Heartworm prevention can help save your pets life and should be a basic part of any pet care routine. Heartworms can effect both dogs and cats but is most commonly seen in dogs where it can drastically cut short the life span of an otherwise healthy pet.
To prevent heartworm, is quite simple. It can be done with pills or a 6 month shot and should be done for every dog. Your vet will be able to recommend the most effective method and doses for your dogs preventative treatment.
Prevention is key for a happy healthy pet – learn more about heartworm and prevention in this article below by S. A. Smith
Title: Heartworms alert – know the warning signs to save your pets health!
Author: S.A. Smith
Has your pet recently been coughing, eating less, or being more lethargic than usual? If so, it is possible that your pet is infected with heartworms and may need immediate help and attention. Heartworms may infect a host for up to 2 years before any signs or symptoms are visible, and often when they are diagnosed it may be too late for some pets.
Heartworms are an infectious parasitic transmitted by mosquitoes that invades major organs in dogs and cats like the lungs, pulmonary arteries and heart. Heartworms grow and multiply within the pet body and can survive for up to 5 years. Heartworms cause damage and block smaller arterial vessels in your pets key organs leading to organ damage and a multitude of health complications.
The symptoms of a heartworm infestation are often difficult to recognize or may be overlooked or discounted as merely flu or cough-like symptoms. Coughing, weigh loss, lethargy, rapid heart beat, poor coat condition, diarrhea and loss of appetite are common symptoms. Treatment to rid a pet of adult heartworms is a costly vet procedure and involves exposing your pet to arsnic poisoning treatments to kill the adult heatworms – a procedure that can be fatal for aged pets or ones in deteriorating physical condition.
The best approach to dealing with the risk of heartworms is through and active prevention program. Prevention is the key to controlling and avoiding the health problems associated with these highly contagious and common parasites. A simple oral medication administred once a month is all it takes to protect your pets from the damaging effects of heartworm infestation.
About the author:
S.A. Smith is a freelance writer, contributor, and editor of the Pet Medicine MEDS resource site and can be reached at http://www.pet-medicine-meds.com