Southland dog owners know all about the usual hazards of summer: fleas, fireworks and shed fur
But this summer could bring a new, unwelcome twist. Replica Clothes
Heartworm - carried by mosquitoes and traditionally rare in the Southwest - is turning up in higher numbers among Los Angeles County dogs The number of cases, while still quite small and mostly northeast of the South Bay, has prompted advisories from county public health veterinarians who suggest owners consider putting their pets on a simple monthly preventive medication
"If we could wave a magic wand and have animals on this at no expense to people, that probably would be a good thing," said veterinarian Emily Beeler of the L. chanel handbags A County Department of Public Health "It's a judgment call"
Related ResultsObama, GOP differ on taxes leading up to deadlineUnemployed turning to religious leaders for help finding jobsObama says Congress must MarkON June 29, 1995, the space shuttle Atlantis docked with. (Michele). [DerivedEnergy policy needed without wind powerIt's hardly an epidemic Fewer than 25 cases were reported in 2009 But that's a significant spike from earlier years. (Piaget).
Concerns that the disease could become more prevalent stem from data showing that up to 20 percent of the county coyote population could now be infected, the anticipation of a heavier-than-usual mosquito season, and what county officials say is a "dramatic" increase of a particular kind of mosquito that's a more effective vector
And at least one South Bay area clinic - Centinela Animal Hospital in Inglewood - saw four cases last month, said clinic veterinarian Richard Palmquist. ED Hardy clothing Before that, he'd seen only three cases in his 30-year practice
After an e-mail notice went out in March from Senior County Veterinarian Karen Ehnert, Palmquist began recommending that his clients have their dogs tested and put on the monthly heartworm prevention pill
The potentially fatal condition is caused by parasitic worms that live in the arteries of the lungs - and sometimes in the right side of the heart - of dogs, cats, wolves, foxes, coyotes, ferrets and sea lions It's rare in humans. (Maurice Lacroix).
While the disease is treatable in its early stages, once the worms begin to multiply dogs experience symptoms such as a mild but persistent cough, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss Eventually, it can lead to heart failure and organ damage
Beeler said studies continue to weigh the trends LA County veterinarians have had to report cases since 2008
"Only recently have we even been tracking heartworm, so we don't have enough data to know if it's dramatically increasing," Beeler said "(But) we do have some legitimate data to suggest that it could be increasing"
The disease is most prevalent in the southeast US But public health veterinarians are concerned that it could spread
Dogs must be tested for heartworm disease before being put on the
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