Worms in Dogs: Prevent, Diagnose, and Treat Different Types of Worms

Pet Vet: Heartworm

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - This past week brought balmy, warm weather… and that means it's prime season for the dreaded mosquito.

It also means that our pets need to be protected from a deadly disease called heartworm.

Our Pet Vet Dr. David Visser joined us on WNDU 16 News Now Saturday Morning to help us understand the risks of heartworm.

If you want to contact Dr. Visser, you can reach him at the Center for Animal Health by calling 888-PETS-VETS or you can send him an email at michianapetvet@comcast.Net.

Copyright 2024 WNDU. All rights reserved.

Dog Owners Encouraged To Be Aware Of Heartworm Risk As Temperatures Rise

Risk of heartworm transmission rises as mosquitoes become more active

Rising mosquito activity heading into the summer months poses an increased risk of transmitting heartworm disease to dogs, which can lead to damage of the heart, lungs and arteries if left untreated.

Cathy Campbell, DVM, veterinary diagnostician at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, in Bryan-College Station, explains the heartworm life cycle, the best time for testing, and tips for prevention.

What are heartworms and how are they transmitted to dogs?

Heartworm disease is caused by the parasitic worm Dirofilaria immitis and is transmitted to animals through mosquitoes, according to the American Heartworm Society. Mature heartworms can live within dogs for up to seven years.

"When a mosquito happens to bite an animal infected with heartworms, it ingests microfilariae, or baby heartworms, through a blood meal," Campbell said.

Those microfilariae morph into larvae inside the mosquito in 10-14 days. That infected mosquito tends to fly around and bite a dog, transmitting the larvae to a new host. Once transmitted, the larvae enter the dog's bloodstream and migrate to the heart.

"Larvae set up housekeeping in the heart and grow into sexual maturity in six to seven months," Campbell said. "Mature worms produce microfilariae, which are released into the bloodstream where they await another mosquito to come and bite the dog, take up a blood sample and continue the cycle."

It takes six to seven months in the heartworm's life cycle before they can be detected on a test. Therefore, most veterinarians recommend testing dogs for heartworms around 6 to 7 months of age.

Testing to detect heartworms in dogs

TVMDL offers two different approaches to testing.

The first approach is to detect the baby heartworms produced by adult heartworms in the heart. TVMDL's clinical pathology section can detect microfilariae using either a filter method or through a modified Knott's test.

However, not all heartworm infections produce baby heartworms, so it is best to include an "occult" heartworm test using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA — the second testing approach.

Technicians at TVMDL use the ELISA test to detect antigens associated with pregnant female heartworms. A positive result indicates adult female heartworms are present. This is the primary testing method to detect heartworms.

TVMDL's role in testing for heartworm disease

Most private veterinary clinics can perform heartworm antigen/ELISA testing in-house, Campbell said. TVMDL primarily conducts confirmatory heartworm testing with a different antigen test after these clinics have gotten an initial positive result.

Confirmatory testing is performed for several reasons. The first is to confirm a dog truly is positive for heartworms prior to undergoing treatment, because the treatment drug used for heartworms can have significant side effects and should not be used unless adult heartworms are present.

The second reason is to document heartworm prevention drug failure. Several manufacturers guarantee coverage of treatment for a dog that has been on their product but developed heartworms despite well-documented testing and dispensing of medication by a licensed veterinarian. There is evidence of a preventative-resistant heartworm variant, primarily in the Mississippi delta region of the U.S.

Lastly, sometimes test results can be unclear. TVMDL can offer a differing testing option to help support or confirm findings.

Although TVMDL serves a confirmatory role for most antigen heartworm tests, the agency typically conducts initial testing for the heartworm antibody test in felines. Due to the infrequency with which this test is needed in private practice on cats, many veterinary clinics do not perform this test in-house and defer testing to TVMDL.

Prevention recommendations

TVMDL encourages veterinarians to educate their clients on the benefits of giving year-round heartworm preventatives to both their canine and feline patients and supports annual testing of canines.

"Texas' mild climate lends toward year-round mosquito activity," Campbell said. "Missing a dose of heartworm preventative, or even administering a dose late, may allow a window of opportunity for mosquitoes to infect pets."

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For additional information on heartworm disease, visit the American Heartworm Society. For more information on testing, visit TVMDL's testing services or call the TVMDL laboratory nearest to you.

PHOTO: Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory officials are reminding pet owners that with rising mosquito populations comes the need for testing and prevention against heartworms. (Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)

Does Pet Insurance Cover Fleas And Ticks?

How Does Flea and Tick Coverage Work?

Most pet insurance providers don't cover flea and tick prevention in their base plans. Insurers see preventive care as an expected monthly cost pet parents can plan for, rather than an unpredictable expense they may need help covering. However, many companies offer preventive care add-ons for an extra monthly fee. This includes flea and tick coverage and other pet needs.

Though pet insurance is similar to human health insurance, the payment process works differently. Rather than only paying your co-pay at checkout, you pay your full vet bill, submit a claim and wait for reimbursement. Your provider will reimburse you for your exam fees at the care coverage rate you selected during enrollment (typically between 70% and 90%) after you've met your deductible.

Add-on coverage typically comes with an annual limit. For example, if you choose $450 of add-on coverage, you'll be reimbursed for up to $450 worth of preventive treatments that year. Individual treatments sometimes have annual caps and exclusions as well.

Which Companies Cover Fleas and Ticks?

Some pet insurance companies that reimburse prescription medication will also reimburse prescribed flea and tick treatment. However, each company works differently. We've researched some of the top pet insurance providers and outlined their coverage options below.

Lemonade Flea and Tick Coverage

Lemonade's base pet insurance policy covers diagnostics, procedures and medications. This includes blood tests, hospitalization, surgeries and prescription medications. However, preventive medications aren't covered.

You can add flea/tick medication coverage by purchasing Lemonade's Preventative+ Package, which includes a wellness exam, fecal or internal parasite test, three vaccines, heartworm or feline leukemia virus (FeLV) test, blood test and routine dental cleanings. This costs an additional $20 to $27 per month for dogs and $15 to $22 for cats. Depending on your selected reimbursement rate, you can receive $55 to $75 reimbursement for flea, tick or heartworm medication per year.

To learn more: Lemonade Pet Insurance review

Spot Flea and Tick Coverage

Spot's standard illness policy doesn't cover preventive care, including flea/tick medication. You can add this coverage by purchasing the company's Gold or Platinum Preventive Care add-on.

The Gold plan costs an additional $9.95 per month and includes a dental cleaning, wellness exam, blood test, urinalysis, deworming, flea/heartworm prevention and vaccinations. It has various per-treatment limits at an annual cap of $250. The Platinum plan costs $24.95 per month and includes everything in the Gold plan but with higher per-treatment limits, totaling $450 of coverage per year. It also includes spay/neuter coverage.

To learn more: Spot Pet Insurance review

Embrace Flea and Tick Coverage

Embrace offers preventive care as an add-on under its Wellness Rewards package. You can choose $250, $450 or $650 of annual coverage for preventive care including flea/tick/heartworm prevention, routine vet visits, microchipping, vaccinations and more. The plan costs $18 to $53 per month depending on your selected annual limit.

Embrace's wellness plan is more comprehensive than other providers on this list. It covers things such as grooming, medicated shampoo and wearable pet activity monitors plus alternative treatments such as chiropractic care, massage therapy, reiki and acupuncture. The Wellness Rewards plan is not available in Rhode Island.

To learn more: Embrace Pet Insurance review

ASPCA Pet Flea and Tick Coverage

ASPCA offers two wellness add-ons with varying levels of coverage. Both plans cover flea/tick prevention. The Basic plan costs $9.95 per month and includes $250 of annual coverage for services such as a wellness exam, dental cleaning, heartworm test, fecal test, deworming and vaccinations. The Prime plan costs $24.95 per month and includes $450 of annual coverage for everything in the Basic plan plus a blood test, urinalysis, additional vaccines and more.

To learn more: ASPCA Pet Insurance review

Pets Best Flea and Tick Coverage

Pets Best provides two preventive care add-ons covering flea and tick prevention. The EssentialWellness plan costs an extra $16 per month and provides $305 per year for services including a wellness exam, teeth cleaning, vaccinations and microchipping.

The BestWellness plan covers everything in the EssentialWellness plan but at a higher annual limit of $535. It costs an additional $26 per month. Flea/tick prevention is capped at $50 per year for the EssentialWellness plan and $65 per year for the BestWellness plan.

Annual Cost of Flea and Tick Coverage

Flea and tick prevention costs an average of $40 to $200 per year depending on your Here's a breakdown of how much pet insurance costs per month plus the cost of a wellness add-on for flea/tick care plan.

Company Monthly Cost of Base Insurance Monthly Cost of Wellness Add-on Lemonade $24.44–$51.14 $26.70 Spot $42.34–$89.79 $24.95 Embrace $37.43–$45.83 $18.75 ASPCA $25.84–$42.34 $24.95 Pets Best $29.27–$30.63 $16.00

*These costs are based on quotes we obtained for a 4-year-old, medium-sized, mixed-breed dog in Houston, Texas.

Are Fleas and Ticks Common for Dogs?

Unfortunately, fleas and ticks are a common problem for dogs. Though these pests are active throughout the year, they're most present during warmer months, especially in hot, humid climates.

Fleas and ticks can cause numerous health problems for your furry companion. In addition to causing sores and itchy skin, they can carry blood-borne illnesses and diseases that can lead to serious complications. The best way to protect your dog is through prevention. Give your dog oral or topical medications and brush and bathe them regularly. Check them for ticks and fleas if they've been playing outside.

Are Fleas and Ticks Common for Cats?

Fleas are extremely common in cats. Just as with dogs, fleas can irritate your cat's skin and infect it with illness and disease. Comb your cat regularly and use shampoos and topical treatments.

Ticks are much less common in cats, but can still pose a threat. Check your cat's fur regularly and talk to your vet about preventive medication, especially if your cat likes to roam outdoors.

The Bottom Line: Does Pet Insurance Cover Fleas and Ticks?

Most pet insurance providers don't cover fleas and ticks in their standard plans. However, many companies offer wellness add-ons that include this care plan. Enrolling in a pet insurance plan is a great way to provide peace of mind that your pet will receive necessary care without having to worry about finances. Adding routine care and illness coverage can make you feel even more at ease.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fleas and Ticks How much will a vet charge for flea treatment?

Vets generally recommend monthly flea treatments for your pet. Top brands cost an average of $50 for a three-month supply.

What is the average cost of flea and tick prevention for cats?

The average cost of flea and tick prevention for cats is similar to dogs. Most medications cost $30 to $60 per month.

What is the most common tick-borne illness for dogs?

The most common tick-borne illness for dogs is Lyme disease. It can cause lethargy, lameness, joint pain and even kidney issues. Luckily, Lyme disease in dogs can be successfully treated.

Methodology: Our System for Ranking the Best Pet Insurance Companies

We review each pet insurance company based on factors most important to pet parents like you. To inform our reviews, we surveyed 1,000 dog and cat owners nationwide to determine the most important elements of pet insurance coverage. Our process includes in-depth industry research about each provider, such as comparing coverage options, gathering quotes online to determine pricing and reading reviews to assess customer service. 

We then score each provider on a 100-point scale and divide the final score by 20 to calculate an overall rating out of 5.0 stars. Here are more details about the factors we consider when reviewing pet insurance providers:

Monthly pricing (25%): To assess pricing, we collect sample quotes for ten medium-mixed breed and purebred dogs and cats, ranging from 3 months old to 8 years old. Our team collected a total of 17,338 quotes directly from 22 provider's websites, collecting at least two quotes for all 50 state from every provider for each pet profile. Providers earn the most points in this category for offering affordable coverage and a multi-pet discount. 

Plans (15%): The best pet insurance companies offer a range of plans to give customers the option to choose the coverage that is best for their pet. Companies offering accident and illness plans, accident-only plans, and wellness or preventive care add-ons earn full points in this category. We also look at coverage limits and award the most points for policies with unlimited coverage. 

Covered treatments (15%): According to our survey of pet owners, coverage is one of the most important factors when shopping for pet insurance. Companies with a breadth of included treatments and unique coverages receive more points in this category than providers with more standard or general policies.

Customization options (10%): Customizing your pet insurance policy can help lower your cost. Providers that offer more annual limit, deductible and reimbursement rate options earn the highest scores in this category.

Customer care (10%): Respondents to our survey also valued customer service when comparing pet insurance providers. We score each company based on its website accessibility and overall usability, customer service availability, mobile apps, money-back guarantees and veterinarian telehealth options, awarding points to insurers with more customer experience offerings.

Industry reputation (10%): We review up-to-date ratings and accreditation information from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and score companies based on years of industry experience and state availability.

Waiting periods (10%): Companies with shorter accident, illness and orthopedic waiting periods between the time you sign up for coverage and your policy starts score higher in this category.

Eligible age (5%): Some companies do not offer policies for pets over a certain age. For this category, we deduct points from providers that have age limits for covered pets.

We use our rating system to compare each company we review and determine the best pet insurance companies in the industry. To learn more, read our full pet insurance methodology for reviewing and scoring providers. 

Dana Getz is a seasoned editor with nearly a decade of experience writing and editing content. She has a background in journalism and worked as a fact-checker for prestigious magazines such as New York and Chicago. She holds a journalism and marketing degree from Northwestern University and has worked across numerous categories within the home services space.

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