Warmer weather and longer days arrive with the change of the seasons. Pesky insects, on the other hand, are inevitable. Critters are troublesome to your dog, and they can likewise be incredibly dangerous. Mosquitoes are the only ways of transmitting the heartworm parasite.

What is Heartworm disease?

Dirofilaria immitis, a parasitic worm transmitted by mosquito bites, causes heartworm illness, which can be fatal. The heartworm life process begins after a mosquito bite. Tiny larvae (called microfilariae) move through the circulation to reach the heart or lungs. There, they develop into adult heartworms.

They are called heartworms since they stay in a pet’s heart, lungs, and blood vessels. If your pet is infected, the parasite develops, mates, and reproduces within your pet, making it a definitive host.

Heartworm Prevention for Your Dog

Preventing heartworms is a year-round task. If you’re looking into this potentially lethal ailment, you must begin there. When it comes to safeguarding your dog against harmful parasites that can cause lung ailment, heart failure, and other body organ damage, you are the only one who has the power to do it.

Thankfully, heartworm conditions can be avoided. Heartworm conditions can be avoided in a variety of ways.

Preventive Medication

Even though it might seem uncomplicated, heartworm prevention in pets is commonly forgotten. Several different types of internal medicine for pets are available for your dog’s use. Topically or orally, they can be used.

Preventative heartworm treatment is far less costly than having a dog admitted to an emergency animal hospital after making a heartworm medical diagnosis. Preventive medicine can make a massive impact on the life of your pet.

Repel Bugs in Your Home

Mosquitoes are among the most common carriers of heartworm in your dogs, so it is necessary to keep them away whenever possible. Keeping mosquitoes out of your home and your pets’ environment could be difficult. Mosquitoes can be decreased around your house, but removing them is a near-impossible job.

Maintain your residence and yard free of any stagnant water. Pesticides can additionally be sprayed around your home if it is pet-friendly.

Regular Visits to the Veterinarian

It would be best if you took your pets to a vet regularly. At approximately 16 weeks, you need to bring your pet for vaccinations every three to four weeks; past that, an annual visit is advised. Heartworm examinations must be done routinely to keep your dog secure and healthy.

Heartworm testing can be done at a veterinary hospital like Barton Heights Veterinary Hospital, but treatment varies depending on whether or not the pet has been infected.

Keep the Routine Each Year

If your dog has heartworm illness, it might have long-term impacts on their health and quality of life, so it’s important to keep them on preventive medicine. In dogs, heartworms create in six months and can remain in the body for seven years, reproducing constantly. One year later, dogs can have hundreds of these parasites inside them, but the average is about fifteen.

If your dog is taking heartworm preventative medication, a dog cardiologist in Stroudsburg, PA, advises that you have it evaluated yearly, even if your dog is already heartworm free. 

Bottomline

Keeping your dogs heartworm-free is the responsibility of a vet. You must give them a prophylactic treatment, visit the veterinarian frequently, and keep the bugs out of your house. Heartworm prevention can be as basic as including garlic in your pet’s food.