Myth: Heartworm isnât an issue unless you live in a warm climate.
Fact: Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes â so warm, muggy areas are certainly hotbeds, but infection has been reported in all 50 U.S. states. If a mosquito carrying heartworm larvae bites your dog â one bite is all it takes! â those larvae will make themselves at home within your dog, travel to their heart and lungs, and develop into mature heartworms and start reproducing.
âThese worms can grow to be up to a foot long,â says Dwight D. Bowman, PhD, professor of parasitology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
What types of heartworm medicine are available for puppies?
Numerous types of heartworm preventives are available. Most are used monthly. Some kinds of heartworm prevention are chewable or oral medications, while others are topical and applied between the shoulder blades. There is also an injectable form that can be used every six months. Be sure that you are using the heartworm medication that is labelled for heartworms. Flea or tick medications do not prevent heartworms, although some will have heartworm prevention medication included in the product.
A female’s body condition and nutritional status should be optimal before coming into heat and during breeding, pregnancy and lactation. “This means that she should have an abdominal tuck when looking from the side and a waist when looking down from above, and her ribs should be easily felt,” Dr. Cecere says. “Diets should be adjusted to maintain ideal body condition, but as the pregnancy advances, you will not be able to see the abdominal tuck or waist as when she is not pregnant. Careful monitoring of weight gain and/or muscle loss is key.”
Annual screenings for heartworm and tick-borne diseases are recommended, as they can reduce fertility, Dr. Cecere says. “The stress of heartworm disease on a pregnant dog puts her at risk for abortion or delivering unhealthy puppies,” she adds. “A heartworm-positive female will pass microfilariae, the early life stage of heartworms, to her puppies in the womb, causing them to be vectors of the disease. Year-round heartworm and flea and tick prevention is recommended, though some products are not safe during pregnancy. It also is not safe to treat a pregnant dog for heartworms or tick-borne diseases due to the toxic effects on the puppies.”
Regardless whether it is a female’s first or third litter, breeders should involve their veterinarian during the whole process to avoid any surprises. Delivering healthy puppies starts with a healthy female that has normal heat cycles, becomes pregnant, and carries her pregnancy to term. Breeders who adequately prepare, plan and execute these guidelines are more likely to reach the goal of welcoming a happy, healthy litter.
“This helps to ensure adequate immunity is passed on to the puppies,” Dr. Cecere explains. “Passive transfer of immunity occurs across the placenta during pregnancy and when puppies nurse. During the first 18 hours of life, puppies ingest colostrum, which contains the antibody-rich secretions the mother produces. These antibodies serve as the initial proactive defenses in the first six weeks of life.”
Feeding a balanced commercial all life stages dog food or puppy food is ideal for optimal reproduction in females and optimal growth in puppies. “Do not feed supplements to a pregnant dog as this could unbalance the diet and cause problems in late gestation and early lactation,” advises Dr. Cecere. “Calcium should never be supplemented in a healthy pregnant dog because this could alter her body’s ability to mobilize its own calcium and cause a life-threatening condition, hypocalcemia, or low calcium. Certain supplements also contain high levels of certain nutrients that can cause midline defects, such as cleft palate, or have embryo toxic ingredients.”