Protect Your Pet from Heartworm Disease!
What exactly is Heartworm Disease?
Heartworm Disease is a parasitic
infection that occurs in dogs and sometimes in cats. The culprit is a worm called
Dirofilaria immitis and
it makes its home in an animal's heart. The animal then becomes very sick and
can die, if left untreated.
But, how can my pet get something like that?
Heartworm is transmitted by infected
mosquitoes. Mosquitoes become carriers when they bite a dog or cat infected with
heartworm. Young worms called microfilaria, circulate through blood vessels and
are drawn up with the blood when a mosquito bites. The microfilaria mature within
the mosquito into larvae - their next growth stage - and are then transmitted
to another unprotected dog or cat when the mosquito bites.
The heartworm larvae remain in
tissue surrounding the bite for approximately 2 months, where it grows into an
immature adult worm. It then proceeds into your pet's bloodstream, where in 3-4
months, it reaches the heart and surrounding arteries.
The worms reach final maturity 6-7 months after your pet was first infected, and
now produce microfilaria of their own...starting the cycle all over again.
What are the symptoms of this disease?
The most common symptoms include:
-
chronic coughing
-
easily becoming tired
-
unwilling to exercise
-
difficulty breathing
-
lethargy
Left untreated the disease seriously
damages the heart and causes death.
How can I keep my pet safe?
With annual checkups, proper annual
diagnostic testing and a good preventative program recommended by your veterinarian,
your pet can remain heartworm free.
But why do I need an annual heartworm test, if my dog/cat is on Heartworm prevention?
Well, even though they are on
heartworm prevention, there is still somewhat a margin of error...Maybe you were
on vacation, and the person you had watching your pet forgot to give the medication
to your animal, or maybe we had a false negative on our testing equipment due
to your giving them their heartworm medication the day before we tested them,
or there is even a slim chance, that for some reason, the heartworm prevention
that you were given was somehow ineffective.
Whatever the case, yearly testing for deadly Heartworm Disease is a smart move.
Arsenic is the only way to kill the adult Heartworm living in your pet's heart;
and that is fatal not only to the heartworm, but can be to your beloved pet as
well.
262-886-3337 or
262-886-8728