Heartworms

Mosquitoes are not only a nuisance to us, they can be dangerous to our pets. Mosquitoes carry heartworm larva which can be transmitted to your pets. Even if your cat or dog only goes outside to the bathroom, they can still be infected. It only takes one mosquito bite. The larva migrate through the bloodstream to the heart, where they can grow 6 to 14 inches long. Several hundred may be present in the dog. Heartworms can damage lungs, liver, and kidneys in addition to the heart. They can kill your pet! Heartworms have infected all breeds of dogs, large, small, long-hair, short-hair, inside, outside, in all 50 states. They can also infect cats - the presence of just one worm, alive or dead, can cause significant inflammation of the lungs and blood vessels.
Heartworms can be treated in dogs once infected, but the treatment is costly and can be hard on the dog. Cats, unfortunately, cannot be treated for heartworms once they have become infected. The good news is that heartworm disease is almost 100% preventable with easy-to-use monthly products. There are 2 products that we recommend using for heartworm prevention.  The first option is a monthly chewable called Heartgard Plus that protects against heartworms, roundworms, and hookworms.  The second option, the one more commonly used in our area, is Revolution.  Revolution is a monthly topical product that not only prevents heartworms, but also helps control fleas, ear mites, and other parasites on dogs, cats, and ferrets. Using Revolution for ferrets is "off-label", but over the years it has proven to be both effective and safe in combating these parasites. In conclusion, preventing heartworms is our goal.  The prevention is much less expensive than the treatment and is much better for your pet.

Have trouble remembering to give your heartworm prevention regularly? Ask us to set up follow up phone calls and one of our staff will call to remind you that it is time to give your pet their monthly dose of heartworm prevention. Once your pet is registered with ePet Records, you can sign up for monthly reminders by e-mail. If your pet has not yet been registered, please contact our office to set up your account.

For more information on heartworms, please visit the American Heartworm Society's webpage.
Canine heart infected with heartworms