During summer you’ll hear just about everyone at once time or another complain about mosquitoes, but what about your pet? Mosquitoes are more than just a summer time nuisance, different species are active at different times throughout the year and even throughout the day and evening. It’s also important to note that a mosquito bite can be more than just a pesky itch, especially for your pet. They are a dangerous vector when it comes to transmitting heartworm disease, in addition to other serious vector-borne diseases.
Answer: A single dog can be bitten over 80 times by mosquitoes in a single evening and it only takes one mosquito to transmit a heartworm infection from one dog to the next.
However, there are proven methods to help protect and prevent heartworm disease in dogs. Recently revealed at the 2016 AVMA Convention in San Antonio, Dr. John McCall presented his Phase 2 research on fighting heartworm disease in dogs. A multi-modal approach is the next step in advancing the outdated approach to the heartworm prevention protocol. The new data shows that blocking transmission from dogs to mosquitoes, and from mosquitoes to dogs, using repellents/insecticides and macrocyclic lactone preventives is part of a multi-modal approach. Phase 1 of McCall’s research showed the value of topical repellent insecticidal products in a “double defense” protocol for protecting dogs against the vector – the mosquito and use of a preventive against heartworm disease.
To find out more about Double Defense and Dr. John McCall’s study go to fightheartwormnow.com
Share valuable information about the dangers of mosquitoes and vector-borne diseases in dogs with this educational infographic available as a PDF or JPG.
