Spring is quickly approaching and with it comes warmer weather.
Although a problem year round, parasites seem to become more active
in the spring time. If your pet is not already taking monthly
heartworm prevention, now is a great time to start. If your
pet is taking his or her prevention, remember to continue to give
it monthly and to have them tested annually.
So what is heartworm disease?
Heartworm infection occurs when a mosquito carrying the
microscopic heartworm larvae bites your pet. These larvae
will travel through your pet's blood stream and grow to be adults
in their heart and lungs, causing disease. Cough, reluctance
to exercise, decreased appetite, and weight loss are all symptoms
associated with heartworm disease.
Once diagnosed with heartworms, the disease can be difficult and
expensive to treat. If the disease has progressed into
advanced stages, treatment may not even be possible.
That sounds pretty bad. What can I do?
Heartworm disease is much easier and cheaper to prevent than it
is to treat. After your pet's yearly heartworm test, we can
have his or her monthly prevention mailed right to your home.
You can give these chewable tablets to your dog like a treat.
It is important to stay on prevention year round, even in the
winter months. Even indoor animals should remain on year
round monthly prevention. It only takes one mosquito to
infect your pet.
I thought only dogs got heartworms.
Cats can also get heartworm disease the same way dogs do.
Even indoor cats are at risk. Symptoms of heartworm disease
vary but include coughing, vomiting, difficulty breathing,
lethargy, decreased appetite, and weight loss. Unfortunately,
there is no treatment for heartworm disease in cats. However,
the life cycle of the heartworm allows cats to begin monthly
prevention without a heartworm test.
Call us today to schedule your pet's heartworm test and begin
prevention.
Did you know you can order heartworm prevention from our online
pharmacy? Visit our website, www.carepetsah.com, today!