| HEARTWORM
CONTROL
Your Pet's Healthy Heart
Heartworm prevention is extremely important for pets.
Just a few dollars a month can ensure that your beloved
pets are protected from heartworms, as well as from several
other internal parasites. Veterinarians now know that cats
can also contract heartworms; however, there is currently
no method for treating heartworm disease in cats. While
there is a treatment for heartworm disease in dogs, it is
both expensive and stressful for you and your pet. Monthly
heartworm prevention can protect both your feline and
canine pets from this serious health hazard. To understand
how heartworm prevention works, you need to know how pets
get heartworms.
Heartworm Life Cycle:
1. A mosquito takes in some blood that
carries heartworm larvae when feeding on an infected animal.
2. The larvae grow inside the mosquito
over a two to three week period.
3. The mosquito spreads these larvae to
the skin of an uninfected animal while biting it.
4. The larvae move into the bloodstream
and develop into adults.
5. The heartworms move into the heart and
lungs within six months and cause heartworm disease.
6. The cycle is set up to restart when
adult female heartworms reproduce, and their larvae begin
circulating in the infected animal's bloodstream.
NOTE:
Heartworm prevention breaks the life cycle by
killing larvae deposited when an infected mosquito bites
your pet.
Types of Heartworm Prevention: There are several
forms of heartworm
prevention. Some are daily medications, but most are
once monthly. The medicine is available in pill form, chewable
tablets, or a topical liquid. Speak to your veterinarian
to determine which type of preventative is best for your
pet.
Missed a dose? If your animal misses
a dose of heartworm prevention, it is important to give
the pet a dose as soon as possible. If your pet has been
off of heartworm prevention for several months, consult
your veterinarian. You may need to schedule a heartworm
test.
Year round protection? It is safe
to stop giving heartworm prevention to your pet in areas
where mosquitoes are dormant during the coldest winter months.
However, in our area, the winters are too mild for pets
to be taken off heartworm prevention. Therefore, to ensure
your pet's safety, heartworm prevention must be given all
year.
Ask
your veterinarian for the best line of defense against heartworms
for your pet's health.
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