The heartworm is to be found all around the Mediterranean, as well as in the tropics and subtropics. It is one of the most dangerous of parasites – and it loves heat and dogs. The boom in tourism to warm countries over the last 20 years has also opened the borders for the heartworm. In the USA, it has been spreading at near-epidemic speed.

Mosquitoes are the carriers

About 60 varieties of mosquitoes are known to be carriers. They use living dogs as the host for the development of worms. When an animal is acutely infected, heartworms develop in the right part of the heart, the pulmonary artery and the large vena cava. They are about a millimeter thick and about 30 centimeters long. A dog can become infested with hundreds of these threadworms. Once the parasite has gained a foothold, the animal only has a slim chance of recovery.

Course of the disease

The insidious thing about the illness is that it is usually recognized too late. The incubation period lasts weeks or even months. A reliable diagnosis cannot be made until six months after infection at the earliest. The signs are loss of appetite, weight loss and a chronic cough. The animal quickly becomes tired when moving and can even pass out if it does anything too strenuous. This is caused by heart insufficiency. In most cases, the animal dies of kidney failure.

Prevention is possible

Veterinarians all agree that preventing infection is the best protection against the illness. There are already very effective preparations that are simply applied to the skin. This way of protecting animals against diseases is called the spot-on method.

No chance for the heartworm and other parasites

Bayer HealthCare has developed a preparation for this kind of treatment which combines the advantages of two active substances. It is based on the globally known anti-flea preparation Advantage® with its active substance, imidacloprid; it keeps fleas at bay externally. "The new drug’s additional active substance, moxidectin, attacks worms and mites in the animal's body and skin. Regular application also prevents heart-worm infection, thus protecting the animals against this dangerous illness and stopping the spread of the parasite," says Dr. Klemens Krieger, Head of Clinical Parasite Development at Bayer HealthCare.

Furthermore, it is also effective against most of the relevant parasites that affect dogs and cats, as well as fleas, roundworms, mange and ear mites − and even hair-follicle mites, which are particularly difficult to control. The solution is trickled between the shoulder blades and spreads over the entire skin of the animal. Imidacloprid, the active substance against fleas, remains on the outside of the skin and in the hair/fur, while moxidectin penetrates the skin and is spread evenly around the body via the blood. By going to the veterinary surgeon and having your animal treated regularly, you can give it long-term protection against parasites and the diseases they cause and thus help it to have a vital and healthy life.

Advice for patients
Every body reacts differently to medicines. Therefore it is impossible to tell which medicine works best for your animal. Please consult your veterinary.