As temperatures grow warmer, the American Heartworm Society (AHS) wants every dog owner to be prepared for mosquito season and the heartworm disease risk it carries for pets.
Although the risk of heartworm disease is heightened in warmer months when the mosquito population increases, the AHS recommends year-round prevention for dogs. By giving heartworm prevention every month, forgetful dog owners will have their pooches protected when they need it most.
“Surveys show only about 75 percent of pets are given the full dosage recommended by a veterinarian,” Sheldon Rubin, DVM, AHS president and Chicago practitioner, said. “With year-round prevention, if doses are accidentally skipped, the drug is still effective.”
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition caused by parasitic worms living in the arteries of the lungs and occasionally in the right side of the heart of dogs. The disease is spread by mosquitoes.
Heartworm disease treatments are available for dogs, but
treating for heartworms is much more costly and dangerous to the animal than simply preventing it. Yet another reason to use year-round prevention is that many heartworm preventives also have activity against other intestinal and common parasites, such as roundworms and fleas.
Options for preventing heartworm infection in dogs include daily and monthly oral tablets or chewables, as well as monthly topicals. These methods are effective, easy to administer and inexpensive. These medications interrupt heartworm development before larvae and adult worms reach the lungs and cause disease. When administered properly and on a timely schedule, heartworm infection can be prevented.
Source: The American Heartworm Society
Category : Blog
