Heartworm Disease Prevention
What is Heartworm Disease?
Heartworms are blood parasites that live in the heart. They spend part of their lifecycle in mosquitoes, and get passed to dogs during mosquito bites. This is where they migrate to the heart and reach adulthood. They can grow to 10 to 16 inches long and wreak havoc on the cardiovascular system.
Treatment for a heartworm positive dog takes months, is painful for the dog, and is expensive. An untreated heartworm infection is fatal.
Almost 300,000 dogs get heartworms each year in the U.S., including a few cases here at My Best Friend Veterinary Center.
Heartworm Prevention in St. Louis
As part of our annual wellness exam, we will ask questions to help ensure your dog isn’t showing signs of the disease, as well as listen to their heart and lungs for any abnormalities. Even if no clinical signs are apparent, we recommend that all dogs get a simple and affordable blood test to check for heartworms. This blood test also test for tick-born diseases as well.
We recommend all dogs that live here in the St. Louis area stay on a heartworm preventative medication year-round. These medications prevent the disease by killing the microscopic larvae before they get a chance to grow into the adult worms that cause problems. Some owners are inclined to stop giving prevention in the winter. However, our winter temperatures fluctuate so much and so rapidly, that mosquito larvae are not killed off.
Heartworm Prevention Options
There are many different heartworm preventatives available, but all of them are prescription medications. They come in…
- Injectable medications are administered by your veterinarian and provide protection for 6 to 12 months, making them a good option for owners who prefer fewer doses to keep track of.
- Topical medications, such as Revolution®, are applied to the skin monthly. These are often a practical choice for multi-pet households since there is no risk of another pet eating the dose.
- Oral medications, such as Heartgard®, are chewable, treat-like tablets given monthly. Most of our clients choose this option because dogs take them easily.
Choosing the right medication can depend on your dog’s lifestyle, age, health history, breed and current medications.
Besides preventing heartworm disease, most of the medications will prevent or treat many intestinal worms and parasites – some of which they can potentially pass on to people! When used as directed, these medications are safe and effective.
Heartworms in Dogs and Cats
Although we mainly worry about heartworm disease in dogs, it can occur in cats as well. Cats are not as susceptible to heartworms because their bodies often can control and get rid of a heartworm infection on its own. Despite this fact, sometimes cats can develop a severe or fatal heartworm infection.
Testing for heartworm in cats is not reliable, so for cats that spend time outside, we recommend a monthly preventative that covers both heartworms and fleas. A topical application is the most common choice for cats since it avoids the challenge of giving an oral medication.
Contact My Best Friend Veterinary Center!
We carry a full range of heartworm preventatives at our clinic, many of which come with a manufacturer guarantee when purchased through a veterinary office. If your pet is not currently on heartworm prevention, the veterinarians at My Best Friend Veterinary Center can run a quick blood test and help you choose the right medication for your pet’s lifestyle. Contact our office in Olivette or request an appointment online to get started. We can schedule a blood test that helps get your pet started on the right preventative.
For more information on heartworm disease, try these sites:
