Heartworm awareness and prevention is the goal of Heartworm Awareness Month. April is National Heartworm Awareness Month. In Texas and the South, it’s crucial to be aware of heartworm. We hope to educate our readers about what heartworm is and how serious it is in this blog. We hope that this blog inspires you to go out and get the proper medication for your pet’s health.
What is Heartworm?
Heartworm is a severe disease that can deteriorate your pet’s health and even cause death. Heartworm is a parasitic worm that gets transferred from an infected mosquito in a bite. The worm lives and grows inside your pet’s organs, specifically their heart, lungs and blood vessels. This parasite can have severe effects on your pet’s health, leading to death if left untreated.
What does Heartworm do?
The heartworm parasite grows in your pet’s body, where it increases in size. Not only do heartworm grow, they also multiply, resulting in many heartworms living in your dog at once. If untreated, dogs can have up to several hundred heartworms growing and living inside their bodies. Depending on how big the parasite grows, how many parasites there are, and how long they live in your pet’s organs, it can affect their function and ultimately cause organ failure. This can lead to significant discomfort and death.
Signs of Heartworm Disease
Heartworm disease does not appear upon initial contact and infection. It may take some time before these parasites grow and multiply before any symptoms show. Depending on your dog’s health, signs may appear at different times. Some dogs will not exhibit signs until years later. Healthy, active dogs will have their health noticeably infected. Dogs with other medical issues may need testing or more observation to notice any unusual signs. Signs of heartworm include: a mild but continuous cough, weight loss, tiredness after some activity, lethargy, and a decreased appetite. If not treated early, signs of heartworm can worsen to more severe issues. A dog with a severe case of heartworm can have a swollen stomach due to fluid build-up, pale gums, a dark color in their blood or urine due to blockages in blood flow and cardiovascular issues. These signs require immediate surgical attention from your veterinarian.
How to Treat Heartworm?
Treating heartworm is uncomfortable for dogs and expensive for the owner. Determining the disease with a series of tests, the cost of drugs and multiple vet visits can add up. The parasite is killed using an adulticide, which is a drug that is injected into the muscle. Unfortunately, this is a drug that needs to be administered more than once by your veterinarian and recovery from heartworm can last up to two months. This process is lengthy and can be exhausting for your dog. Prevention is by far the best and cheaper option when dealing with heartworm.
Heartworm Prevention
The best way to prevent heartworm is to purchase heartworm medication from your veterinarian. This medication will equip your dog with the medicine they need to protect them from getting heartworm disease. Pets that frequent outside environments should be on heartworm medication. Even indoor pets should take safety precautions if an infected mosquito enters the home. There are many forms of heartworm medication including: injections administered by the veterinarian, daily or monthly tablets, monthly chews, or topical treatments. The investment in this medication is well worth the cost and is cheaper than treating heartworm disease.
For National Heartworm Awareness Month, Luv My Sitter wants to help spread the message about heartworm awareness and prevention. At Luv My Sitter, we want all dogs to live healthy and happy lives! Contact us for more information about our pet sitting services.