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Heartworm Medication Tips
Prevention is Crucial
Dogs diagnosed with heartworms must undergo a series of intravenous treatments created to kill the adult worm. It is essential to test puppies as soon as they are old enough, to establish whether or not they have heartworms. If puppies test negative they should be put on prevention medication immediately to protect them against these harmful parasites. There are countless brands of heartworm medications on the market, some good options include:
• Heartguard Plus • Interceptor • Revolution
Talk to your vet about your pet's best option and start administering the medication immediately.
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Is Your Dog More at Risk?
PetCareRX Tip: Is your dog at a higher heartworm risk than others? All dogs regardless of sex, habitat, or age are susceptible to heartworm infection. However, some dogs are at a higher risk of contracting heartworms than others. Here is a list of types of dogs that are at a higher risk than others:
• Male dogs are as much as four times more likely to get heartworms than females. • Outdoor dogs are four to five times more likely to get heartworms than indoor dogs. • The highest infection rate (45%) is among dogs located within 150 miles of the Atlantic coast from Texas to New Jersey, and along the Mississippi River and its major tributaries.
Although there are differences in the occurrence of infection for dissimilar groups of dogs, all dogs in every endemic region should be taken into consideration. Every dog should be considered at risk, watched, and placed on a prevention program.
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Heartworms?
How can you tell if your pet is infected with heartworms? Here are some warning signs:
• The first sign of heartworm is usually a nagging cough that is not accompanied by other signs of a respiratory infection. The coughing episodes worsen with activity. • Gradual loss of weight • Difficulty breathing • Change in physical appearance (they often develop a “pot belly”) Eventually the walls of the pulmonary arteries will be become inflamed with dead worms.
Additionally, live worms in the arteries will hinder blood flow. Then, the liver and kidneys will also be hindered. A blood test administered by your vet can confirm the existence of heartworms.
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Protect Your Puppy
PetCareRX Tip: Do you know where heartworms come from? The secret is out, mosquitoes pass heartworm larvae onto our pets. The best way to protect your pet is to place him on a heartworm prevention medication, like Interceptor. Additionally, however, you can take some extra steps to protect your special furry friend—especially if he is too young to be put on heartworm medication. Here are some helpful hints:
• Bring your puppy to the vet regularly. • Do not leave an untreated puppy outdoors for prolonged periods of time. • Take care to rid outdoor areas where your puppy will be from standing rainwater—these places are mosquito breeding grounds. • Keep your puppy away from ponds, lakes, and other areas where mosquitoes might be prevalent.
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Beware of the Mosquito!
Beware of mosquito season! Heartworms are not spread directly from dog to dog—the transmission of heartworms requires an intermediate host, the mosquito. Due to this fact, the spreading of heartworms coincides with mosquito season. Fully developed heartworms in an infected canine produce offspring, microfilariae, which travel through the animal's blood. When a mosquito bites an animal that has heartworms, it extracts blood containing the microfilariae. After about two weeks inside of the mosquito, the microfilariae transform into infective larvae. Then, when that mosquito bites another animal it spreads the infected larvae.
The key to keeping your pet safe is prevention. Treat your pet, have your pet tested, and put your dog on a preventative medication.
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Is Your Dog Safe?
Be sure to have your pet periodically retested for disease spread by mosquitos. The standard testing recommendation is once a year. It should also be taken into consideration, however, that some animals have more exposure to mosquitoes than others.
Those residing in the south should be more aware of the health of their animals as the mosquito season is prolonged in the region. In addition, areas near bodies of freshwater (ponds, lakes, rivers, tributaries, etc.) are danger zones as these are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. No matter where you live, however, keep your pet's safety in mind.
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Don't Be Forgetful!
Are you the forgetful type? Heartworm prevention is an essential part of your pet's maintenance. Heartworm disease is serious and the best treatment is prevention. Vets recommend that you place your pet on a heartworm medication schedule that will help you to keep your furry friend heartworm free.
