Why Heartworm Prevention Is Necessary

Part of protecting your dog is making sure that you keep him or her free of heartworms. You need to get your dog tested for this disease every year. Prevention is always better than treatment. Keeping your pet on preventive heartworm medication will help to keep him healthy. You still need to get your pet tested even if he is on the medication. It is important to understand why heartworm prevention is necessary.

Preventing Further Infection

Heartworm preventatives do not prevent the infection from happening. They clear up the larval infections that may have already happened. This stops the larvae from growing into adult heartworms. If an infected mosquito bites the dog, he may still be infected with the larvae. The heartworm medication will kill the parasite in the dog’s system, preventing further damage

Breaking the Life Cycle

The heartworm larvae go through different stages of development within the dog’s body. The larvae migrate to the heart and lungs before they mature into adult heartworms. When they reach maturity, heartworms produce microfilariae that circulate in the dog’s blood. Prevention helps to kill early-stage microfilariae before they develop into the adult stage.

Administering the Medication

There are different types of heartworm medication on the market. You may administer most medications every month, while others work for up to six months. The drug is available in many forms, including chewable medicines and topical products. The active ingredients in the monthly medication kill larvae that have been in the system for the last 30 days. Larvae take longer than one month to develop into the stage of infiltration of your dog’s body tissues.

Prescription Heartworm Medication

A veterinarian must write a prescription for heartworm medication. This is the case even when you need to purchase the preventatives online. Before you can get a prescription for the medication, your veterinarian will need to test the dog. Testing is necessary to ensure that the dog does not have an existing heartworm infection. A dog that has heartworms can experience a severe reaction if given the heartworm medication. The microfilariae circulating in the dog’s system can lead to a life-threatening reaction if the medication is used.

Treatment for Heartworm Infection

If your dog missed a dose, he or she might have become unprotected. Your pet may have also spat up or vomited the medication without your knowledge. If either happens, your dog may have been infected, and you should seek treatment immediately. Immediate treatment will help to get rid of the infection, preventing permanent lung and heart damage. If an infected dog goes untreated, the disease progresses gradually and causes life-threatening illness.

It is important to understand that heartworms die during different stages of development before they become adults. Heartworm preventive medication does not kill adult heartworms that are present in the system. Treatment will need to start as soon as possible to prevent severe damage. Heartworm tests will require a little blood from the dog.

To know more about heartworm disease, visit Brekke Veterinary Clinic at our office in Castle Rock, Colorado. You can also call (303) 474-4260 to book an appointment today.