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//Heartworm Awareness Month

Heartworm Awareness Month

April is Heartworm Awareness Month

We say it all the time, it ONLY takes ONE bite from a mosquito to infect a pet that it not on prevention with Heartworm Disease. April is Heartworm Awareness Month, it’s important to fully understand the disease to be able to protect your pets. All it takes it routine testing and monthly prevention to keep your pet SAFE! Have more questions? We are here to help! Give us a call and we can schedule your pet for a consultation or Heartworm test today!
This month we are focusing on educating pet owners about Heartworm Awareness and Prevention. Below you can find more information and resources all about WHAT Heartworm Disease is, HOW it affects pets, and WHY its important to keep your pets on regular prevention!

What is heartworm disease?

Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in pets in the United States and many other parts of the world. It is caused by foot-long worms (heartworms) that live in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels of affected pets, causing severe lung disease, heart failure and damage to other organs in the body. Heartworm disease affects dogs, cats and ferrets, but heartworms also live in other mammal species, including wolves, coyotes, foxes, sea lions and—in rare instances—humans. Because wild species such as foxes and coyotes live in proximity to many urban areas, they are considered important carriers of the disease.

Dogs. The dog is a natural host for heartworms, which means that heartworms that live inside the dog mature into adults, mate and produce offspring. If untreated, their numbers can increase, and dogs have been known to harbor several hundred worms in their bodies. Heartworm disease causes lasting damage to the heart, lungs and arteries, and can affect the dog’s health and quality of life long after the parasites are gone. For this reason, heartworm prevention for dogs is by far the best option, and treatment—when needed—should be administered as early in the course of the disease as possible. Learn more about heartworm medicine for dogs.

Cats. Heartworm disease in cats is very different from heartworm disease in dogs. The cat is an atypical host for heartworms, and most worms in cats do not survive to the adult stage. Cats with adult heartworms typically have just one to three worms, and many cats affected by heartworms have no adult worms. While this means heartworm disease often goes undiagnosed in cats, it’s important to understand that even immature worms cause real damage in the form of a condition known as heartworm associated respiratory disease (HARD). Moreover, the medication used to treat heartworm infections in dogs cannot be used in cats, so prevention is the only means of protecting cats from the effects of heartworm disease.

Learn more about Heartworm Basics: https://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources/heartworm-basics

2022-04-19T00:14:06-04:00 April 19th, 2022|Comments Off on Heartworm Awareness Month