HEARTWORM PREVENTION

HEARTWORM PREVENTION

Heartworms can be prevented! We strongly recommend the once a month heartworm preventive, which also aids in the prevention of other internal parasites. Heartworm medication should be given year-round to avoid lapses' in complete coverage. Call Aaron Animal Clinic to get more information at 216-901-9980.

Healthy Rabbit | Parma, OH | Aaron Animal Clinic

FACTS ABOUT HEARTWORM PREVENTION

  • Heartworms occur in ALL breeds of dogs: both large and small, short-haired and long-haired, inside-dogs and outside-dogs. Heartworms also now are known to infect cats.
  • It takes 3 to 6 months for adult Heartworms to develop in a dog after an infected mosquito bite it.
  • Adult Heartworms live on the right side of the heart. Several to many worms may be present! Heartworms impair blood circulation, resulting in damage to the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Severe damage may occur, even before the owner detects outward clinical signs.
  • Advanced signs include difficulty breathing, coughing, tiring quickly, listlessness, loss of weight, and fainting.
  • Routine testing by a particular blood test detects heartworm antigens (proteins) in the blood. Testing for Heartworms once each year is suggested for ALL dogs! The earlier the detection, the more successful treatment can be administered, and the less chance of severe side effects of the disease.
  • Treatment IS highly SUCCESSFUL when the disease is detected early. The adult worms are killed with an injectable drug given in a series. A few days later, the worms begin to die and are carried by way of the bloodstream to the lungs, where they lodge in small blood vessels. They slowly decompose and are absorbed by the body over several months. Other injections may be required to kill the microfilaria (immature heartworms) later.
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