Hilliard

Hilliard, previously known as Hillbilly, recently came to our clinic for an overall check-up. He had been abandoned by his previous owners when they moved. He was left to fend for himself. His new owners saw him and went above and beyond to adopt him and provide him a loving home and great medical care. He was covered with many external as well as internal parasites. He had fleas and ticks and a lot of hair loss throughout his coat. He was treated with a 3-month chewable flea/tick prevention called Bravecto which also treats demodex (a mite of the skin). We expect his coat to grow back fully and make him even more handsome. A test of his feces (poop) revealed he had hookworms, which is a zoonotic (contagious to pets and people) parasite. He was treated with Panacur. Hilliard was positive for heartworm disease which is transmitted by a mosquito. Most of the time there are no symptoms initially with heart worm disease. You may notice a cough, especially when excited. This is diagnosed though a blood test. Heartworm prevention is available in many forms including a chewable tablet, topical application or injection. Hilliard was started on treatment for his heartworms and we hope to clear the infection over the next 6 months. He was rechecked recently and already looks so much better. He is happy and on his way to a full recovery! Hilliard started out on a rough road, but things are looking much brighter for our canine Pet of the Month!