Protect Your Pet From Heartworm Disease
Heartworm disease is caused by parasitic worms that make their way into the heart and lungs of mammals, specifically your furry friends. While a serious and even life-threatening condition, it can be easily prevented with over-the-counter medications prescribed to you by a veterinary clinic, like Clinton Hill Animal Hospital in Brooklyn, New York.
How Does Heartworm Disease Spread?
Heartworm disease is spread by mosquito bites, so it’s especially important to be mindful of protecting your pets in the spring and summer months. It occurs when a mosquito bites an infected animal, heartworms grow into larvae inside of the mosquito, and the mosquito bites another pet, thus transmitting heartworms into the bloodstream.
Once infected, your pet can go for several months without any noticeable symptoms, which usually include a cough, lethargy or difficulty breathing. Unfortunately, these signs may first present themselves when the disease is already quite advanced.
Tips for Protecting Your Pets
The most important step in preventing heartworm disease is to consistently administer heartworm medication. While you are administering monthly doses of heartworm medication, you should consider a flea and tick prevention medication as well, as these pests also have the ability to cause a life-threatening illness for your beloved pets.
How Our Brooklyn Veterinarian Can Help
At Clinton Hill Animal Clinic, we are dedicated to keeping your pets healthy and happy. During a comprehensive wellness exam, our veterinarians, Dr. Dendtler and Dr. Gooden, can check for heartworms with a simple blood test. Diagnosing cats can be more difficult and may include an antibody test, cardiac ultrasound or x-rays.
If your pet tests positive for heartworm disease, there are heartworm treatment options available, although it is much more difficult to treat in felines. Early diagnosis is critical as the more advanced the disease has become, the more difficult it is to treat. Sometimes, pets may need to undergo life-saving surgery.
Call Our Brooklyn Office Today!
Our Animal Clinic offers free consultations for new patients. For more information on heartworms, flea and tick prevention, or to schedule an appointment with our veterinary clinic, call our Brooklyn office at 718-623-3999.