Today's Veterinary Practice

MAY-JUN 2017

Today's Veterinary Practice provides comprehensive information to keep every small animal practitioner up to date on companion animal medicine and surgery as well as practice building and management.

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22 AHS HEARTWORM HOTLINE Heartworm Education: It Takes a Team Chris Duke, DVM, and Kathleen Williston Bienville Animal Medical Center, Ocean Springs, Mississippi AHS HEARTWORM HOTLINE Heartworm disease is one of the most important diseases threatening companion animals. According to the American Heartworm Society (AHS), disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis has been diagnosed in all 50 states, and, as most veterinarians and veterinary technicians are aware, it can affect both dogs and cats. Veterinary professionals have a wealth of effective, Food and Drug Administration– approved products, including oral, topical, and injectable formulations, that make heartworm disease preventable. One goal of veterinarians and technicians should be to ensure that every pet is protected from heartworm disease for 12 months each year. The key to realizing this goal is effective client education. MAKING HEARTWORM PREVENTION A PRIORITY Given the veterinary profession's understanding of the importance of heartworm prevention, it's easy to overestimate how seriously clients take this disease. Our practice, along with 46 other veterinary practices, recently participated in a client compliance survey. While we expected that most of our dogs and at least half of our cats would be receiving year-round heartworm prevention, the survey showed that just 58% of dogs and 30% of cats met this profile. Moreover, on average, the survey showed that dogs received heartworm preventives just 4.7 months of the year and cats only 3 months annually. Our profession—and our clients—can do much better. CLIENT EDUCATION Each client represents an opportunity for heartworm education or reeducation. The discussion can come about naturally, within the course of any preventive care annual or semiannual visit. In our practice, all puppies and kittens begin receiving heartworm prevention at the time of shutterstock.com/atiger The Heartworm Hotline column is presented in partnership between Today's Veterinary Practice and the American Heartworm Society ( heartwormsociety.org ). The goal of the column is to communicate practical and timely information on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heartworm disease, as well as highlight current topics related to heartworm research and findings in veterinary medicine. HEARTWORM HOTLINE

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