Dog Summer Bummer Diseases

Dr. Sheldon Rubin delivered sobering news to the owner of a schnauzer during a recent visit to his Chicago practice. The dog tested positive for heartworm and faced a long, expensive treatment involving painful shots, says Dr. Rubin, DVM, who is president of the American Heartworm Society.

The heartworm parasite in this case was most likely an unwelcome souvenir from last summer, believes Dr. Rubin, who is also a spokesperson for the American Veterinary Medical Association. A year ago, the affected dog’s owner had decided preventive medicine wasn’t necessary for a city pooch, but he learned the hard way that dogs are at risk no matter where they live.

In this case, heartworm is just one dog disease that is spread by vectors like mosquitoes, fleas and ticks. Vectors spread parasites and organisms by biting an infected animal then transporting the disease when they bite healthy animals. Although your dog can contract a vector-borne illness year-round, summer is a prime time for these diseases.

Summer Trouble
It makes sense that the risk expands exponentially in the summer. Time spent outside frolicking with your pal, whether in the backyard, at the beach or camping, means more potential exposure to diseases such as heartworm and Lyme disease. The same warm summer temperatures that lure us outdoors are the same ones that jump-start mosquito, flea and tick populations. "It only takes one mosquito bite," Dr. Rubin says of mosquitoes carrying the heartworm parasite. "It’s not like it takes a bunch of mosquito bites to infect your animal."

Dr. Stephen Steep believes yet another factor plays a role in spreading vector-borne diseases among dogs during the summer. We hit the road more at this time, and many of us bring our dogs along for the ride, says Dr. Steep, DVM, an Oxford, Mich., veterinarian and past president of the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association. Unfortunately bug pests can hitch a ride during such trips. "We’ve dramatically increased our exposure," he says. "If you go to a dog park, a dog there might have visited another part of the country and brought back a parasite."

He and other veterinarians suggest that all dog owners, whether or not they are planning a summer trip, should educate themselves about these vector-borne diseases. Here’s a look at three of summer’s most common dog disease bummers:

Heartworm Disease

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