Canine Heartworm Disease
Heartworm disease is a Parasitic disease caused by a worm called Dirofilaria Immitis. The adult form of the worm can live in the pulmonary arteries of the heart where it can cause heart, lung, kidney, and liver disease. This worm is spread among dogs by the mosquito. In fact, the only way a dog can get heartworm disease is by being bitten by a mosquito carrying a larval form of the worm.
Signs of the disease include coughing, lethargy (sluggishness), exercise intolerance and sudden death.
It is our hope that no dog will contract heartworm disease as it is easily preventable. Every year, dogs should have a simple blood test to make sure they are not harboring the disease. If the test is negative, they should be placed on or continue with preventative medicine. Our current recommended preventative is Heartguard Plus, a chewable tablet administered monthly. Certain breeds, such as Collies and Australian Shepherds can be sensitive to Ivermectin the active ingredient in the monthly preventatives. If you own one of these breeds, make sure to discuss alternatives with your Veterinarian. We recommend year-round heartworm prevention as this has been shown to be the best way to protect your dog; even in colder climates.
We now have a 90% cure rate for dogs infected with heartworms. Unfortunately, heartworm treatment is both costly, complicated and potentially dangerous. Therefore, we strongly recommend prevention as it is much more cost effective, both financially and emotionally.
