Heartgard

Heartgard is heartworm medicine for your dogs and cats that is administered every month. It immediately prevents this nasty disease from getting worse. Aside from heartworms, it also works well with hook and round worms. The Heartgard plus heals and prevents heartworms effectively compared with other known brands in the market and is recommended by most veterinarians. This medicine can be administered to kittens and puppies as young as 6 weeks.

Heartworm, which is the parasite that Heartgard prevents, is a type of round worm that is propagated by mosquitoes. It is a threadlike parasite that is commonly called filaria. The first concrete evidence of heartworm in cats and dogs was published in the Western Journal of Medicine in 1847. At first, Heartworm was confined to the southern parts of the world but it has now propagated rapidly to all parts of the world where its main spreader, the vector mosquito, is available.

The vector mosquito becomes a spreader of the immature form of the heartworm filaria parasite when it bites an animal infected with the disease. Once the filaria mature, they produce microfilariae or worm babies into the blood of the infected animal and they grow and start a separate cycle. The obvious sign if a dog or cat is infected is a asthma like condition or vomiting.

It takes several months for the larvae of the filaria to grow and begin making thousands of babies inside the animal’s body. All of these microfilariae cause the vessels of the animal’s heart to work overtime aside from affecting the cat or dog’s kidneys, lungs and liver, leading to multiple organ shutdown. A single pet can be the main carrier or source of the disease for the entire neighborhood. Microfilariae can live for 2 years within their carrier; if after this time a vector mosquito has not acquired them, they will die. Filaria worms needed to be passed by a mosquito in order to grow.

Adult filaria worms, which can grow up to ten inches, usually live in the dog and cat’s artery veins and the right portion of the heart. These worms can cause thickening of the heart’s blood vessels later on, leading to heart failure. Heartworms can be deadly to your pets if left untreated.

These parasites are a source of anxiety and distress for pet lovers. The chances of a dog or cat contracting this disease are related to the environment and location. The risk for heartworm disease is bigger in areas that are densely populated with mosquitoes. It is appropriate to use Heartgard plus in these type of locations.

Conducting an annual blood test for your dogs and cats for heartworms is very important. You can also prevent the chances of heartworm infestation by helping your pets to maintain a healthy lifestyle and eating habits, making them less susceptible to the disease.

Tags: Pets, Heartworm, Pet Meds, Dog Meds, Dogs