Parasite Prevention

Parasite Control in Companion Animals - Recommendations and Product Options

For the San Diego area, the small animal parasites that are present in significant amounts are fleas, intestinal worms, heartworm, and in some instances ticks. As such, we recommend broad spectrun parasite control for all of the mentioned parasites for the safety of your pet, you, your family, and the community as a whole.

Heartworm disease is endemic in Southern California. The American Heartworm Society (AHS), the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) recommend in endemic areas (such as San Diego) year round heartworm prevention for BOTH dogs and cats.

Heartworm prevention recommendations for felines is a fairly recent addition. We know that felines in heartworm endemic areas such as San Diego are also contracting the disease. In felines, prevention is of utmost importance because there is no treatment for the disease, diagnosis can be difficult, and the pathology from the disease causes significant health conditions, such as Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD).a The AHS and the AAFP recommend heartworm antigen and antibody testing prior to placing a feline on heartworm prevention (such as Revolution). Therefore, here at BHVH, we also highly recommend the testing in felines, but it is not absolutely required prior to placing on a preventive. During the month of April, HW testing for felines will also be significantly discounted.

Keep in mind that these products not only protect your pet, they protect your entire family as well. AAHA, AVMA, AAFP, the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) strongly recommend parasite control for companion animals for many reasons, including prevention of visceral larva migrans, a condition in which parasites within a human "release larvae that migrate anywhere in the body... Organs commonly affected are the eye, brain, liver and lung, where infections can cause permanent visual, neurologic, or other tissue damage."b Visceral larva migrans can affect adults and children, and in fact "the common dog ascarid, T. canis, has long been recognized as a cause of larva migrans syndromes in children."b How commonplace are these parasites? "A recent national survey of shelters revealed that almost 36% of dogs nationwide and 52% of dogs from southeastern states harbored helminths capable of causing human disease."b,c

Notes on the different products available (NOTE: we are required by law to have an examination of your pet within the last 12 months, and we ONLY sell product on site at our hospital):

Resources:
a. Dillon AR, Tillson DM, Wooldridge A, et al. Heartworm-associated respiratory disease (HARD): induction and reversibility relative to tissue larval stage and Wolbachia status. In: Heartworms Today; The Search for Solutions: Proceedings of the 2013 Triennial Symposium, New Orleans, LA, September 8-10, 2013. Wilmington, DE: American Heartworm Society; 2013:30-31.
b. http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/zoonotichookworm/resources/prevention.pdf, 3/25/2016
c. Blagburn BL, Lindsay DS, Vaughan JL, et al. Prevalence of canine parasites based on fecal flotation. Comp Contin Educ Vet Pract 1996;18:483-509.

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