Heartworm Season Again
As spring has started in full force, with it comes the wonderful return of our parasitic friend, the mosquito. With them comes the return of the threat of heartworms for our furry companions.
If you're not familiar with what heartworms actually are, here's a brief description from PetsMD.com:
"Heartworms are a species of roundworms and live in the arteries of the lungs and heart and the blood vessels surround both."
Needless to say, this is a significant danger that can potentially be extremely serious to our companions.
The Perpetual Heartworm Cycle
Heartworm is spread through mosquito bites. Here's the process:
Defeating Heartworms Starts With Prevention
Heartworms can be very difficult to treat once an infestation has started. This often includes multiple trips to your veterinarian, which obviously means a sizable bill to come with it. Your veterinarian have multiple preventative treatments, including a pill, chewy bars, and topical treatments.
The schedule for treatment will vary depending on the delivery method you choose. It is imperative for the health of your furry friend that you stay on top of the treatment cycle to prevent infection.
As a boarding, grooming and doggie daycare provider, we have assisted clients with getting their dogs to the Vet for check-ups. Unfortunately, we have seen more than a few cases where the heartworm prevention regiment wasn't maintained, and we had to deliver the news their dog is infected with heartworm disease.
Heartworm Early Detection
Unfortunately, once a dog is infected, heartworm disease can be very difficult for the owner to catch; the signs mirror those of other canide ailments. These signs include:
CAUTION: If your dog exhibits any of these symptoms for more than 72 hours, be sure to see your veterinarian.
Before your veterinarian will start a prevention regiment with your friend, he or she will do a blood test to make sure your pet doesn't already have an infection. Heartworm Disease can only be verified through this blood work, so be sure to keep an eye open for changes in your dog's behavior, and get him to the veterinarian early if you suspect she may be infected.
A regular grooming routine is a vital piece of catching heartworm disease early. More than just bathing, regularly brushing your dog's coat and being alert to the signs of mosquitoe bites will help you connect the dots if your dog's behavior changes compared to when he or she received a bit. If you have a hard time seeing through your dog's coat, consider enlisting the services of a professional dog groomer who can point out when these appear.
If you're not familiar with what heartworms actually are, here's a brief description from PetsMD.com:
"Heartworms are a species of roundworms and live in the arteries of the lungs and heart and the blood vessels surround both."
Needless to say, this is a significant danger that can potentially be extremely serious to our companions.
The Perpetual Heartworm Cycle
Heartworm is spread through mosquito bites. Here's the process:
- A mosquito bites an infected canine, and receives heartworm larvae with the blood.
- Those larvae being to mature, and are spread to more dogs the mosquito attacks.
- The heartworm larvae move in the circulatory system to the heart and lungs and fully develop, leading to a infection of heartworms.
Defeating Heartworms Starts With Prevention
Heartworms can be very difficult to treat once an infestation has started. This often includes multiple trips to your veterinarian, which obviously means a sizable bill to come with it. Your veterinarian have multiple preventative treatments, including a pill, chewy bars, and topical treatments.
The schedule for treatment will vary depending on the delivery method you choose. It is imperative for the health of your furry friend that you stay on top of the treatment cycle to prevent infection.
As a boarding, grooming and doggie daycare provider, we have assisted clients with getting their dogs to the Vet for check-ups. Unfortunately, we have seen more than a few cases where the heartworm prevention regiment wasn't maintained, and we had to deliver the news their dog is infected with heartworm disease.
Heartworm Early Detection
Unfortunately, once a dog is infected, heartworm disease can be very difficult for the owner to catch; the signs mirror those of other canide ailments. These signs include:
- Dry chronic cough
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Loss of appetite
- Low energy levels
CAUTION: If your dog exhibits any of these symptoms for more than 72 hours, be sure to see your veterinarian.
Before your veterinarian will start a prevention regiment with your friend, he or she will do a blood test to make sure your pet doesn't already have an infection. Heartworm Disease can only be verified through this blood work, so be sure to keep an eye open for changes in your dog's behavior, and get him to the veterinarian early if you suspect she may be infected.
A regular grooming routine is a vital piece of catching heartworm disease early. More than just bathing, regularly brushing your dog's coat and being alert to the signs of mosquitoe bites will help you connect the dots if your dog's behavior changes compared to when he or she received a bit. If you have a hard time seeing through your dog's coat, consider enlisting the services of a professional dog groomer who can point out when these appear.
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