Archive for June, 2008
June 16, 2008 at 2:33 am · Filed under Fitness Infos
February is the perfect month to consider mending your broken heart and San Francisco is the just the right city to do it. No, I am not talking about your love life. I am talking about strengthening the most important muscle in your body; your heart.
Valentine’s month is a period in between the holidays and summer. There are not as many distractions which make it a great month to begin an exercise program. The San Francisco setting for this is ideal with the cool clear days February provides and no fog!
More importantly there is no better city to train than San Francisco because of our unique topography. Where most cities have to rely solely on long, boring and flat cardio workouts we have a ton of options for quick, high intensity cardio workouts.
Three great options for fast cardio training that The City offers are: beach sprints, hill sprints and stair climbing.
1. Beach Sprints: Sprinting at the beach is great for developing strength in your legs as well as your heart. It takes more effort than sprinting on a solid surface and you can’t beat the scenery (unless all you can see is fog but that’s pretty cool too.) A great cardio workout at the beach would be to sprint for twenty seconds then walk for ten and repeat eight times for a total of four minutes. This is the Fartlek method of training and has been proven to be just as effective as running at a steady state for longer periods.
2. Hill Sprints: When I was young and had to walk everywhere I would curse the hills of San Francisco. Driving my old cars with stick shifts was never much fun either. Now it’s all about automatics and using the hills to exercise. Much like beach sprints; hill sprints are great for strengthening the legs and glutes, as well as your heart. The best thing about hill sprints is most likely you have a hill right outside your door (if you don’t you probably live close to the beach.) Try the “around the block run.” Jog easy downhill and around the turns and sprint uphill. Depending on the length and slope of the hill start out doing this once or twice and try to build up to five or six times or more.
3. Stair Climbing: One of the aspects of San Francisco I have always loved, even as a kid, is the amount of stairs we have. Long staircases slice through neighborhoods providing easy routes to our favorite coffee shops and create the feeling, for me, of being in an old world time and place. What I really love about them is the leg, glute and cardio workout they can provide. Try running up a long staircase, walking up two stairs at a time or carrying a pair of dumbbells on your climb. If you want to climb it more than once be careful coming back down as you will be tired.
Try these once or twice a week along with a longer, steady run. Of course do a proper warm up before exercising and always consult a physician before starting a new exercise program. Happy Valentines Day!
Jim Phillips is a physical educator, fitness coach and owner of http://www.home-exercise-secrets.com.
June 15, 2008 at 11:49 am · Filed under Wheels
The main priority for today’s Learner Driver should not be passing the Driving Test but embracing the philosophy of skills for life initially.
Surely passing the Driving Test is the main objective? Not So!
Your main objective should be to acquire the necessary skills that will keep you, your passengers and all other road users safe. This makes sense, but is not taken on board by a very large proportion of Irish learner Drivers, with the result that we have an appalling accident record here which impacts on the whole community.
The first and arguably most important step for the new driver is to enrol with a professional Driving School who will set the foundation for both basic and advanced skills and ensure that safety is a priority. The lack of basic skills throughout the motoring population is very widespread and stems from several inherent flaws which are only now beginning to be addressed by the Government.
Thankfully our membership of the European Club is forcing the various agencies that are involved in the whole motoring scene to take action and implement the various Directives on a structured time scale.
The Irish Driving Test only began in 1966 more than thirty years after the UK introduced that most feared of life events!
Most of the recent EU changes have usually taken effect here three or four years after the UK. These would comprise the Driver Theory Test, revised Test Marking Sheet, Provisional License revisions, and Mechanical Checks on the Practical Driving Test.
Aspects still to be rolled out will be Mandatory Tuition for Motorcycles and Cars and the long awaited Examination and Registration of Driving Instructors. One of the reasons for our poor standards on the roads, particularly within the young driver community is that Driving Instructor standards are not subject to scrutiny. It is quite commonplace to see Instructors giving tuition in a pupils car with no L plates displayed. This shows a complete disregard for the basic rule of Law and by extension the calibre of instruction has to be mediocre at best.
What can you expect on your first lesson with a Professional Instructor? Will you be taken into a city centre? Will you be taken on a high speed carriageway? Will you be driving off down the road in just five minutes? Absolutely not!
What will happen is a concentrated session covering many diverse subjects relating to both the workings of the car and all its equipment and a look at the current Driving Scene into which the new Driver is entering for the first time. An investigation of all the basic mechanics that are the responsibility of the Driver, and which now form part of the Driving Test, will take place, and a brief discussion on the current requirements of the Driving Test.
Once this is accomplished, the basic Cockpit Drill will be looked at along with all instrumentation and secondary controls. Following on from this section, a brief discussion on the use of the Gearbox will take place and then on to the most mystical of Car equipment …the Clutch. (That is of course assuming that we are driving a car with a manual Gearbox, with its accompanying Stick Shift.)
It surprises most beginners that it is the Clutch that moves the car and not the Gas pedal. In fact, since you are going to be on a level stretch of road for the first tentative steps, it is interesting to demonstrate that the Car does indeed move with the foot no where near the Gas Pedal.
This is the point at which we are learning the first real Driving Skill; that of understanding the Term “Biting Point” and how to recognise it.
In the very early stages, a complete mastery of being able to bring the Clutch to” Biting Point” and hold it steady is the key to Driving away smoothly in every different situation. No amount of gas pedal usage will move the car unless the clutch is at Biting Point first. Once the car begins to move, and is building up a little momentum, then the clutch can be fully released gently and the Gas pedal then comes into play.
Next follows a brief demonstration of the clutch control technique by the Instructor followed by the Pupil.
The sequence of moving off safely comes next, followed by the Real Thing, but of course it’s no use getting going if you then don’t know how to stop safely which will also be demonstrated. You are now on the move practising starting and stopping and the adrenalin is finally pumping after all the Theory!
Guess What? You will be doing the whole procedure in Reverse within a few minutes. Yes that’s right…Reversing! Reversing is such an integral part of every day driving that it’s something that can’t be left till later. If it is put off, then chances are that fear of failure will begin to creep in and that is not the object of Driving Lessons.
So there you have, in graphic (almost) detail, the first steps on your Driving Career. If you are going to progress steadily then you should be prepared to do plenty of homework in between your Lessons, with a pad and pen as well as reading the Notes which your Instructor will have given you!
There is plenty more where this came from, so take time to look at all the resources available and you should be well on the way to the basic apprentice stage after three or four weeks. The Driving Test is not a consideration at this stage and will only be addressed when you have a suitable level of skill built up over several months.
Robin Piggott is a Professional Driving Instructor based in Limerick, Ireland. The Astral Driving School is training all ages of Driver and is endeavouring to make a difference to the Accident statistics which show no real sign of abating throughout Europe. Please visit the Astral Web Site at
http://www.astralmotoring.ie and the Astral Driving School Blog at http://astralmotoring.blogspot.com for plenty of advice for both Learners and Visiting Drivers
June 13, 2008 at 6:13 am · Filed under Fun On The Net, Sports Portal, World Of Recreation
Camping Costa Brava, Spain is surely an enjoyable experience. Costa Brava is a very popular resort area of Spain. It features amazing rugged cliffs, sandy beaches and harbors. There are vineyards and olive groves galore, as well as access to Barcelona. Barcelona is one of the most exciting cities in Europe and one of the most popular cities to visit in Spain. Barcelona has impressive cuisine, architecture and culture. It also offers great markets with incredible shopping for arts and crafts.
Costa Brava is a favorite destination for scuba divers. For those who love the ocean there are all kinds of options for camping near the beach, diving, and taking tours in glass bottom boats. You will have a chance to see beautiful tropical fish and unique coral formations. By camping Costa Brava you will have access to all the excitement and beauty of the area. There are plenty of options for camping in the region because it is such a popular vacation destination for Europeans. Most campsites come with all kinds of amenities: swimming pools, showers, laundry facilities, bars and restaurants. There are a range of accommodations from canvas tents to luxury cabins, just depending on the type of experience you are looking for. A holiday spent camping in Costa Brava will surely be a fond memory for you and your family.
June 13, 2008 at 5:04 am · Filed under Cell Phones, Consumer World, World Of Technology
Normally it is considered polite to turn off your wireless devices during a public show, but a recent development will have you flipping them open out of pure respect. Verizon will soon be inquiring moviegoers regarding their musical preferences. Rather than merely viewing commercials during pre-movie procedure, viewers will be allowed to flip open their electronics and send in survey responses.
The promotion, which plans to begin in mid-June, will precede film showings in the US and possibly in the United Kingdom. Moviegoers will be asked questions about musical preferences, and will be allowed response by email and text. Following their response, moviegoers will view a series of adverts from Verizon, followed by a statistical display of the audience’s preferences.
These innovative advertisement viewings, made possible by Screenvision, allow mobile broadband users the ability to respond to local advertisements. The capability to do this is gained through relative digital distribution, making statistical advertisements possible without printing individual copies of material. This will replace many traditional Verizon slides in movies and email distribution. The deployments of these adverts are expected to work similar to Google Adwords, allowing advertisers to bid for ads per viewing and customer, linked to films of a specifically chosen genre.
June 13, 2008 at 12:55 am · Filed under Universe Of Gambling
America loves “World Champions”.
Baseball has “The World Classic”, NFL crowns its version at the Superbowl, and the NBA finds theirs after a grueling season.
However, this summer all these “local” events fade into insignificance when you realize that every country on this planet will be talking about, reading, and watching “THE World Cup” - no exceptions!
It’s taken time for a country that exports its culture to import the World’s favorite game. Even in 1994, those “funny men” running on grass in “silk pyjamas” did not catch John Doe’s imagination in America’s heartland.
So what’s all the fuss about every four years when the world goes crazy and falls into a footballing trance while America carries on with their summer sports?
Well, “The World Cup” embodies more than a team trying to win. Footballers transform into “warriors” - national heroes - and the football pitch becomes more than a piece of turf, it’s a battleground for global supremacy.
The World Cup is the only event where a team represents a country and 100% of its population gets behind them and lives every kick, breathes every goal, and cries at every defeat.
As one famous British manager once told a reporter, “Someone said ‘football is more important than life and death to you’ and I said ‘Listen, it’s more important than that’.”
Footballers have been shot dead for missing penalties, and two nations went to war over a football match (El Salvador and Honduras).
It’s the “global game” - that’s why American companies scramble to push their products into every country via this competition. Look at Coca-Cola, Yahoo, and McDonalds - as you guys say, “They’ve got game!”
So, who’s going to win?
Of course, being English - you would think I would say England. But sadly, after “our” coach (well - he is Swedish really) got caught out by a number of faux pas like having close bedtime relations with an FA secretary (who also had intimate relationships with other high ranking members) who spilled the beans to a “fake Sheikh” in Dubai about the team and then had “secret” meetings (well, secret enough that Britain’s famous media hounds snapped photos of Sven going into these “secret” meetings) with top domestic clubs.
You can see why your average “Brit” thinks Sven’s mind is not focused on the Cup.
In fact, after all these little snags, the FA decided to wish him “Good luck and goodbye”.
Now, in your job - if your company says, “we’ve got a major launch happening and then you’re fired after it”, are you actually going to go the “Whole Ten Yards?” Not likely.
In fact, the whole footballing world will be packed into one nation. Deals will be done for players, and it is not against the realms of reality that while Sven is thinking about where he will be in August, his agent will be on the mobile phone talking to rich European clubs about Sven’s future employment.
Now, what would you rather focus on - an employer’s ultimate dream after already firing you or a shiny new multi-million dollar contract with one of Europe’s richest clubs? Go figure!
For the duration of the World Cup, teams take over hotels and make them secure camps. So, within this secure zone, if you see Sven on the practice pitch or walking around the hotel with his mobile close by - it could be suggested that he is not waiting for Nancy (his other half) to call him to update him on missed episodes of “Lost” or “Desperate Housewives”!
So who can win the Cup? Well, obviously it would be boring to say “Brazil”. But sadly, the talent within the side is amazing and a repeat of 2002 Japan’s victory is on the cards.
What about another European challenge? Well, everyone knows Italy has a great footballing history. However, the sport is in crisis - it’s so bad that Sven talking to another football club about joining them whilst under contract with the FA - is small fry when you consider what has surfaced in Italy.
OK, think about this and I’ll put it in American sporting terms. Of course, before any American lawyers start firing off writs to me - I am not saying that any of the following could or would happen in the NFL. But consider what the outcry would be if the New England Patriots were stripped of their two Superbowl titles. Or if the owner, Robert Kraft, dictated who the on-field umpires would be for all their matches. Or picture the Patriots’ owner locking umpires in their dressing rooms after a game because they didn’t give “favourable” decisions, the owner’s son running the most influential sports agency in NFL, and this same man dictating who gets bought and sold within the whole NFL community. What would happen if the Pats’ leading QB admits to gambling on NFL matches although it is banned? Then the NFL chief commissioner resigns, and to cap it all George “Dubya” Bush takes some time off from his “crusade” in the Middle East to appoint a new commissioner to oversee the “damaged” sport.
This scenario is exactly what has happened in the past month in Italy. The Azzuri are truly “blue” and the dark cloud of corruption hangs over the Italian dream - there’s too much baggage being taken to Germany.
So, if you discard England and Italy - two of the favourites - where are the dark horses to run against the thoroughbred Brazilians? Holland and Spain usually turn up, and when everyone thinks they’ll be the “belles of the ball” - they trip up on the global dance floor and never see it out to the end. France are always a side that oozes class. Thierry Henry is in his prime, Gallas and many other EPL stars are at their peak - but can eleven stars gel into one cohesive unit? Germany for a month will tell.
The minnows always have no chance. Sorry Trinidad & Tobago, Saudi Arabia et al.
The winner is easy to predict - it is always the football fan that feasts on this extravaganza. The team that lifts the trophy - well - you always want a pundit to give his opinion and take a good stance. I apologise, but yes, I am realistic and yes, I know my football and yes, I want to be next to a young nubile Brazilian girl when they lift The World Cup on July 9th, 2006!
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
June 12, 2008 at 2:19 pm · Filed under Hardware Hall
Think you got a great deal on a printer? Like the rest of us, you probably paid $50 to $75 for a decent Epson or Lexmark printer. What’s the catch, you might have asked? Most salesmen would say there is no catch. They’d probably go into a rant about how the printer market has gotten more competitive, driving prices way down. While that’s a true statement, it isn’t the primary reason for such inexpensive printers these days.
So, why are printers so inexpensive? It’s pretty simple - printer manufacturers need you to buy their printer model so you’re forced into buying their outrageously-priced ink cartridges. It’s kind of like the relationship between a gasoline company and car manufacturer, except in this situation the printer company is supplying both the automobile and the fuel. Gas companies wouldn’t make any money if no one owned an automobile. In the case of printer manufacturers, things are a little different. They don’t make any money on selling printers - they make their money by selling you the replacement ink cartridges.
It makes a lot of business sense when you think about it. A consumer buys a printer every few years, but may buy ink as much as once every three months. Printer manufacturers would much rather have this steady stream of income. Consumers don’t factor ink cartridge costs into the equation when they buy a printer. They look at the features and price tag. Sure you’re getting a great printer and not paying a lot. But if you use your printer on a fairly regular basis, the cost of ownership over a year or two (thanks to high priced ink cartridges) may exceed $500.
Before you buy your next printer, remember to do some research on printers, paying particular attention to the cost and longevity of the ink cartridge replacements. A little research ahead of time can save you hundreds of dollars. We don’t recommend Lexmark printers because Lexmark ink cartridges are generally mc more expensive than those of other brands, like Canon or Hewlett Packard. Because Lexmark embeds a special chip right into the cartridge, the cost of buying replacement Lexmark ink is astronomical.
Bill Smith is an expert on printers and printer repair. Check out helpful online printer reviews at http://www.buythebestbuy.com
June 11, 2008 at 9:05 pm · Filed under School of Relationships
One of the most stressful parts of organizing a wedding is to try and coordinate the choice of the mother of the bride dresses with the rest of the outfits being worn. There is nothing worse than having mother of the bride dresses that outshine the bride or clash with others who will be in the official photos.
If you are the groom-to-be then you may be extremely worried about the type of mother of the bride dresses that your future mother-in-law may turn up in on your big day. Unfortunately it usually falls to the bride-to-be to call on all her diplomatic skills and discuss the issue with her mother.
The issue of how to decide on the perfect color and style that the mother of the bride dresses in can be a complex one. Obviously she wants to look her best too but she should not wear an outfit that takes all the attention away from the special couple. I know this has happened to a number of my friends.
If the color that the mother of the bride dresses in has the potential to grab too much attention then she needs to be persuaded to make another choice. Remember too that the bridesmaids are going to have their own color theme and this also needs to be taken into consideration.
By far the best types of mother of the bride dresses are those that have simple lines to them and not too many frills or accessories. The color should blend in and, if the bride is not getting married in white, compliment her daughter’s choice of wedding dress.
Another extremely important point about how the mother of the bride dresses is to take into account is the color of the outfit that the mother of the groom will be wearing. Many a wedding group photo has been marred by clashing colors.
Finally, the choice of outfit that the mother of the groom and the mother of the bride dresses in should be different.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of couples who have not found out that the mother of the groom and mother of the bride dresses are the same before the big day!
Find out how to organise your big day from the comfort of your own home. Check out http://www.a1-ourwedding.com!
June 10, 2008 at 4:18 pm · Filed under Entertainment Events
Television or TV as we abridge it to is an extensively used communications technique for broadcasting & receiving moving pictures and sound, or as we more formerly know it as, telly channels. Commercially accessible ever since the 1930’s the television set has developed into an extensive domestic connections device in homes and firms, primarily as a supply of amusement & news bulletins. Since the 1970s video recording on Video Cassette Recording tapes and later, digital media systems such as Digital Versatile Discs, have enabled the TV to be used to watch recorded drama films & other programmes.
Television products are constructed out of various parts so a TV which is deficient of an interior tuner to attain the broadcast signals is identified as a monitor instead of a telly. Because the future is now, tellies have developed on to a great extent & technology has advanced, TVs at present are assembled to obtain several telly broadcasts or video set-ups similar to that of high definition televisions commonly referred to as HDTV. When High-Definition Televisions were originally released they were pricey, although, recently it is achievable to come across low-cost televisions from most supermarkets. For instance a 37 inch LCD television may well have a long time ago have set you back in cash £1000 it is now doable to find one up for a vast amount lower than this, you will take in that a significant number of LCD widescreens TV’s have fallen very much in worth when contrasted to a couple years ago. Enjoy great online electonic Deals. Buy a high definition television now at Digital Direct!
There are 2 forms of TV’s nowadays, plasma & LCD both are some what incredibly alike but some what exceptionally different at the same time. Plasma is a variety of flat panel screen that you will typically only find on large telly displays, which effectively denotes that you will not be able to get plasma in anything smaller than a thirty-seven inch. Plasma screens in there simplest form are just gas canisters. You then have LCD screens which you can discover in many dimensions & they can also be used as computer monitors.
June 8, 2008 at 11:56 am · Filed under Publishing Infos
In October 2004 when my book “Your Retirement Masterplan” (How To Books ISBN 1857039874) was published I participated in eleven 15-minute live interviews on local radio over a period of just five days.
The results were highly encouraging; the book leapt from nowhere on Amazon.co.uk to position 194 out of 3123 competing titles and eventually grabbed the No.1 spot for its core keyword (retirement) where it remained for nine months.
I am shortly to repeat the broadcast exercise for my newly published tome “How to Earn Money in Retirement” (How To Books ISBN 1845281128) but before doing so I am already off to a head start…
Although this title does not hit the bookstores until Friday 5 May 2006 it already ranks at No.47 out of 3453 competitive titles on Amazon.co.uk - which means of course that it is already selling in big numbers online - thanks largely to the success of its predecessor and the initial boost it got from radio promotion.
These promotional interviews are arranged by my publisher’s media consultancy and I do not require to visit a single studio to take part; they are all conducted over the telephone, sitting at my desk at home.
So what if you self-publish your output and you don’t have a publicist to arrange radio interviews?
Does that mean you are excluded?
No way; I have self-published several books in the past and managed my own promotion.
Here is what you do…
1. Wherever you live in the world you’ll find that the majority of local radio stations are banded together into a single network for cost-effectiveness;
2. Identify the controlling network;
3. Visit the corporate website containing links to all subsidiaries;
4. Pick out those stations within a 500/1000 mile orbit;
5. Visit each local station website individually;
6. Scan the daily programming schedules;
7. Highlight those programs that might identify with the topic of your book;
8. Note the presenter’s name;
9. Email him/her with a well-couched request for a live interview;
10. Follow that up with an identical snail mail request;
11. Follow that up with a telephone call (you’ll get to speak to someone in authority);
12. You know your topic inside out; speak up with confidence and you’ll get your interview; maybe not straightaway but, if you sell yourself and your project professionally, you’ll be logged into and up-and-coming slot in the station scheduling.
Go for it…it’s free!
In truth though there is more to creating bestselling books than spieling about them on radio and if you’d like to learn how I manage to produce bestsellers consistently, visit the website featured in the resource box below.
Jim Green is a bestselling author with an ever-growing string of niche non-fiction titles to his credit. http://1st-creative-writing-course.com
June 8, 2008 at 10:54 am · Filed under Animal Supplies
The heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is a deadly parasite that is carried by mosquitoes. The highest infection rates are in areas within 150 miles of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and along the Mississippi River and its major tributaries. Other areas with large mosquito populations also have a high rate of infestation. Heartworm disease is present on every continent except Antarctica.
Dogs should be on heartworm prevention wherever mosquitoes are present. A variety of effective types of heartworm prevention are available for your dog. Some treatments are oral while others are topical. Some treatments are taken daily while some are taken monthly. There are even treatments out there that may prevent other types of worms while preventing heartworms in your dog. All treatments are available only from a veterinarian. The monthly treatment is more popular and actually offers more safety and protection than the daily treatment. It doesn’t stay in the dog’s system for a month, but instead acts on a particular stage in the heartworm’s development. A monthly dose prevents heartworms from maturing in your dog. Your dog may only need to use a prevention treatment during the warmer months. Your veterinarian can advise you about when your puppy should start and if year-round prevention is necessary in your area.
Diethylcarbamazine is given daily. Ivermectin (Heartguard, Milbmycin (Interceptor) and Moxidectin (ProHeart) are given monthly. Selamectin (Revolution) is a new preventive applied topically that also prevents and treats fleas, ticks, and mites.
If you forget to give the prevention treatment prescribed by a vet, your dog may get heartworms. If you think that your dog has heartworms, do not give a daily prevention treatment, the dog could die. It must be tested for worms by the veterinarian first before starting the treatment, unless the dog is less than 7 months old. Puppies should be started on Heartworm preventative by 8 weeks of age, depending on the product being used, and then blood tested at 7 months of age.
The parasite
Heartworm parasites go through several life stages before emerging as adults. There are a total of four molts before the parasite may mature into an adult heartworm. The first two molts occur inside the mosquito and the last two occur inside the dog. A mosquito serves as the intermediate host for the larval stage of the worm, also known as the microfilariae. Development of the microfilariae in the mosquito, requires a temperature at or above 80 degrees Fahrenheit for about two weeks. No larval development takes place in the mosquito below 57 degrees F. The mosquito ingests the larva when it bites an infected dog. Once inside the mosquito’s body, the microfilaria goes through two molts over 14 days or longer, depending on the environment’s temperature. As they go through their first two molts, they change from an L1 to an L2 and then from an L2 to an L3. As an L3, they have reached the third stage of development and have migrated into the mosquito’s salivary glands. The mosquito then deposits the microfilariae it ingested into an uninfected dog when seeking another meal. The microfilariae will then burrow down into the dog and undergo several changes before reaching their adult form as a heartworm.
Once inside, the L3 larva goes through its first molt to the L4, within the first 15 days and as early as 2-5 days after infection. The second molt, from the L4 to the L5, occurs within the next 2 months. The L5 larva is considered a juvenile adult and works its way through the dog’s tissues to the heart as early as 70 days after first entering the dog’s body. The majority of L5 larvae arrive in the heart by 90 days where they stay and grow rapidly in length and size. After reaching maturity, the heartworm then travels to the right side of the heart through a vein and awaits the opportunity to reproduce. The worm can live here, sometimes reaching 14 inches in length, for 5-7 years.
Sexual maturity is achieved about three months after arrival in the heart. The worms continue to grow and multiply, infesting the chambers on the right side of the heart, arteries in the lungs, and sometimes the liver. The females start to pass thousands of microfilaria per day into the blood. These young microfilariae can circulate in the bloodstream for up to three years, before finding another mosquito to pass them on to the next dog.
A soft cough, the first sign of heartworm infestation, may not show up for a year after infection. The cough will worsen until the dog is weak, loses weight and condition, and may even cough up blood. Breathing will become worse and the dog will no longer be able to enjoy walks without respiratory distress. Congestive heart failure will then ensue, resulting in the dog’s death.
The smaller the dog, the fewer worms it takes to cause big problems. Once the number of worms grows too large, based on the size and activity level of the dog, the adult worms move into the heart and the symptoms begin to occur.
Testing
The most common way of checking for heartworms is to check the blood for circulating microfilarae, but this method may fail to detect the presence of adult heartworms in as many as 20 percent of all tested dogs. Another test, the occult heartworm test, is slightly more expensive, but more accurate. The occult heartworm test, tests for the presence of antigens to heartworms in the blood. Many veterinarians prefer to do both tests because the absence of microfilariae in the blood does not necessarily mean that there are no adult worms in the heart. Both tests are done with a single blood draw, preferably in the early spring before daily temperatures warm above 57 degrees F.
With either test, the presence of heartworms will not be detectable until nearly seven months after infection. Heartworms are treatable in their early stages, but the treatment is expensive and is not without risks, treated dogs go through weeks of discomfort while the worms are killed and expelled from their bodies. If left untreated, heartworms will kill your dog.
Radiographs (X-rays) can also detect the presence of adult heartworms in the heart and lungs.
Treatment
Adult heartworms are treated by injecting a drug into the dog twice a day, for two days. This kills the adult heartworms in the heart and adjacent vessels over a period of about 30 days. Some adult worms die in a few days and start to decompose, while others remain and will die within a month. As they break up, they are carried to the lungs, where they lodge into small blood vessels and are eventually reabsorbed by the dog’s body. This is a dangerous period, where plenty of rest and quiet should be provided for the dog. The dog should not be allowed to exercise for 1 month following treatment, to give the dog’s system a chance to absorb the dead worms. Exertion can cause the dead worms to dislodge, travel to the lungs, and cause death. A cough is noticeable for 7 to 8 weeks after treatment in many heavily infected dogs. If the dog shows loss of appetite, shortness of breath, severe coughing, coughing up blood, fever, and/or depression, you should notify your dog’s veterinarian. Antibiotics, cage rest, and intravenous fluids, are usually recommended in these cases.
Microfilaria are treated approximately one month after killing the adult heartworms, if the infection is not occult (meaning no microfilariae were present). The infected dog would need to stay in the hospital for the day after receiving the treatment. Seven to ten days later, a test is performed to determine if microfilariae are present. If they have all been killed, the treatment is complete. If there are still some present in the blood, treatment for microfilariae is repeated.
Some dogs may be diagnosed with advanced heartworm disease. This means that the heartworms have been present long enough to cause substantial damage to the heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, and liver. A few of these cases will be so far advanced that it will be safer to just treat the organ damage rather than risk treatment to kill the worms. Dogs in this condition are not likely to live more than a few weeks or months. If the dog does survive, it may need lifetime treatment for the failing heart, even after the heartworms have been killed. This includes the use of diuretics, heart drugs, aspirin, and special low salt, low protein diets.
About the Author:
Jennifer Bryant is a life-long lover of dogs. Jennifer loves and breeds American Pit Bull Terriers in her North Georgia home with her 2 young children. Her love of dogs has inspired her to create a website for herself (as well as other dog breeders) to advertise their occasional litter of puppies and to educate others with dog breed information and useful articles.
http://www.bryantsreddevils.com/
Bryant’s Red Devils
Red Nose American Pit Bull Terriers
http://www.puppiesanddogsforsale.com/
Puppies and Dogs for Sale
This article may be reprinted on your website, but the content and signature of the author must remain intact.
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