Posted: June 16, 2008, 5 a.m. EDT
The American Heartworm Society will be distributing surveys to more than 40,000 veterinary clinics and hospitals this summer to record cases of canine heartworm disease in the United States.
The society will compile the results and produce an updated, online heartworm incidence map. The last survey recorded cases of heartworm disease in 2004.
“We hope conveying the severity of this disease through actual numbers will help veterinarians encourage year-round prevention with pet owners and eventually move towards eradicating this easily preventable disease,” said Sheldon Rubin, DVM, president of the society.
The society also plans to increase its outreach and teaching capabilities by continuing to target pet owners and veterinarians via a multi-media website and its sponsored awareness campaigns such as KNOW Heartworms, a partnership with the American Association of Feline Practitioners and Pfizer Animal Health.