HEARTWORM HAS BEEN DETECTED IN ALL 50 STATES
Bullard Marks is offering a heartworm special, call for details.
Spring is here. The weather is warming, leading to the return of mosquitoes. As a result of the this winter’s rainfall, the mosquitoes are around in large numbers.
The potential for your pet to come in contact with mosquitoes infected with the heartworm larva has increased exponentially. Just because your dog or cat is inside does not mean that they will be protected from mosquitoes. Studies have reported that approximately 28% of the cats diagnosed with heartworm disease were INDOOR only cats.
Heartworm disease in dogs is different from heartworm disease in cats.
Heartworm in Dogs
Canine heartworm disease starts with your family dog being bitten by an infected mosquito. The microscopic larva then travels through your dog’s blood vessels. The larva mature into 10 to 12 inch worms which live in the right side of you dog’s heart and the arteries going to the lungs. This causes cardiac failure and lung disease.
Heartworm in Cats
In cats, the heartworm starts with mosquitoes feeding on your cat, leaving larva, which travel down blood stream to the heart and the arteries going to the lungs. Heartworm disease in cats leads to severe lung disease, known as Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease and sudden death.
Detecting and preventing heartworm starts with an in-house blood test. Unfortunately, all diagnostic tests have limitations, whether run in-house or at a national lab. The American Heartworm Society recommends that pets be tested every twelve months. In dogs, the test cannot consistently detect infection until the adult heartworms are at least 7 months old. In cats, the initial test does not always indicate that heartworms are present. A negative test may occur if there is only 1 or 2 heartworms present or the cat has a very early infection. If there are indications your pet may have heartworm disease, further testing is needed.
Prevention of heartworms in your dog or cat is simple and effective. Preventive medication is given once a month (every 30 days) year around. There are numerous options, oral or topical, to prevent heartworm. Some heartworm medications will also prevent some intestinal parasites and fleas. TREATMENT COSTS ARE MORE THAN 15 TIMES THE YEARLY COST OF HEARTWORM PREVENTION. Some companies who produce heartworm prevention medications have guaranteed the product if the following conditions are met:
- Initial heartworm is negative.You administer the heartworm preventation as prescribed once a month(every 30 days) all year.Your pet has at least yearly heartworm negative tests.
CALL THE OFFICE TO SCHEDULE YEARLY HEARTWORM TEST AND PURCHASE OF 12 MONTHS OF HEARTWORM PREVENTION.