During the Valentine period, hearts are on our minds; and at CanadaVet.com we believe that a healthy pet is a heartworm free pet! Heartworm is one of the most common, yet easily preventable diseases that can prove fatal for the animals we love.
Heartworm is Detrimental to your Pet's Health
When
infected with heartworm disease, your pet's blood vessels become
clogged, particualrly around their loving heart. This decreases the
blood flow to their other major organs which results in tissue damage.
This in turn, can lead to heart failure and death.
How Pets Contract the Disease
Pets do not contract heartworm directly from one another. Instead, when an infected mosquitoe bites your pet, minute heartworms are injected into their body. These worms then make their way to our beloved pet's lungs and heart where they mature into adulthood, reaching up to around 12 inches in length!
Signs of an Infected Heart
In
the initial stages of infection, symptoms are not apparent; but once
the following symptoms are observed, the disease will be advanced:
Pets do not contract heartworm directly from one another. Instead, when an infected mosquitoe bites your pet, minute heartworms are injected into their body. These worms then make their way to our beloved pet's lungs and heart where they mature into adulthood, reaching up to around 12 inches in length!
Signs of an Infected Heart
In
the initial stages of infection, symptoms are not apparent; but once
the following symptoms are observed, the disease will be advanced:
Heartworm Preventatives
As treatment of the disease is fraught with danger, complex and expensive, heartworm prevention is the key to protecting our pets from this potentially fatal disease. Fortunately, a variety of preventative treatment options are available including:
As treatment of the disease is fraught with danger, complex and expensive, heartworm prevention is the key to protecting our pets from this potentially fatal disease. Fortunately, a variety of preventative treatment options are available including:
- Spot-on applicator treatments such as Revolution and Advocate (Advantage Multi) in packs for cats or dogs; can be applied to your pet's skin, once a month.
- Dimmitrol tablets can be administered daily to prevent Heartworm in dogs.
- Heartgard Plus Chewables are meaty chews that can be fed to your dog once a month.
- Heartworm preventatives in tablet form, such as Nuheart, Proheart and Valuheart; can be taken monthly.
