Rare cases of heartworm reported in Coachella Valley

Veterinarians are alerting pet owners in the Coachella Valley after three positive cases of heartworm were detected in local dogs in the past two weeks.

Officials said the cases were discovered at Village Park Animal Hospital, located in the La Quinta Cove at 51-230 Eisnehower Drive.

According to the release, the cases are extremely unusual for the Coachella Valley, which rarely sees heartworm infection. Heartworm is an infection spread by mosquitoes, and can affect dogs and cats as well as wild animals like coyotes. A single bite from an infected mosquito can create a life threatening condition that may require difficult and expensive treatment.

The three recent cases are all dogs that spend the majority of their time in our local communities. One pet was rescued in Thermal and has an unknown history. The other two pets have known travel histories, one of which travels regularly to Idyllwild, officials said in the release.

The three dogs aren’t showing any signs of clinical disease (coughing, fatigue, weight loss), but were tested as part of a regular annual preventative care. Two pets are currently undergoing treatment at Village Park.

Dr. Kathryn Carlson, owner and medical director of Village Park Animal Hospital, recommends annual testing and monthly preventative medication even in dogs that live in low risk environments like the Coachella Valley.

Dr. Carlson became worried about important recommendations being missed due to not having the same message for all patients.

“We have always believed in the ease of prevention over the difficulty of treatment. If you want the freedom to take your dog any place at any time, prevention is a must,” Dr. Carlson said. “We also have a large number of people who have second homes in areas with higher risk for heartworm. I am now certain that continual testing and prevention is crucial to our local pets, as even one case of heartworm in our area means the risk has increased.”

The American Heartworm Society does recommend annual testing for all pets, even those taking regular preventative measures, as breakthrough infections due to misuse of medication as well as the possibility of drug resistance has become a serious concern.

More information on heartworm infection and prevention can be found at villageparkanimalhospital.com under the “Links” section.