It's important for pet owners to protect their animals from heartworms. Mosquitoes are not only a nuisance to humans and animals, but can carry the heartworm parasite. If a dog is bitten by a mosquito carrying the heartworm parasite, it could result in the death of your dog.
What are heartworms?
Heartworms are parasites that are transmitted by mosquitoes to dogs. The adult worms live inside the dog's heart and nearby blood vessels where they cause devastating damage and in some cases death.
Remember, all it takes is one bite from a mosquito for your dog to get heartworms.
Prevention of the disease
Take your dog to a veterinarian who will perform a routine blood test that will determine if your pet has the disease already. You should have your dog(s) tested yearly to make sure infection hasn't occurred. Once your dog has been tested and has a negative test result you should have your veterinarian prescribe one of the heartworm preventatives available. Heartworms are much cheaper and easier to prevent than to treat.
Testing positive
The first thing you need to know is that the treatment for heartworm disease can be dangerous to your dog and expensive for you. The longer your dog has the disease, the more damage occurs, and the more difficult it is to treat.
Save yourself and your dog the unpleasant experience and prevent this deadly disease. Have your dog tested and then place them on the prevention medication.