| Heartworm prevention in dogs can seem | | | | Heartworms. |
| like an expensive and unnecessary | | | | 4. Treatment of Heartworm infestations |
| treatment, but it is vital to your | | | | can be expensive and time consuming. |
| favorite dogs health and by extension | | | | Even if your pet is completely healthy |
| your pocketbook. Although you may have | | | | other than the Heartworms, treatment for |
| never known a dog who succumbed to heart | | | | a full infestation can be hard on your |
| worms, it is a very real threat to your | | | | dog and wallet. In the best cases your |
| pet and their longevity. The following | | | | dog will need multiple courses of |
| five reasons should be enough to | | | | medication to completely eliminate the |
| motivate you to properly treat your dog | | | | Heartworms and their offspring, and in |
| for heartworms. | | | | the worse case, your dog may require |
| 1. Prophylactic Treatment is cost | | | | Heart surgery to remove the adult |
| effective and life saving. Regular, | | | | Heartworms. |
| Veterinarian recommended Heartworm | | | | 5. There can be complications to |
| preventative medication is not as | | | | heartworm treatment, even in otherwise |
| expensive as you might think, and can be | | | | healthy animals. Complication due to |
| found on the internet at a steep | | | | treatment of Heartworm infestations can |
| discount to what a local Veterinarians | | | | include dead worms breaking loose and |
| office might price the medication. | | | | traveling to the lungs. This serious |
| Preventing a Heartworm infestation is | | | | condition can cause respiratory failure, |
| always preferred to treating the animal | | | | and in the worst instances, death of the |
| after symptoms have arisen. | | | | dog. It is a shame for any healthy and |
| 2. After infection, Heartworms can stay | | | | happy dog to be brought down in their |
| in your dog up to 7 months before they | | | | prime, after an expensive and failed |
| have sypmtoms. The life stages of | | | | course of treatment that was otherwise |
| Heartworms include a six and a half to | | | | completely preventable. |
| seven month period from your dog being | | | | These five reasons are just the tip of |
| bitten by an infected mosquito to adult | | | | the iceberg as to why heartworm |
| worms living in the dogs heart. | | | | prevention in dogs is so very important. |
| Treatment with preventative medications | | | | As anyone who has lost a special |
| can kill the worms in this stage, before | | | | companion to this completely preventable |
| they grow and attach to your dogs heart. | | | | disease can tell you, it is not |
| 3. Treatment of Heartworm infestation | | | | something to mess with. Penetrative |
| may kill an old or weak dog. Healthy | | | | medication is readily available and |
| young dogs can usually survive treatment | | | | relatively cheap, compared to the |
| of adult heartworms, but a dog whose | | | | alternative. There are several |
| organs are weak may not survive the | | | | medications that can be given in only |
| treatment, if they even qualify for | | | | every six months, as compared to monthly |
| being treated due to any underlying | | | | for traditional treatments. There is no |
| conditions. It is so much easier to | | | | excuse for leaving a dog untreated for |
| avoid the painful loss of a long time | | | | Heartworms. Look into it, I know your |
| companion by treating preventatively for | | | | favorite dog will love you for it. |