Despite new data confirming that heartworms are a season-round hazard, 51% of pet owners neglect year-round prevention.
Vancouver, Washington., April 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Banfield Pet Hospital, the nation's leading provider of preventive veterinary care and a member of Mars Veterinary Medical Group, surveyed 1,000 U.S. dog and cat owners to gain insight into heartworm conditions. , analyzed a database of pet medical records. Pet prevalence, including seasonal and regional trends.
More than 1 million pets in the U.S. are infected with heartworms, a serious parasite that is transmitted by mosquitoes and can be fatal to dogs and cats, and cases are on the rise, according to the American Heartworm Association. It is in.
Despite increasing prevalence, Banfield's new findings reveal that almost 40% of dog and cat owners do not believe their pets are at risk of contracting heartworms. nearly 30% They said their pets were not vaccinated for heartworm. Even further away, twenty one% Despite heartworm cases being diagnosed in all 50 states, a percentage of pet owners do not believe that mosquitoes in their state carry the parasite.
“Studies show heartworm infection rates in pets continue to trend upward nationally, even though prevention is generally safer, easier and cheaper than treating existing infections. ” said the doctor. Aleah Harrison, Chief Medical Officer of Banfield Pet Hospital. “As we continue to work toward our goal of a better world for pets, Banfield is working with pet owners and the veterinary industry to eliminate infections with this 100% preventable and life-threatening parasite. We are doing our best to make it happen.”
Mosquitoes may be more noticeable in the summer, but the danger exists year-round.
Some pet owners may think that heartworms are only dangerous to pets during the warmer months. But Banfield's data emphasizes the importance of year-round prevention. Heartworm diagnosis rate for pets confirmed in Banfield in 2023 It was the same throughout the seasonsthousands of pets are diagnosed in the spring, summer, fall, and winter.
When asked about the seasonality of heartworms and how to prevent them, here are some answers:
- 41% Pet owners surveyed said they believed the risk of heartworm disease was only present during part of the year.
- 51% Skip prevention all year round, 18% Heartworm preventatives should only be used in the spring and summer for pets.
States with the highest increases and decreases in heartworm incidence
While it's impossible to say with certainty where a pet contracted heartworms, considering things like travel and out-of-state adoptions, Banfield's data shows heartworm rates are at their highest in the past five years. The states are: In particular, the following states: Washington and Oregon According to the American Heartworm Association, these areas have historically had low heartworm rates.
- Delaware – 299% increase
- montana – 140% increase
- nevada – 101% increase
- idaho – 81% increase
- Utah – 57% increase
- Washington – 55% increase
- arizona – 52% increase
- iowa – 35% increase
- Oregon – 32% increase
- rhode island – 30% increase
Not all states are seeing an increase in the percentage of pets diagnosed with heartworms. According to Banfield's data, connecticut saw the biggest thing decrease (-46%) Heartworm diagnosis over the past five years has yielded the following results:
- Indiana – 38% decrease
- wisconsin – 38% decrease
- arkansas – 34% decrease
- louisiana – 31% decrease
- georgia – 29% decrease
- tennessee – 28% decrease
- Kansas – 23% decrease
- Ohio – 22% decrease
- texas – 22% decrease
The importance of prevention
In the past five years, banfield saw 47% An increase in the number of cats diagnosed with heartworm. This is of particular concern for a number of reasons, including:
- Currently, there is no safe treatment to remove or eliminate adult heartworms in cats, so only symptomatic treatment is possible for infected cats.
- In cats, heartworm infections cause a syndrome known as heartworm-associated respiratory disease (HARD).
Despite the increased risk to cats, twenty two% A high percentage of cat owners surveyed recognize that there is no safe treatment for cats.
32 percent Some dog owners surveyed said they were neutral or unconcerned about their dog's heartworm infection because it is treatable. And while there are treatments available for dogs, a new peer-reviewed study leveraging Banfield's data supports why prevention is far preferable to treatment. The study found that dogs with positive test results and treated for heartworm infection had an increased risk of right-sided heart failure, left-sided heart failure, and cardiomyopathy. You can read more about these findings at Banfield Exchange.
Heartworm resources for veterinarians
heartworm Concerns continue to rise around the world we. For pets and people who love pets.as part of Mr. Banfield With a commitment to promoting quality care and leveraging its range to promote pet health, the clinic began focusing on: heartworm As a result of prevention last year, heartworm infection between banfield The number of patients will decrease by more than 10% in 2023.
Veterinary professionals can find learnings and tips for implementing their own heartworm reduction efforts in their hospitals at Banfield Exchange.
About Banfield Pet Hospital®
Banfield Pet Hospital was founded in . Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1955, we are now a pioneer in preventive veterinary care with more than 1,000 general veterinary clinics in 42 states. Washington DC, puerto ricoand Mexico. Each year, Banfield's more than 3,600 veterinarians provide quality veterinary care to more than 3 million pets, including more than 2 million Optimum Wellness Plan customers. As part of Mars Veterinary Health's business group, Banfield's 20,000 employees nationwide make a positive impact on society through the Banfield Gives Back program and support our purpose of making the world a better place for pets: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS® is committed to advancing veterinary medicine. For us. Media seeking additional information may call the Media Hotline at (888) 355-0595.
Source Banfield Pet Hospital
