve had a few questions about the risks posed by heartworm in imported dogs to local dogs. (This also speaks to just how often we import heartworm-infected dogs, but that’s another story…). Here’s a bit of a deeper dive into the topic based on a fictionalized (but very typical) scenario:
You live in Guelph, Ontario
COVID-19: Recommendations for heartworm testing and prescribing heartworm preventives for dogs in Ontario
Updated document: April 28, 2020
Below are some timely comments, headed up by OVC veterinary parasitologist Dr. Andrew Peregrine, about heartworm testing and heartworm preventive administration during this period of “urgent care only” veterinary services. You can also click here for a pdf version of the comments. Please note that this was created for
Canine and feline antiparasitics
Negotiating the world of antiparasitics for dogs and cats can be daunting. With the wide range of products, similarly named products with different ingredients and differently named products with the same ingredients, it’s hard to keep up.
The Ontario Animal Health Network as put together some useful tables that outline antiparasitic products available in Canada
Companion animal parasite forecasts: US
I’m a little late writing about this (since I’m talking about 2018 forecasts midway through 2018), but the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC)‘s parasite forecasts are worth a look. They don’t include Canada, but they show some interesting predicted patterns in the US.
The maps are below, but check out the CAPC website to
The other Dirofilaria
Most of the time, when we talk about the parasite Dirofilaria in animals, we’re talking about Dirofilaria immitis – a.k.a. heartworm. However, it’s not the only member of this parasite family that is found in dogs and cats. Another one, Dirofilaria repens, is present in pets in many regions, and it can also spread to
The ongoing heartworm controversy
The American Heartworm Society (AHS) recently issued a release emphasizing that "Contrary to what owners may think, heartworm disease is a year-round threat" and encouraging people to use heartworm preventive medications year round.
I’m in Canada, not the US, but some US regions have a similar climate and similar issues to us. Also,
New Dirofilaria species in dogs and people
.Dirofilaria immitis is the parasite that causes heartworm in dogs (and rarely cats). This mosquito-borne parasite can cause serious disease in dogs, and a lot of effort is spent trying to prevent heartworm infection. It can also cause disease in people who are bitten by a mosquito that has fed on an infected dog, but
Early spring and heartworm questions
We’ve had a really bizarre spring around here. At a time of year when we’re usually bouncing back and forth between snow and rain, we seem to have skipped over spring and moved right into summer. It was 25 C (77F) today, the snow’s long gone, frogs are deafening at night and, on the bad
Natural disasters and pet diseases
After the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, there were numerous efforts to rescue animals left homeless or ownerless. As part of this, some animals were shipped far away, including large numbers to the Northeastern US and Canada. It was a time-consuming and expensive endeavour by very well-meaning people, but was accompanied by much controversy.