I know it seems like I'm harping and nagging on you to have your pet tested for heartworm disease and to start the preventative. Well, I AM!!!!!!! In this case, An ounce of prevention, which literally takes about 10 minutes, is worth way more than a pound of the cure.
Heartworm disease is a very insidious disease. You probably won't even know that your dog was bitten by the offending mosquito. Indoor dogs are not immune to this mosquito. You know, that one that buzzes around you, just when you have gotten comfy and tucked in at night. Can you hear it's whiny buzzzzzzzz? Yeah, that one. Don't leave your pet alone with it at night!
Once the mosquito has injected the baby heartworms into your pet, they swim around for 6-7 months as they mature. This is the best time to kill them, before they become adults and stay in the heart. Complications from adult heartworm disease are heart disease, fatigue, weight loss, death. Here are the 6 signs your pet might have heartworm disease already. The treatment for adult heartworm disease is almost as bad as the disease it's self. And the damage to the heart and lungs is permanent. So, let's avoid all this by preventing the problem in the first place!
Here are the best ways to prevent heartworm disease:
- Have your pet tested every 12 months (just in case!)
- Give the prevention each and every month. Here is an easy way to remember this.
- Control the mosquito population around your home. Tempo works well in lawns and around doors and windows. It is a very safe premise spray.
- Control the mosquitoes on your pets with topical pyrethrin sprays like Ovitrol. Use a product that is safe for your pet. DEET, the active ingredient in OFF, can be very toxic to both cats and dogs.
During the month of April, your dog's heartworm test is FREE, when you buy 12 months of preventative at the same appointment. Call us, let's get started!!