What is Heartworm disease? Why does my pet need to be tested while on a preventative?
Heartworm is a parasite that is carried in its larval form by mosquitoes. If your dog or cat is bitten by an infected mosquito, it will deposit the larvae into your pet’s bloodstream, where they will grow into multiple adult-sized worms in your pet’s heart. This infestation does irreversible and often deadly damage to your pet’s heart and lungs. You can prevent your pet from becoming infected by keeping a low level of an anti-parasitic medication in your pet’s bloodstream. However, giving your pet this medication if he or she already HAS heartworm disease can be detrimental to your pet’s health; therefore we recommend testing once a year to screen for the disease. Heartworm is endemic in the Midwest and common in our area, therefore, it is ESSENTIAL that your pet be on a preventative. Preventatives we recommend and dispense include Heartgard Plus, Interceptor, Sentinel, and Revolution. Currently, our recommendation is to keep your pet on a preventative year round, as opposed to only du
Related Questions
- Does my dog really need to be tested every year for Heartworm disease since he is on year-round preventative medication?
- Why does my dog need to be tested for heartworm disease prior to putting him on heartworm preventative?
- What is Heartworm disease? Why does my pet need to be tested while on a preventative?
