PET HEALTH & WELLNESSParasite prevention & ControlHere at Tracy Animal Hospital, our passion is to help your pets live long and healthy lives and preventing your pet from getting parasites is one of the greatest ways to do that. Parasites like fleas, ear mites, heartworms, roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms can devastate your pet's health if left untreated. Luckily, there are many parasite prevention medications available that protect your pet, and your family, from these harmful parasites. We recommend discussing the available options for heartworm, flea, tick, and intestinal parasite treatment/prevention with your veterinarian at your pet's next check up.
FLEA BITES AND ALLERGIES
WHAT IS HEARTWORM DISEASE?Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease. It is caused by a single, or often times many worms that can live in the heart, lungs or other blood vessels of your pet. The only way that your dog or cat can get heartworms is through the bite of an infected mosquito. Because there is no way to tell if a mosquito is infected or not, this is why heartworm prevention is so important.
It takes about seven months, once a dog is bitten by an infected mosquito, for the larvae to mature into adult heartworms. They then lodge in the heart, lungs, and surrounding blood vessels and begin reproducing. We encourage our clients to get their pets tested yearly. |
THE REAL COST OF HEARTWORM DISEASETreating heartworm disease is more costly than buying heartworm preventative medication. Treatment entails injections and oftentimes hospitalization is required. Recovery can take up to a couple of months. The American Animal Hospital Association places the average cost of preventative care for dogs at $5-15 per month, and the cost of treating a dog with heartworm at $400-1,000! But the worst cost of all is the loss of a beloved pet.
Even if you give your pet monthly parasite prevention medication, we recommend that testing be done annually to ensure no intestinal parasites go undetected. This ensures that your pets are parasite free for their health and well-being, as well as that of their families. Ready to schedule a heartworm test for your dog or cat? |
HEARTWORMS IN DOGS
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Dogs are natural hosts for heartworms, which means that the worm grows to full maturity and reproduce. When untreated, heartworms will continue to reproduce. There have been cases where dogs have harbored up to several hundred heartworms in their bodies. Heartworm is easy to prevent and costly to cure.
If you dog has tested positive for heartworm, our veterinarians will begin a treatment regiment to help get rid of the parasites. 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. This is why a monthly preventative is imperative to keep heartworms at bay! Signs of Heartworms in a Dog
If you notice that you dog has any of these symptoms, please contact our pet clinic in Cypress, Tx at 281-970-0601 and make an appointment with one of our skilled and caring veterinarians. |
