Heartworm disease is a devastating and potentially fatal condition that affects dogs and cats. Fortunately, it is easy to prevent, which is why April has been established as Heartworm Awareness Month. As long as pet owners know how to keep their furry friends healthy, they don’t have to worry about this disease. There are a few things your veterinarian wants you to know about the condition to keep your pet healthy.

Prevention Is Essential 

Heartworm disease can cause irreversible damage to an animal’s circulatory and respiratory systems. The process for getting rid of heartworm is a lengthy process that involves antibiotics, preventives, and steroids before beginning the adult worm treatment. Even if a veterinarian eliminates the foot-long parasites that caused the condition, it may have resulted in lasting damage that severely diminishes a pet’s quality of life. 

When it comes to heartworm disease, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. There are various kinds of medication that pet owners or veterinarians can administer to kill the parasite in its larval stages before it has had a chance to cause any damage. Since heartworm larvae take 51 days to mature, this medication needs to be administered monthly. 

Heartworm Is Everywhere 

Although the parasite may be more prevalent in certain areas of the country, heartworm disease has been diagnosed in pets from all 50 states. It is virtually impossible to predict your pet’s risk of suffering from the condition based on location alone, so your veterinarian will likely recommend administering preventive medicine every month for 12 months out of the year. 

Since fleas can cause tapeworms, which are a different kind of parasite, it is also wise to protect your pets from fleas and ticks 12 months out of the year. Fortunately, there is an effective oral medication for flea and tick prevention as well, so adding it to your dog or cat’s monthly heartworm routine is easy and will provide comprehensive protection against parasites. 

If you need to buy heartworm prevention medicine for your dog or cat, head to Perry Animal Hospital. They are proud to serve pet owners throughout Houston County, GA, and they carry all the most popular brands of heartworm prevention, including Heartgard® and Revolution® for cats and Heartgard®, ProHeart®, and Trifexis® for dogs. A veterinarian on their team can recommend the best option for your pet, and since they accept CareCredit®, it will be easy and affordable to protect your furry friends. Check out their website to learn more about the quality pet care they provide or call (478) 224-7387 to make an appointment.