Monday, June 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
This Mosquito Borne Super-Worm is Soaring in the U.S.
According to the American Heartworm Society's (AHS) 2010 Heartworm Incident Survey, cases of heartworm were reported in every state in the U.S.
The AHS believes weather patterns are influencing mosquito populations.
Per dvm360:
"AHS recommends that veterinarians be vigilant about recommending annual heartworm testing and year-round use of heartworm protection. Without such vigilance, heartworm incidence numbers could climb higher than ever before," the association says.
Right around this time a year ago, the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) weighed in regarding reports of increasing resistance to heartworm prevention drugs in dogs:
Click here to read the full article."There is a growing body of anecdotal reports and experimental evidence that currently available heartworm preventives (macrocyclic lactones) may not be completely efficacious in preventing heartworm infection in dogs. Reports of resistance for dogs in the region have resulted in confusion about how best to prevent infection in veterinary patients," CAPC reports.
"At this time, reports of resistance appear to be confined to dogs from the south-central United States where dogs have become infected while on preventives or remain infected following treatments.
"Veterinarians should also continue to emphasize the need for heartworm diagnostic tests at recommended intervals and appropriate times," the statement says.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Heroes Among Us: Military Dogs
Over the past month since the world learned that a Navy SEALs dog named “Cairo” helped carry out the mission that took down al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, a wave of fascination with military dogs has surged.
The dog, assumed to be a Belgian Malinois, is as much a classified and protected member of the military as any human, and whose identity—along with the human SEALs—may never be revealed. President Obama is one of the few people to have met the dog, in a closed-door session following the U.S. arrival of the SEALs team.
Cairo (and the other nearly 3,000 dogs on active duty in the American military like him) have a critical role in protecting the troops, whose importance was relatively unknown until the raid on bin Laden catapulted it into the public eye.
Read the full article on Cesar's website:
http://www.cesarsway.com/news/dognews/Heroes-Among-Us