Spring has sprung here at the clinic. We are already getting reports of ticks in some areas of the valley, and have been picking fleas off of dogs. With spring rapidly taking over and summer fast approaching it is important to remember to get your dogs tested for heart worms as well as get stocked up with flea and tick preventatives.
Heart worm tests are quick and easy, a small blood draw and a ten minute test can save you and your pet a lot of heartache (no pun intended) in the future. Heart worms are a serious and potentially fatal disease caused from worms that live within the heart, lungs, and nearby blood vessels. The worms can cause lasting damage to the tissues they infect even after they have been eradicated. These worms live and reproduce within their host animal, such as a dog or cat. The baby worms can travel through the body through the blood stream. If a mosquito bites an infected animal it can draw up the baby worms within the blood, releasing them into a new animal when it bites again. Treatment for heart worm disease is costly and arduous to the pet. Prevention is the best way to combat the disease.
Hear at the clinic we recommend Heartgard as a preventative for heart worms. It comes in the form of a tasty treat that you give your pet once a month during mosquito season. It has been shown to be extremely effective in preventing heart worms in dogs.
As for fleas and ticks, we recommend NexGard. Another tasty treat given once a month, it kills fleas and ticks already present on your dog while preventing more from attaching. Fleas can be a serious irritation to your animals and in some cases can cause severe health problems. Ticks can carry diseases such as Limes disease. As always, prevention is the best cure!
For more information, feel free to contact us at 586-2019
