Hawaii's Mosquitoes Can Transmit Heartworm Disease
Hawaii's Mosquitoes Can Transmit Heartworm Disease
Mosquitoes can thrive in Hawaii's year-round tropical climate and they are the vectors for Canine Heartworm Disease. Not all mosquitoes harbor the disease, but it is impossible to know on visual inspection which ones do. Hence, we treat all mosquitoes as potential carriers. As the carrier mosquito feeds, it transfers microscopic larvae called microfilariae. Given 6 months to mature, the microfilariae can grow into an adult heartworms. An adult heartworm can measure 7 to 12 inches in length and can live for up to 5 years. Adult heartworms attach to the inside of the dog's heart where they can interfere with the heart's pumping and obstruct blood flow. A single worm may not pose much of a threat; however, multiple worms can cause heart failure and death.
There are drugs to kill adult heartworms; however, they are arsenic compounds and can have side effects -- sometimes severe ones. It is generally preferable to prevent heartworm disease from happening in the first place. A few dogs have inherently low risk based on their lifestyle. For example, the paper-trained little dogs that never go out from their securely screened in homes on the drier parts of the islands are unlikely to enounter any mosquitoes or mosquito borne diseases. For all the other dogs, there several monthly preventives to choose from that are generally very safe and effective. Check with your veterinarian to determine which product will work best for your canine companion.
As with any reference, these pages are not a substitute for veterinary care. Veterinary practice is an eyes, ears, nose, and hands-on profession which cannot be accomplished over the Internet.