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Georgia now in the top 10 states with Heartworm Epidemic

Hello to all of my pet parents out there in Atlanta! I wanted to quickly cover a hot topic in veterinary medicine as we head into the warm summer months. The topic pertains to hearworm disease. Now, I know all of my pet parents are educated on this topic, but I wanted to highlight some of the latest statistics and trends that was released by the GVMA(Georgia Veterinary Medical Association). These statistics are nationwide, but are extremely important to those of us living in Georgia. So, lets begin and I promise to be brief. 

Did you know that heartworm disease is in every state now?? However certain factors play a role in the diseases prevelence in certain states, such as weather, owner compliance, transportation of infected dogs in and out of state, etc. Geographically, it makes sense that we are a heartworm hotbed in the USA. Our warm weather and intermittant rainy days create an oasis for breeding mosquitos. Mosquitos are the vector for heartworm disease spread. Most recents studies show that Atlanta is the #1 city in the country for mosquito infestation! The state of Georgia is #8 in the USA for heartworm incidence! Those are some IMPRESSIVE stats for all of us living in Atlanta. Hence, the reason why we are constantly checking in with you concerning your heartworm preventative supply. 

Veterinarians in the United States have seen an almost 20% increase in heartworm disease in their patients this past year. That is a huge increase in disease. So, the logical question is why the increase? Is there a lack of efficacy in the product? The answer is no. The products remain highly efficacious. However, if the product is purchased from an online pharmacies or 3rd party supplier then the efficacy is in question based on whether the product is still in date and how the product has been stored. These types of product vendors may contribute to the increase in prevelence of heartworm disease. Another reported factor is the fantastic movement by Americans rescuing dogs from the shelters and these dogs have heartworm disease. The last factor that I want to mention is owner compliance. This was the most common contributing factor to the upward trend in heartworm disease.

So what is poor compliance? Poor compliance is defined as not administering preventatives year-round or skipping doses during the winter months. Per the American Heartworm Society, "Heartworm disease is a devastating but preventable disease. If we make consistent, year-round prevention in dogs and cats a priority, we will see incidence go down." It is a very simple message and it requires a commitment from all of my pet parents. When you use preventatives year round, you serve as an example to others, this sends a positive message to those who are not educated on heartworm disease. As the education from one pet parent to another pet parent increases we will see heartworm disease prevelence decrease. 

So, I encourage all of my pet parents to make sure you are vigilent in your heartworm prevention and if you know others who are not...educate them, print them out this email to read, refer them to us at Chattahoochee Animal Clinic and we can speak to them in detail about heartworm disease. As a veterinarian, I am here to educate and be the advocate for our dogs and cats. I always look forward to the opportunity to educate pet owners and help improve the overall care for our beloved pets. 

Have a great summer!

Marcus Smith