For
those of us who have lived in the Midwest with our canine companions, heartworm
prevention is a way of life. Where there
are mosquitoes, there is the potential for heartworm disease in our dogs and
cats. (Feline Heartworm Disease to be
discussed later this week).
Heartworms,
for those that don’t know, are passed to our pets via an infected
mosquito. If your dog is not on any
preventative medication (see below), the potential for infection is great. Clinical signs of heartworm disease range
from absolutely nothing to death. Not very encouraging, is it? Here is a breakdown:
Early infection: NO abnormal clinical
signs observed
Mild Disease: cough
Moderate Disease: Cough, exercise intolerance, abnormal lung
sounds
Severe Disease: cough, exercise intolerance, difficulty
breathing, enlargement of the liver, fluid accumulation in the abdominal
cavity, abnormal heart sounds, death.
So, I
think you might agree, prevention of this horrible disease is by far the
safest, and quite frankly, least expensive way to go. A simple blood test in the veterinarian’s
office will tell you whether your pet has heartworm disease. Once a negative
test is performed, there are several options for heartworm prevention…they are
all effective. Basically, whichever type of prevention fits your lifestyle is
the way to go.
At
Cherokee Animal Clinic, we carry several options for heartworm prevention, from
the once a month Heartgard Plus ™ to the once a month heartworm/flea combinations
of Sentinel ™ and Trifexis ™, to the once every 6 month injection,
Proheart™. Since mosquito weather is
fast approaching, call our office today to discuss the ways to prevent this
life-threatening disease.
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