Heartworm
BASIC FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HEARTWORM DISEASE:
1. Adult Heartworms Live In The Heart. They are 6-14 inches long. Several HUNDRED can be present in the dog from just ONE mosquito bite!
2. Heartworms Impair Blood Circulation, Resulting In Damage To The Heart, Lungs, Liver, and Kidneys. Serious damage may occur BEFORE outward clinical signs are detected by the owner.
3.Advanced Signs Include Difficult Breathing, Coughing, Tiring Easily, Listlessness, Loss of Weight, and Fainting Spells.
4. Heartworms Are Found THROUGHOUT The United States & Canada.
S. Heartworms Are Spread By Mosquitoes. After ingesting blood from an infected dog, the MICROFILARIA (Microscopic "Baby" Heartworms) are transmitted to another dog when it is bitten by that mosquito.
6. It Takes 3-6 Months For Adult Heartworms To Develop In A Dog After It Is Bitten By An Infected Mosquito.
7. Heartworms Infect ALL BREEDS OF DOGS; both large and small, short-haired and long-haired, inside and outside dogs.
8. DIAGNOSIS of Heartworm Disease Is By Blood Testing. There are several different types of tests used in different situations. It is IMPORTANT That All Dogs Be Tested Once Each Year Even If On The Preventive Medication.
9. TREATMENT of Heartworm Disease Is VERY SUCCESSFUL IF The Disease Is Caught In The EARLY Stages. Treatment includes administration of a drug to kill the adult heartworms in the heart, followed several weeks later by a drug to kill the "microfilaria," ("baby heartworms").
10. HEARTWORMS CAN BE PREVENTED! All dogs should be on preventive medication. New medications we recommend are given once each month. We recommend they be given on the furst day of every month to help you remember to administer it each month. In this area, it must be given EVERY MONTH, ALL YEAR LONG.
11. WHEN HEARTWORMS ARE DIAGNOSED, THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN PRESENT IN THE DOG FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. During this time, some damage to the heart will have already occurred. Early treatment minimizes the damage and prolongs your dog’s life. The secret, however, is to PREVENT HEARTWORM DISEASE BY GIVING THE MONTHLY PREVENTIVE MEDICATION.
