Your Pet Should Use Heartworm Preventative

Why do veterinarians and staff always recommend heartworm testing and prevention?  After all, have you ever seen it?  Maybe your pet has never had problems.  Why is it important for all pets?  Let's start at the beginning.

Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite that grows in the heart and lungs of dogs and cats.  This parasite is spread by mosquitoes, so every dog and cat is susceptible, even indoor cats.

Most infected pets show no signs at all, so it is important to test periodically.  For those dogs that do show signs, coughing and exercise intolerance are most common.  For cats, coughing and vomiting are the most common signs.  Both dogs and cats can also suddenly die because of heartworm disease.

IF your dog tests positive for heartworm, it can be treated.  However, treatment is much more expensive than a monthly preventative.  It is also more risky in terms of side effects.  There is no accepted treatment for cats that develop heartworm disease.

Thankfully, we have wonderful preventatives available.  Administering one preventive a month will keep your dogs and cats free of this terrible disease so they can live longer, happier lives.

Todd Whitney, DVM

Look What's New!

We have just received a great new combination preventative called Trifexis! 

It prevents heartworm disease,

treats and controls adult hookworms, roundworms and whipworms, 

kills fleas (within 30 minutes) and prevents infestations.

All in a tasty, so my dogs tell me, beef flavored tablet.

Best of all, no topical insecticides to mess with !

Ask us about how your pets can benefit from Trifexis today!

H.A.R.D

Hard to diagnose; Hard to treat; Hard to breathe; Hard on your cat.  H.A.R.D. (Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease) is the name of the syndrome caused by Dirofilaria Immitus (Heartworms) in cats.  Recent studies have proven that many cats with reactive airway disease (asthma) and other types of lung disease have heartworm infections.

The most worrisome aspect of this condition is that cats are affected by immature stages of worms that cannot be detected on available test.  Current heartworm tests are for adult female worms, so if a cat has only a a few male worms or the lung disease is from immature worms, the disease is hard to diagnose.  Compounding the concern, we can only treat the symptoms.  Unlike dogs, it is considered too risky to treat the adult worms in cats.

You may ask yourself what can be done.  Here is the good news about a hard situation:  Prevention Is Easy!  It's the only practical and effective approach.  Also, seriously, why do cats not deserve the same level of parasite protection as that given to dogs?  No, their indoor lifestyle does not reduce their risk to anything close to an acceptable level.

Just as in dogs, there are a variety of monthly preventative products that are very safe and very effective.  These products can also prevent flea, mite, lice, and intestinal parasite infestations.  Remember, if your pets are free from parasites, you and your family will be too!

Brian C. Ray, DVM