This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. It’s June which means summer is officially here! Warm weather and long days give us the perfect opportunity to go on adventures and make plenty of memories not just with our friends and family, but …
With summer right around the corner you may be planning some water based activities with your dog or looking to board them while you go on vacation. Did you know that both of these activities involve a similar risk? Drinking from contaminated water (such as …
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I think it’s safe to say that we’re all too familiar with mosquitos, the pesky flying insects that tend to eat us alive all summer long leaving red and itchy bumps along our bodies. Mosquitos are one of the few downsides that come along with the warmer months and can truly ruin a fun summer day outside—not just for us, but for our dogs too. Did you know that mosquitos can bite your dog as well? However, instead of leaving behind itchy red bumps, they leave behind something much worse—heartworms. With summer right around the corner it’s important to understand exactly what heartworm is and how to prevent it from affecting your dog. Today, I’m sharing everything you need to know about heartworms in dogs: causes, prevention, and treatment.
What are Heartworms?
Heartworm, scientifically known as D. immitis, is a deadly parasite that is transmitted only by mosquitos. Mosquitoes pick up heartworm larvae, known as microfilaria, from infected dogs when taking a blood meal and then transmit it to the next dog they bite. These microfilaria travel through the bloodstream and after a couple of months will settle in the dogs heart, where they continue to grow into mature worms, hence the name “heartworm”.
Heartworms will continue to grow for around 6 months and can grow up to a foot long. They can live in a dogs body for seven years and will continue producing offspring (microfilaria) for the duration of that time. In extreme cases, dogs can harbor hundreds of worms in as short as only one year.
If not caught quickly enough, heartworms can begin to inflame and damage your dogs heart, arteries, and lungs and will eventually be fatal.
How Common is Heartworm Disease?
Heartworm is not uncommon and as of 2022 was affecting about 1 in 100 dogs in the U.S. each year. Because heartworms are carried by mosquitoes, the disease is much more prevalent in areas that border a body of water and warmer areas such as the south. In the United States, heartworm is most commonly seen along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and along the Mississippi River.
Symptoms of Heartworm Disease
Heartworm disease sounds extremely scary, so it may surprise you that for many heartworm positive dogs they will never show a single symptom.
Dogs that are tested for heartworms on the recommended annual basis are most likely to come up positive, and be treated, before the microfilaria make their way to the dogs heart. In these cases, your dog will likely not show any symptoms of being infected.
For dogs that are not tested regularly, they may eventually show symptoms such as:
Coughing
Exercise intolerance
Abnormal lung sounds
Decreased appetite
Weight loss
Swollen belly (due to heart failure)
Dogs showing more extreme symptoms such as abnormal lung sounds, decreased appetite, and a swollen belly are much less likely to survive treatment than those that show no symptoms or mild symptoms such as a light cough. This is because once the worms have fully taken over the heart, it is significantly more difficult to get rid of them.
How to Prevent Heartworm Disease
Luckily, there are several heartworm preventatives (HWP) on the market that are successful in protecting your dog against heartworm disease. Most of these preventions come in the form of a monthly chewable that contains a medication such as ivermectin or milbemycin. Your dogs vet will likely prescribe one of several different heartworm preventatives that are on the market. Some of the most popular include Heartgard, Interceptor, and Simparica Trio. All of these preventatives are prescription only but can be purchased through an online pet pharmacy such as Chewy.
Depending on your dogs lifestyle and location, your vet may recommend giving preventative year round or only in the spring and summer months. For many dogs, keeping them on HWP year round is the safest option.
In order to prescribe HWP, your dog will need to be tested for heartworms yearly. This is because giving HWP to an already heartworm positive dog can have negative side effects. If your dog is getting their prevention as prescribed, they are at a very low risk of becoming infected with heartworms. In most vet clinics, testing for heartworms is simple, only involving a blood draw and a quick in house test.
Treatment for Heartworms
If your dog becomes positive for heartworms, do not panic. Luckily, in most cases, heartworm is completely treatable in dogs. Unfortunately, the treatment is quite long and painful for you and your pet.
Treatment for heartworms typically looks like this:
Heartworms are first diagnosed by a blood test. From there, further diagnostics may be run such as radiographs to check the heart and lung function, microfilaria count to confirm a worm count, or an echocardiogram to see inside heart chambers and visualize any worms.
Once heartworms are officially diagnosed, your vet will encourage you to restrict activity with your dog. This is often the hardest part for us and our dogs, as it involves no playtime or exercise for up to 6 months. The reasoning for this is that exertion will increase the rate of damage to your dogs heart and lungs.
Killing the heartworms involves an FDA improved arsenic containing drug known as melarsomine dihydrochloride. The drug is administered in a series of injections that will take place over several months. The injections are painful as they have to be administered quite deep into your dogs back muscles. Many vets will place their patients on a pain medication during this time to help with some of the overall pain.
About 6 months after your dog completes their series of injections, they will be retested for heartworm disease. At this time, most pets will be negative and free of any heartworms or microfilaria. From here, your vet will prescribe a heartworm preventative and highly encourage you to keep them on it year round.
Heartworm treatment is expensive and painful for you and your pup and not worth going through when the disease is so easily preventable. If you don’t currently have your dog on HWP, talk to your vet today about getting your dog tested and protected before summer is in full swing.
This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. When this post goes live I will be on my way to Disney World for a week long vacation with my family! I adore Disney and everything it has to offer from it’s movies to …
This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. When you own a dog, there’s a large list of supplies you need to care for them properly and keep them healthy and happy. As dog parents, the top of that list contains items such …
This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.
It’s March 1st which means spring has almost officially sprung! And while springtime brings along a plethora of fun seasonal activities for us and our pets, it unfortunately brings some hazards such as toxic plants along with it. While many plants are perfectly harmless to our furry friends, certain flowers and other plants can actually be really dangerous. Before planting your spring garden this year, check out this list of plants that are toxic to dogs to make sure none of them make an appearance.
Which Part of the Plant is Toxic to Dogs?
For most of these plants, the bulb is the most toxic part for our pets. While chewing on the leaves, stems, and petals can cause some GI upset, the bulb is where most of the toxins occur.
While digging in the garden should be discouraged for multiple reasons, keeping your pup away from plant bulbs should definitely be reason number one. If you suspect your dog ate the bulb of any toxic plant, contact your vet immediately!
Spring Plants that are Toxic to Dogs
1. Tulips
Tulips are a gorgeous spring flower that bring so much color to any garden. Sadly, they’re on the list of plants that are toxic to dogs. Tulips contain a toxin that if ingested can irritate your dogs mouth and GI tract. Dogs that consume any part of a tulip may experience vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive drooling.
2. Daffodils
Daffodils are one of the most toxic flowers to dogs as consuming any part of the plant, or even the water that they’re in, can cause GI upset and neurological issues. When a dog eats a daffodil they may experience vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, inappetence, extreme drowsiness, and wobbliness.
3. Azalea
All parts of an azalea plant are considered poisonous to dogs. Not only do azalea plants cause GI issues, but they can also cause neurological problems and cardiovascular issues. Symptoms of azalea consumption include but are not limited to:
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Rapid Heart Rate
Difficulty Breathing
Tremors
Coma
4. Bluebells
Bluebells aren’t just toxic to dogs, they’re toxic to humans too! Bluebells contain toxic glycosides that are dangerous for most species. Every part of these gorgeous purple plants are toxic and can cause an upset stomach if eaten. If consumed in large quantities they can be fatal. Even the sap from these plants is toxic and can cause skin irritation.
5. Lilies
Lilies are known for being dangerous to cats but they are toxic to dogs as well. Luckily, fatal lily poisonings are rare in dogs but they can still cause some major GI upset. Not all lilies are toxic to dogs, but the majority of them are, so the plant in general should be avoided around curious pups.
6. Hyacinth Plants
Hyacinth plants are another common spring plant that is toxic to dogs. All parts of the plant is toxic, but the bulb is where the majority of the danger lies. Symptoms of hyacinth poisoning ranges from diarrhea and vomiting to increased heart rate and seizures. These plants can also cause topical symptoms such as blisters, itching, and redness.
Spring Plants that are Safe for Dogs
Now you may be wondering, are any plants safe for dogs? Don’t panic, you can still safely create a dog safe garden this spring. Springtime plants that are perfectly safe for your dog includes:
Roses
Snapdragons
Orchids
Sunflowers
Petunias
Pansies
Jasmine
All of these plants will allow for a gorgeous spring garden without any of the extra worry.
Additional Spring Garden Hazards
While making sure that the plants in the garden are all dog friendly is important, there are a few other garden hazards to be mindful of.
Certain types of mulch (such as cocoa mulch) and fertilizer can be even more toxic to dogs than the plants themselves. Before planting your garden make sure to research what types of mulch or soil is safe for pets. Staying away from commercial fertilizers that are not pet safe is also the best practice to keep your dog from accidentally ingesting toxic chemicals.
Another common garden hazard for dogs is mushrooms. While you’re likely not growing mushrooms in your garden on purpose, they do tend to pop up and a lot of wild mushrooms are dangerous for dogs. When it comes to these fungi, it’s best to play it safe and remove any mushrooms that you find.
And perhaps most toxic of all is weed killer. Most weed killers are incredibly toxic to pets and should be avoided as much as possible. If you must use weed killer on your garden, make sure it’s planted in an area your dog can’t reach or within a fence.
Note: As always, if you suspect your dog ingested or consumed a toxic plant or other potentially dangerous part of your garden, contact your local vet immediately.
This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and if you’re anything like me the holiday is definitely more about chocolate for you than it is about love. Every year I look forward to enjoying all …
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner we are definitely feeling the lovey dovey vibes over here so it only seemed fitting that our next dog names list have a romantic feel. If you’re a fan of all things love you may want to consider …
This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.
These days, everyone loves Amazon. It is the perfect place to find everything you need from everyday essentials to items you didn’t even know existed. Amazon has become my go to place for items that make my never ending job as a dog mom so much easier. If you’re due for an Amazon shopping spree, you’re in the right place. Today, I’m sharing some of my must have Amazon products for dog moms.
Cleaning Products
It’s no secret that a major part of owning dogs is cleaning up after them. Whether you’re spot cleaning from potty accidents or ridding your furniture of dog hair the cleaning is constant when you own a furry friend. These are some of my must have Amazon products for cleaning up after your pup:
1. Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner
I got this product for Christmas and I am OBSESSED. The Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner is a must have for spot cleaning your carpet when you own a dog. Whether you have a puppy who still has accidents inside, a sick dog who throws up on your carpet, or a super muddy dog who leaves paw prints all over after coming inside this carpet cleaner can clean it all.
It’s so easy to use and the perfect size to take it wherever in your home you may need it. I’ve even used it in my car after particularly muddy hikes and it works like a charm!
2. Pet Hair Remover
These pet hair removers are a staple in my home, especially since owning two Siberian Huskies. They come in a two pack for a very affordable price and work so well to remove dog hair from furniture, carpet, or your car.
3. MudBuster Paw Washer
Muddy and dirty paws are a constant issue with my dogs, especially in the winter. I love the MudBuster paw washer because it’s simple to use and makes cleaning my dogs feet so quick and easy. My dogs despise being bathed, so this makes my life so much easier when we just need a quick feet cleaning!
4. Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh Carpet Odor Eliminator
I have used this product for years whenever I vacuum. It’s no secret that dogs can get pretty smelly, and the Arm & Hammer carpet odor eliminator really helps to pull up all that dog smell when you vacuum your home. All you need is a little sprinkle on your carpet before vacuuming and it leaves every room smelling so fresh and clean.
Active Wear
I think it’s safe to say that owning a dog forces you to become more active, whether you want to or not. All dogs need a daily walk or two and many of them thrive with real exercise such as running, hiking, or even playing fetch. These are a few of my favorite active wear must haves from Amazon:
5. Colorfulkoala Leggings
Colorfulkoala leggings are my absolute favorite for long walks or hikes with my dogs. They’re perfectly high waisted and buttery soft making them the most comfortable pants to wear for long periods of time. They come in so many fun colors and patterns and some of them even have pockets which are great for holding your phone, keys, etc while walking your dog!
6. Thermal Shirts
I love thermal shirts for outside time with my dogs during the winter. They make the perfect layering top and keep you so warm in freezing weather. Owning two huskies, I can’t use the cold weather as an excuse to not get them outdoors so these thermal tops are an absolute must have for me.
Miscellaneous
There are so many random items that make my life easier as a dog mom. Some of those items from Amazon include:
7. Poop Bag Holders
I got these poop bag holders a couple months ago and don’t know how I ever survived without them. The worst part of walking your dog is having to hold their bags full of poop in your hand after they go. These poop bag holders are the perfect solution! They attach to your dogs leash and hold several full bags of poop so that you don’t have to.
8. Ear Warmer
Like I said before, I can’t use the cold weather as an excuse to not walk my dogs so I am constantly looking for tools and items to keep me warm during winter walks. I love this ear warming headband because it’s lightweight but so so warm. It also allows me to wear my hair up, unlike a hat, which I love!
9. Dog Travel Bag
If you take trips with your dogs, this travel bag is a must have item for sure! It has all the storage space you’ll need for food, toys, first aid necessities, and whatever else you need to pack for your pup.
10. Toe and Hand Warmers
Again with the cold weather necessities, these toe and hand warmers make cold weather adventures significantly more enjoyable.
Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, the veterinary world has become increasingly busy while also being insanely short staffed. Because of this, getting an appointment at the vet has become very difficult and wait times at 24 hour ER vets are sometimes up to 5 or …