Easily Prevent Heartworm Disease In Your Dog With The Best Heartworm Prevention Medicines
Heartworm disease is diagnosed in dogs throughout the country but is most prevalent in the Southeastern states where hot, humid climates have high mosquito populations. Heartworm medicine for dogs is a must for responsible pet owners.
A dog with a light infestation of heartworm may show no symptoms of the disease until the problem is well advanced and perhaps life threatening. Severe cases may be found by your vet due to changes detected in the heart or lung function of the animal but a simple blood test will reveal the presence of adult heartworms.
The test strip used by your vet when testing your pet for heartworm will display a blue line when the disease is present. The line may be from light to darker blue with the color saturation indicating the level of the infestation. Symptoms may be difficult to see but one of the most common is coughing and your vet may hear unusual lung sounds during a routine visit. Dogs may lose consciousness briefly due to decreased blood flow to the brain and this may be confused with seizures which leave the dog disoriented for a few minutes.
The blood smear exam that confirms heartworm disease is not sensitive enough to detect early stages of the parasite. These antigen tests do not find the heartworms until they are seven or eight months old so one negative test result may not be entirely accurate.
It's sad that so many dogs develop heartworm disease each year as this parasite is so easily preventable. Mosquitoes carry the heartworm larvae and transmit it when they bite the animal. Dogs seem to be the perfect host though more than 30 species can be infected with heartworm disease.
Heartworm larvae develop inside the canine's body and migrate to the heart and lungs as well as residing in blood vessels. The cycle begins again when the mature worms reproduced inside the dog and the microfilariae are picked up by mosquitoes and spread to other animals. One dog may have only 2-3 heartworms while another may have as many as 250 present. The worms can live inside your pet for 5-7 years with males growing to 4-6 inches and females reaching 10-12 inches in length at maturity.
Preventing heartworm is a simple process with the safe and effective heartworm medicines available today. Some of the best choices are:
Heartgard - Can be used after a diagnosis of heartworm disease and may be part of the treatment. Tasty wafers also treat hookworms and roundworms.
Sentinel - Flavor tabs administered monthly kill heartworm larvae before signs of the disease appears. Sentinel should not be used for animals who test positive for heartworm disease.
Revolution - Multiple benefits from this spot on topical product. Provides heartworm prevention and protects your dog from other parasites and fleas.
Interceptor (milbemycin oxime) - A monthly oral pet medication that can be used on puppies over 4 weeks of age and also controls roundworms and hookworms. Interceptor is safe to use in pregnant and nursing dogs.
A dog with a light infestation of heartworm may show no symptoms of the disease until the problem is well advanced and perhaps life threatening. Severe cases may be found by your vet due to changes detected in the heart or lung function of the animal but a simple blood test will reveal the presence of adult heartworms.
The test strip used by your vet when testing your pet for heartworm will display a blue line when the disease is present. The line may be from light to darker blue with the color saturation indicating the level of the infestation. Symptoms may be difficult to see but one of the most common is coughing and your vet may hear unusual lung sounds during a routine visit. Dogs may lose consciousness briefly due to decreased blood flow to the brain and this may be confused with seizures which leave the dog disoriented for a few minutes.
The blood smear exam that confirms heartworm disease is not sensitive enough to detect early stages of the parasite. These antigen tests do not find the heartworms until they are seven or eight months old so one negative test result may not be entirely accurate.
It's sad that so many dogs develop heartworm disease each year as this parasite is so easily preventable. Mosquitoes carry the heartworm larvae and transmit it when they bite the animal. Dogs seem to be the perfect host though more than 30 species can be infected with heartworm disease.
Heartworm larvae develop inside the canine's body and migrate to the heart and lungs as well as residing in blood vessels. The cycle begins again when the mature worms reproduced inside the dog and the microfilariae are picked up by mosquitoes and spread to other animals. One dog may have only 2-3 heartworms while another may have as many as 250 present. The worms can live inside your pet for 5-7 years with males growing to 4-6 inches and females reaching 10-12 inches in length at maturity.
Preventing heartworm is a simple process with the safe and effective heartworm medicines available today. Some of the best choices are:
Heartgard - Can be used after a diagnosis of heartworm disease and may be part of the treatment. Tasty wafers also treat hookworms and roundworms.
Sentinel - Flavor tabs administered monthly kill heartworm larvae before signs of the disease appears. Sentinel should not be used for animals who test positive for heartworm disease.
Revolution - Multiple benefits from this spot on topical product. Provides heartworm prevention and protects your dog from other parasites and fleas.
Interceptor (milbemycin oxime) - A monthly oral pet medication that can be used on puppies over 4 weeks of age and also controls roundworms and hookworms. Interceptor is safe to use in pregnant and nursing dogs.
About the Author:
Providing heartworm prevention for your dog is simple and inexpensive. Protect your dog from parasitic heartworms and painful treatments when you buy online from a veterinarian at http://www.petscriptsdirect.com.
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