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.

Every three years, the American Heartworm Society (AHS) releases new data on the incidence of the parasite’s dreaded disease in pets. And right now is when the organization is asking for your help to get the best sample size to analyze.

Veterinarians now have the opportunity to submit their clinics’ data for the 2019 AHS Heartworm Incidence Survey. Options include filling out a printed survey that was mailed to veterinarians in late January (the completed survey can be scanned and emailed to the AHS) or simply completing the survey at heartwormsociety.org/2019survey. The deadline to submit survey data is Feb. 29, 2020.

When the going gets tough, stick to the basics of good communication and kindness to help improve the bond between you and those difficult clients.

By Shana Bohac, DVM

Have you ever walked out of an exam room and wanted to bang your head against a wall? (Hand raise, right here!). Stubborn clients, whiners, complainers and those who think they know more than you are by among the most frustrating issues veterinary teams deal with on a daily basis. Can I get an amen?

But know this: You will never make everyone happy. I repeat, you will never make everyone happy. (I’m repeating this for myself, too!)

Persuading clients to purchase a 12-month supply of preventives gets easier if you explain the benefits well and price your products competitively.

The recent rains and storms can give rise to a big surge in the mosquito population that could result in a big threat to our pets: heartworm infection. Heartworms are the common name of Dirofilaria immitis, 12-inch long worms that dwell inside the heart chambers and lungs of affected animals. Although the disease is most prevalent in the hot southeastern parts of the U.S., there have been cases all the way north of the Great Lakes. An incidence map denoting the areas where this infection is most prevalent can be seen at https://www.heartwormsociety.org/veterinary-resources/incidence-maps. Unsurprisingly, Florida is heartworm heaven and there’s a widespread infection that includes not just dogs as victims but cats, foxes, coyotes, ferrets, and other mammals.

Having a solid understanding of the heartworm life cycle—and the damage this disease can do—is the first step in getting pet owners on the right track with treatment.

Heartworm disease is affecting more dogs and cats in more parts of the country than ever, in part due to the long-distance transport of shelter animals. Here’s what you need to know to educate your veterinary clients.

SAN MARCOS, Texas -- While mosquito bites may be a nuisance to us, one bite could potentially be a death sentence for dogs if they become infected with heartworms and go untreated.

• More dogs get heartworms in spring, summer
• Higher abundance of mosquitoes
• Treatment costs a lot of money

The spring and summer months in Texas bring a higher intake of heartworm-positive dogs to area shelters due to the amount of mosquitoes transmitting the disease.

SAN FRANCISCO – As if this year's storms, floods and heat waves weren't enough to worry you, some experts fear climate change is also expanding the distribution of diseases that can sicken or even kill dogs, putting more pets at risk for diseases their owners have never had to deal with before.