In 1971, the original practice opened its doors at the current location of Queen Anne Animal Clinic. Seattle Veterinary Associates was founded in 1971 by Dr. Personal interests include fly-fishing, hiking, gardening and travel. When away from the practice, he spends most of his time having fun with his family (his wife Kristie, three children, three cats and one “Labrador non-retriever”. The relationship between my patients and their owners is the reason I am in this profession.” “Above all, I have a strong interest in people and animals. His interests include internal medicine and surgery, including minimally invasive surgery (endoscopy and laparoscopy). in Biology from Baylor University, and completed an internship in Small Animal Emergency Medicine and Surgery in Rochester, New York. Mortimer earned his degree from Iowa State University. Prevention is the absolute key with cats and it is recommended to treat indoor and outdoor cats if you live in an endemic area.ĭr. All treatments are prescription medications and a discussion with your veterinarian is important to determine your pet’s level of exposure and the timing of treatment.Ĭats are also susceptible to heartworm infection and although their worm burden is usually lower, it can prove quite deadly and there is no real safe treatment for infected felines. Prevention is the key and there are many options available – most of which are a monthly treatment. If these worms are not removed surgically, this syndrome causes sudden collapse and death within two to three days. And depending upon the worm burden it can prove to be deadly.Occasionally, a dog with a large number of heartworms may not only have worms in the heart, but also in the caudal vena cava (the large primary vein running from the body back to the heart). Heartworm disease is treatable however treatment is not always successful. This can manifest further in more severe respiratory changes, weight loss, collapse, abdominal swelling (ascites) and exercise intolerance. Later, the heart may enlarge and weaken due to an increased workload and congestive heart failure may occur. As the disease progresses, the most common early signs are coughing and respiratory changes. The severity of the clinical signs usually corresponds to the number of adult heartworms present, the timeline of the infection, and the activity of the dog.ĭogs with higher numbers of worms are generally found to have more severe heart and lung disease due to inflammation that occurs in and around the arteries of the lungs. Most dogs with heartworm disease show no clinical signs. Detection of Heartworm disease can be accomplished through numerous means but the most common method of diagnosis is through a simple blood test that identifies the adult form of the parasite. Male heartworms (four to six inches in length) and females (10-12 inches) fully mature about one year after infection, and their life span in dogs appears to average up to five to seven years. Microfilaria can be detected in the blood about six to seven months after the infective larvae from the mosquito enter the dog. The warmer the climate, the more efficient the maturation process is. This specific part of the life cycle is climate dependent and requires a minimum ambient temperature of 57° F to continue. Once ingested by the mosquito, the immature parasite has to develop within the insect’s abdomen to become infective. The microfilaria can then be transmitted back to another mosquito through a blood meal. These adults will eventually end up in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels.Īfter reproduction, they release their offspring, (microfilaria), into the blood stream. When a mosquito carrying the heartworm parasite bites an animal and transmits the infection, the larvae develop and migrate through the host’s circulatory system over a period of several months to become sexually mature adult worms. However, we are now seeing the incidence of heartworm creeping northward through the Willamette Valley of Oregon and it could some day be a threat in Eastern Washington. Up until a few years ago, we had no concerns about this parasite threatening pets in the Pacific Northwest. Heartworm is a parasite that is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito. One of those parasites is Dirofilaria immitis otherwise known as heartworm. One of the advantages of our temperate Seattle weather is that it does not foster the development of particular parasites that are endemic to the warmer climates.
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