Heartworm disease is a serious and often times fatal condition for dogs and cats. Heartworms are parasitic worms that live in the arteries of the lungs and in the heart of dogs, cats and other mammals like foxes, wolves, ferrets and on rare occasion humans.
Likewise, heartworms can easily be prevented in dogs and cats with one of several simple preventatives.
Heartworm disease is transmitted by the bite of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes get the heartworm larvae by biting an infected animal. Once inside the mosquito, the larvae mature and when the mosquito feeds off another animal, the larvae are transferred to the new host animal. It takes about 6 months for the larvae to mature into adult worms. They continue to mature and reproduce. The host animal will also infect any new mosquitoes that bite it. This continues to spread the larvae and infect additional animals.
To prevent heartworm disease is a relatively simple process. The most important first step is to see if your pet is currently infected with heartworms. This can be done by a simple blood test at your veterinarian?s office. Once it is determined that your animal does not already have heartworms, it is safe to give them a heartworm preventative. Heartworm preventative can be given a number of ways. The heartworm preventative works by interrupting heartworm development before the adult worms can reach your pet?s heart and lungs. There are tasty chewable treats, pills, shots and topically preventatives. The key to success is to pick one method and always administer it according to directions. Many products offer text, email or little post-it calendar reminders to administer the preventative the same time each month. Your veterinarian will be able to help you determine which method is best for your pet. It is also recommended that animals be kept on preventative year round. The winters have steadily become milder and each year mosquitoes are seen as late as December and even in the early months of the new year.
Heartworm treatment is a very serious process and it is extremely hard on the animal particularly with an advanced case of heartworms. Treatment is done over an extended period and needs to be monitored by your veterinarian. During treatment, your pet must have activity restricted. The animal also runs the risk of having blockage of the blood flow as the heartworms are dislodged and moving through the lungs and bloodstream. There is the risk of permanent heart damage due to the infection. In general, prevention is ALWAYS preferable to treatment. So if you are not currently using a heartworm preventative, please contact your veterinarian to schedule a test and find out which preventative will work best for your furry friend.
Source: http://www.poseycountynews.com/new/2013/04/15/posey-humane-society-news-9/
andrew luck trent richardson robert griffin iii dontari poe space shuttle nyc monkeypox nick perry
No comments:
Post a Comment