Heartgard

The symptoms manifest slowly. At first, heartworm disease shows zero visibility in its early stage. The young parasite remains dormant in the blood of the dog, just loitering there for the right time. Then, finally, heartworm disease strikes mercilessly, giving the dog traumatic physical changes leading to its most fatal stage.

Heartworm disease starts with the parasite’s larva called microfilariae. The larva stays in the dog. In this stage, the parasite is yet harmless and dormant. It may remain thus for years, waiting to be sucked up and out of the dog by a biting mosquito. Heartworm disease needs this second hosting to fully grow. Once in the mosquito, the larva initially develops into adolescence. Heartworm disease larvae can remain in mosquitoes from 10 days to 6 months, taking longer in cold climates.

When the mosquito bites a dog, the larva is transferred to this dog and signals the full swing development of the larva to maturity, becoming a full-gown heartworm disease. The heartworm can grow to as much as 12 inches long and loop around major organs like the heart, lungs, liver, and intestines. Being parasites, heartworm disease slowly feeds on the innards of the dog. As the heartworm disease worsens (more mature heartworms), the manifestations begin to show. Heartworm disease may render the dog very weak, with extreme difficulty in breathing, weight loss, loss of appetite, and harrowing changes in appearance. By then, any anti heartworm disease treatment will have been futile.

Heartworm disease must be treated before it sets in. The only effective treatment is preventive. Dogs must first be tested for an anti heartworm disease medication (often in flavored pills and chewable). If no allergic reaction occurs, the dog must first be de-wormed. Then the anti heartworm disease treatment starts, supervised by a licensed veterinarian. Mostly, anti heartworm disease drugs are available only from licensed veterinarians. Then the heartworm disease treatment goes on every month for several years.

Remember, the more there are untreated dogs around the more heartworm disease is likely to spread. Heartworm disease proliferates while there are hosts that welcome them, and while these hosts remain vulnerable. Heartworm disease also remains active where mosquitoes abide in abundance. A warm climate is more susceptible to heartworm disease.

Heartworm disease is a deadly pestilence among dogs. It does not show any symptom until everything is too late. Heartworm disease is in its most fatal stage when the heartworms are full grown and have multiplied enough. It’s only remedy is a preventive treatment.

Tags: Cats, Heartworm, K9, Heartworms, Cat Meds

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Heartworm is the most common disease of dogs. Severe cases of heartworm could lead to your pets death. No dogs (or cats) are safe and they are also a threat to younger ones. Heartworms can be treated by giving your pets heartworm pills. Learn more on how your pets accumulate such disease and find out how to prevent it by giving heartworm pills.

What really is a heartworm disease? How do dogs get infected with heartworm disease? Read on to find out more about this fatal disease.

Heartworms are parasites that are carried by a mosquito and inject the worms to its canine victim (though cats get infected as well but not as much as dogs). The egg-like parasites travel along the bloodstream and find its way to the heart where it stays and grows. If there are no preventions done, the parasites hibernating in their heart will continue to develop in numbers espcially if the male and femals parasites are present. Male parasites can grow as long as 17cm while the female parasites grow as long as 27cm! That is ten times longer than males. The symptoms include coughing and loss of appetite for mild infections while in severe cases, coughing, difficulty in breathing, swelling of the heart, or worst, death occurs.

Most veterinarians advice pet owners to give their dog heartworm pills even if their pets are not yet suffering from it. This preventive measure is cheap and effective. Heartworm pills can help your pet to live a longer and happier life. They are easy to take since there are heartworm pills that are flavored and they are chewable. There are some pills that protect your pet not only from heartworm but also other types of worms such as roundworms, hookworms, etc. Your pets will surely love it at the same time they get the protection they need from those deadly parasites.

As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”. Prevent heartworms from taking over your pets health or worst, their life. Show how much you love your pets by giving them heartworm pills and save them from the pain it could give. Save yourself from expensive treatment this disease can bring. Heartworms are fatal if not prevented or treated earlier. Heartworm pills can help prevent these symptoms in an inexpensive way, sparing your beloved canines the pain and suffering they might experience.

Tags: Pet Medicine, K9, Cat Meds, Pet, Heartworm

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Heartgard is one of the most popular medications for dogs. Almost every dog-owner and pet-lover has heard of this name from his dog’s veterinarian or colleague. There are several reasons that Heartgard remains one of the popular anti-parasitic agents for dogs.

Heartgard kills the organism Dirofilaria immitis, which is transmitted by a mosquito, at its larval stage. This will prevent the larva from growing into the adult form and being more infective to the host. One drawback, though, is that Heartgard is only effective against the larval form. Thus, if the infection is in the adult stage or in the microfilariae form, another drug or method may be needed before eliminating the larval forms of the organism.

Heartgard has a long duration of efficacy. A single tablet dose of Heartgard is effective for thirty days. To complete the one-year medication, you only have to administer the medicine once a month. Unlike with other medicines, you wouldn’t experience hassles in keeping up with the medication schedule when your dog is using Heartgard.

The margin of safety for Heartgard is wide. It is safe, with no or little adverse reactions when taken at recommended doses. It is also safe for studs, pregnant and breastfeeding dogs, and puppies above six weeks old. Heartgard is also safe to use along with other anti-infective agents, antibiotics and vaccines.

An exception is the collie, which is recorded to be more sensitive to Heartgard compared with other dog breeds. This is why collies may require less dose of Heartgard than other dogs of the same size or age.

Heartgard is available as Heartgard Plus, which is also effective against other worm infections. It contains pyrantel pamoate, which is widely used against many types of worms in mammals. It is effective against hookworm in cats, as well as roundworms. This increases the protection your dog gets from the medicine.

Heartgard is also easy to administer. It is available in chewable tablet form. Like kids, dogs don’t like the taste of medicines. But if dogs were taking their medicines in a chewable tablet form, along with their food, they wouldn’t even notice the difference. What’s good is that Heartgard is also beef-flavored to mask the medicine’s disagreeable flavor.

When administered correctly, Heartgard gives your dog a lot of benefits. Follow the veterinarian’s instructions so that you will know the appropriate dose or Heartgard for your dog. This way, you can help your dog live a healthier life.

Tags: Heartworm, Cat, Pet Medicine, Pet, K9

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Heartworm is a significant health condition with deleterious effects on dogs. Further studies and reports also proves the fact that heartworm disease incidence among cats are also increasing. The potential risks that heartworm poses to both dogs and cats is alarming. It can even cause fatal death on these species.

Heartworm disease may be preventive, however when preventive measures are not taken or fail, infected dogs and cats will exhibit heartworm symptoms that merits to alert the pet owner to immediately seek medical treatment for their pet. It should be noted though that heartworm symptom is not obvious during the first few months, usually 4 months after the infection.

This is the period where the larvae live in the heart and lungs waiting to mature into adult worms. They then have the capacity to cause debilitating heartworm symptoms that may begin only with a mild cough.

The pet owner may disregard this initial heartworm symptom as insignificant. However as the disease progress, the worm begins to extend its destruction from the heart to the lungs and sometimes may greatly affect other vital organs including the kidney and the brain. Immediate treatment must be given before the dog becomes too ill and minor heartworm symptoms such a mild cough must be taken seriously. Bringing the pet to a veterinary for a heartworm test is a wise step to ensure that proper management of heartworm symptoms must be indicated and pet medicine immediately prescribed to counteract the disease progression.

Heartworm symptoms may be mild at the early stage of the disease. Occurring heartworm symptoms on this stage may include cough, weight loss, easy fatigue with minor activities, less endurance and anemia. As the heart becomes burdened with the pressure caused by the clot formed by the heartworm, the worms get dislodged to the lungs, causing its collapse and can cause the animal to cough out blood. Dogs are often subjected to respiratory distress due to inability of blood to efficiently flow throughout the lungs, depriving the brain and heart of enough oxygen to circulate.

Heartworm symptoms are so detrimental that the dog suffers from anorexia and loss of appetite that result to tremendous weight loss. Fatal obstruction in lungs and heart result to shock, organ failure and fatal death. But pet owners must not be dismayed with the occurrence of this disease in their pets since it is treatable once detected at the early stage. Appropriate medical intervention should commence before the disease progress into manifesting a more serious and fatal heartworm symptoms that can cause irreparable destruction and death.

Prevention is better than cure but when all preventive measures fail and the disease begins to manifest the initial heartworm symptoms, immediate treatment and care is the absolute step to take to deliver your dog against the risk of death that the condition may cause.

Tags: Dog, Cats, Pet, Heartworms, Heartworm

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No man is an island, as the saying goes. It applies not only to human relationships but also with human and animal interaction as well. A man’s gentle side is prevalent when he knows how to take care of his pet, be it a dog, a cat or a goldfish. Whichever pet he chooses, animals need the same care and attention we need and provide for ourselves. Having pets in our household is like having an extended family. These wonderful creatures give undivided attention and love especially at times when they are needed the most unexpectedly.

That is why we take much effort and money and giving them the best veterinary attention to ensure their health and safety against tiny parasites like heartworms, roundworms and hookworms. The heartworms especially, they live and infest in the hearts of our pets. Symptoms like coughing with blood, difficulty in breathing or heart failure may be too late for treatment, that’s why prevention is encouraged with no prescription Heartgard.

One of the leading brands in preventive medicine is Heartgard. Heartgard comes in chewable tablets in beef flavor containing ivermectin that protects the hearts of our pets from parasites like heartworms, roundworms and hookworms. Veterinary care is indeed expensive and with this, Merial, the veterinary company who has produced Heartgard now offers their clients no prescription Heartgard medication.

No prescription Heartgard offers the same 100% protection as of the prescribed medicine for our pets. But before administering the no prescription Heartgard to your pets, they must be checked for heartworm infection to prevent further damage to your pets’ welfare. The no prescription Heartgard is given orally to your pets once every month and is proven safe for all types of pets varying in breed and sizes. The no prescription Heartgard tablets come in three colors, green, blue and brown. The Heartgard blue tablets are for pets weighing 0-25 lbs. while the Heartgard green tablets for 25-50 lbs. and Heartgard brown tablets for 51 lbs. and above. With these colors differentiating weight divisions, you can never go wrong in choosing the right no prescription Heartgard tablets for your pets.

We always want the best for our families and for our pets, we want to give them the best too. These creatures are also susceptible of getting sick like us. Prevention is always better than cure so, as early as six weeks old, have your pets checked for heartworm infection before starting them with no prescription Heartgard for their health and safety.

Tags: Pet Meds, Heartgard, Heart Worms, Cat Meds, Heartworms

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Heartworm is a filarial parasite caused by the species Dirofilaria immitis. The heartworm parasite appears like a threadworm that infects dogs, cats and other mammals through mosquito bites.

When a mosquito has bitten into a dog or cat, which is infected with heartworm, the heartworm microfilariae comes with the blood sucked by the mosquito. The heartworm microfilariae develop into the larval forms in the gut of the mosquito. This development can take two to six weeks depending on the environmental conditions. The heartworm larval forms then migrate to the mosquito’s head, ready to be injected to the next mosquito bite victim.

Heartworm can damage the dog’s heart leading to congestive heart failure. In rare cases, heartworms may also infect the other organs in the body, such as the lungs, the liver, the kidneys and even the brain. Due to the damage that heartworm can do to the body, it is important that steps on heartworm prevention should be taken.

Heartworm prevention can be done by reducing your dog’s exposure to mosquitoes. As much as possible, never allow your dog to sleep outside the house where it is more vulnerable to mosquito bites. Also, provide appropriate shelter for your dog when it stays in the yard.

Playing is an important part of a dog’s day. This helps the dog exercise its muscles. As a step in heartworm prevention, make sure that the areas in which your dog loves to play are not the same places where mosquitoes breed. Stagnant waters are mosquito breeding grounds. Keep your dog away from these places.

If you suspect that a mosquito bit your dog or if your dog has been exposed to mosquitoes, take the next step in heartworm prevention. Have your dog tested for heartworm infection in order to start heartworm prevention through drug administration the soonest time possible.

Heartworm prevention is easier if no adult forms of the parasite are present yet. Administration of Ivermectin, known commercially as Heartgard, is the best method of larval heartworm prevention. However, administration of this drug may not be done yet if adult forms are already present. If there are adult heartworms, eliminating them should be the immediate step in heartworm prevention prior to Ivermectin administration.

A continuous treatment of Heartgard every thirty days for twelve months will lead to successful heartworm prevention. Follow the recommended dosage strictly and administer the drug on time. These steps will keep your dog safe from heartworm infection.

Tags: Dogs, Pet, Heartgard, Heartworm, Heartworms

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People acquire pets to provide companionship and enjoyment. These gentle creatures give joy and fulfillment to their owners. It is therefore important for pet owners to take good care of their pet’s health.

The connection between owners and their pets is wonderful. It is so good to see how such a trans-species relationship develop so naturally. However, this bond seems to be shortened by certain causes such as a pet’s death from a disease. Many pet owners address these problems by providing their pets with preventive medications.

One of the most common diseases that affect pets is the heartworm disease. These parasitic roundworms attack the hearts of their victims for a very long period of time. Heartworms cause pets to suffer slowly, which can later on curtail their lives. This is the reason why pet owners use heartworm medications. Despite these preventive measures, some pets still die because of heartworm medication overdose.

Heartworm medications function by stopping heartworm infestation. However, these medications can be fatal when applied in wrong dosages. Instead of prolonging the life of pets, a heartworm medication overdose can shorten it more quickly. One wrong move could immediately end the life of pets.

One of the leading heartworm medications in the market today is the Heartgard dewormer for cats and dogs. This product is manufactured by the animal health product company Merial. This drug is effective when administered correctly. However, a heartworm medication overdose could cause symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea and incoordination in dogs. Meanwhile, it could cause symptoms such as disorientation, tremors and blindness in cats.

Another heartworm medication available in the market is the Filaribits Plus. It is a drug administered daily for the prevention of heartworm disease. It also helps in the treatment of roundworms in dogs. A heartworm medication overuse could cause symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.

Pet owners are advised to seek the professional help of veterinarians in the event of heartworm medication overuse. These are well-trained professionals who know what is best for pets during emergency situations like this. Pet owners are also responsible for administering the medication, so it is their major task to follow instructions carefully when giving medication to their pets.

A heartworm medication overdose is a result of giving amounts of medication that is above the recommended quantities. The responsibility lies in the hands of the pet owners and veterinarians who are administering the medication. There are no other people to blame but them in the case of such events. A heartworm medication overdose can be avoided if people could only be careful in giving medication to pets.

Tags: Cats, Pet Health, Cat, Pets, Dog Meds

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What are heartworms?
 
These are parasites that live in dogs’ bodies. These parasites are transmitted by mosquitoes (so most of the spread happens in the summer when there’s a lot of them). They bite an infected dog and incubate the larvae in their bodies, and when they bite a healthy dog, they transfer the parasites over.
 
The parasites live off in the blodstream until they become adults. Then they move into the heart and stay there. When they grow too long, or when there’s just too many heartworms in there, the poor dog’s heart will soon give way to heart failure.

What is Heartgard?
 
Heartgard is a medicine for prevention of parasites in dogs. It’s generic name is Ivermectin/Pyrantel. Ivermectin is the component for parasites (Heartworm) while Pyrantel is the one for hookworms and ascarids (mainly worms from the digestive system). It is given once a month, with the dose depending on the weight and the breed of your pet.

Prevent Heartgard Overdose

Before giving Heartgard to your pet, it is best to go to a vet for proper assessment and dosage. The dose depends on the weight of your dog. More if he’s a larger breed and less of the medicine if he’s small. If your pet is on a prescription of Heartgard, it is best you know which signs of overdose to look out for.

Remember, Heartgard attacks the nerves of the parasite, so you need to look out for signs of neural agitation on your pets. Heartgard is also toxic for dogs who are already infected with the parasite. See it only works for the younger ones that are in your pet’s body but the heart. Once the parasites have become adults and have migrated to the dog’s heart, Heartgard will no longer work.

You could be poisoning the parasite, but you could also very well be poisoning your dog. These are the signs of impending overdose you need to watch out for
 
Disorientation.
Stumbling
Blindness

These first three are related, and are usually the first signs of overdose. The other symptoms are:

Weakness
Tremors
Vomiting
Drooling
Coma
 
If your pet shows these symptoms, you have to bring him over to your vet for proper detox.

If you notice your medicine box empty and have suspicion your pet might have taken the meds, call the animal poison hotline (ASPAC) for assistance with assessment/first aid for overdose. Although extra meds than prescribed are not good for your dog, one or two pills will not kill him. Better yet, call an emergency vet or bring him to the clinic because a dog can die quickly from overdose.

Tags: K9, Heartworms, Feline, Cats, Heart Worms

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Heartworm infestation afflicts most canines and some feline species the world over. It has become a major concern of owners of pet dogs and just recently, even cats. Left untreated, heartworm infestation in dogs is dangerous and often fatal.

The parasite is transmitted from one animal to the other through mosquitoes, which serve as the vector. Dogs are normally put on preventive medication, which kills off the parasites at larval stage, while they are circulating in the dog’s blood. However, adult heartworms already lodged in its heart or lungs can only be eradicated by administering a stronger dose, physically removing the parasites through surgical procedure, or just waiting a couple of years until the parasites die off.

Some pet owners have expressed some concern on the possibility of a correlation between the preventive medication, Heartgard, and infertility in the animal to which it is administered.

Considering the relative ease by which heartworms can be transmitted from one dog to another through mosquito bite, pet dogs are normally placed on preventive medication. Because of this lifetime medication, dog breeders notice that only two-thirds of breedings result in conceptions. Consequently, they feel that there is a connection between Heartgard and infertility in dogs.

Dogs are man’s best friend, and are often times considered as part of the family, too. That is why dog owners are often painfully locked in the horns of a dilemma—between wanting to put their pet on preventive medication, and at the same time dreading at the thought that their pet might lose in the process its capability to perpetuate its own specie. Concerned dog breeders always worriedly ask themselves: “Are the misses in my dog’s conception indicative of a correlation between Heartgard and infertility?”

There have been no published studies that point to a correlation between Heartgard and infertility in dogs. And it would be more reasonable to assume that these misses are simply natural failures in conception. Following this reasoning, it would be logical to think that if the preventive medication indeed causes infertility, then this would result in a total absence of conception and not just misses. Aside from dogs, it has also been determined that there is also no connection between Heartgard and infertility in other species such as cattle, horses, cats, rodents and even birds and chickens.

It is also interesting to note that ivermectin, the primary ingredient in Heartgard, is also present in broad spectrum medication that is used to treat humans of worm infestations. There have also been cases of its off label use in the treatment of scabies and mites which have proven resistant to topical applications. Because of its use as an anti-parasitic agent in humans, the World Health Organization conducted laboratory tests on ivermectin and have found no conclusive evidence linking ivermectin, the primary ingredient in Heartgard, and infertility in humans.

Tags: Cat Meds, Pet Health, K9, Cat, Heart Worms

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