Mean menacing mosquitoes are a real danger

I love summer in the South. Long warm days of glorious sunshine, evenings filled with dancing lightning bugs and the chorus of crickets and frogs make summer one of my favorite seasons.

I also love the ever-predictable afternoon thundershowers that drench thirsty flowers and lawns. The summer showers give me the chance to put on my fantastic school bus yellow raincoat and get out and splash in the puddles. Of course, my parents aren’t crazy about that activity but I have a blast with it!

For as much fun as summer is, it also brings serious hazards for otherwise healthy pets. Many of these hazards can be fatal, but are preventable.

One of the most serious dangers all year long in the South but even worse in the summer, are mosquitoes. While they may seem like a nuisance to people they may be deadly to unprotected pets.

Mosquitoes transmit deadly heartworms when they bite an infected dog or cat and then spread to others. Sadly, heartworms are prevalent in the South and they may cause a slow, painful death in pets you love.

Heartworms are so common in this area it seems like every dog we rescue is heartworm positive. The probability of an unprotected dog in Middle Georgia, even a family pet, having heartworms is substantial.

Monthly heartworm preventive should be considered in the cost of having a pet. It’s not cheap but it’s not optional.

While treatment for heartworms is available, it’s expensive and brings hazards of its own. Unfortunately, some pets do not survive treatment, so prevention is even more important.

The symptoms of heartworms in dogs are coughing, tiredness after limited physical activity, difficulty breathing and maybe even vomiting and fainting. Symptoms in cats may be a little different than in dogs but may also include respiratory problems.

Heartworms are serious hazards to pets and can result in lung damage, heart failure and death. Heartworms are incredibly destructive, but they’re also preventable. If your pet is not already on heartworm preventive, please talk to your veterinarian immediately about it. Please do not delay.

It’s also important to reduce the population of mosquitoes. Those wonderful summer showers I love unfortunately cause puddles of standing water that attract mosquitoes.

Please take a few minutes today to look around your house for any potential area that water may collect even in the smallest container like a bottle top. Mosquitoes don’t need much water, so look around every nook and cranny of your yard to prevent them from multiplying.

There are also fantastic companies that will come to your house on a monthly basis and fog your yard. This helps eliminate mosquitoes and protect your pets, and it allows you to enjoy being outside without being on the mosquito menu.

In fact, one such local company, Mosquito Joe, recently helped my nonprofit animal welfare group, Central Georgia CARES, assist a family get mosquitoes under control around their dogs.

Many thanks to them for helping CARES keep these dogs safe. You can contact them at 478-845-2046 if you’d like to talk with them about addressing mosquitoes at your house.

Yes, there are serious summer dangers that can be deadly to your pet. But taking the necessary precautions can assure that your furry family member will be safe and enjoy summer, too.

This story was originally published July 6, 2017 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Mean menacing mosquitoes are a real danger."