Pet owners everywhere know that their pets are almost as much a part of the family as anyone else; in fact single people and couples with no children often regard the family pet as an acceptable substitute. It is no wonder that we do all that we can in order to ensure a long life and good health for our animal companions. The most common, and usually the most companionable pets in North America today are cats and dogs. Many of the diseases that can occur in one occur in the other, one example being heartworm(s). This disease is much more common in dogs than in any other animal, but it has been known to spread to cats and even to humans. In this article we take a look at what this parasite can do to your pet, and how to prevent that from happening. Symptoms of heartworm Pets infected with the heartworm parasite will almost always demonstrate a marked decrease in their levels of activity. Active dogs and cats, in particular, will start showing signs of the parasite right away, including coughing, fatigue, weight loss, fainting, and coughing up of blood. In less active animals, these symptoms will not appear as readily, which poses even more of a risk to your pet. Missing the active signs such as decreased activity means that the worm(s) has grown bigger and the more severe symptoms are now being demonstrated, and heart failure might be just around the corner. Expensive to treat! Make no mistake about it, if your family pet has heartworm(s) you are going to have to decide whether you are going to part ways or spend a lot of money in treating the animal. Often surgery will be needed, although you may opt for oral treatments. The arsenic based compounds used to treat heartworm(s) will make your pet extremely sick, cost a lot of money, and are a hazard to children. In addition, your pet will still be at risk and must have restrained activity for many weeks after treatment. The best procedure is prevention The best way to keep your pet healthy is to prevent heartworm(s) from becoming active in the first place. There are several different drugs available for both dogs and cats that can ensure that your pet stays heartworm free. They include ivermectin, milbemycin, and moxidectin. They are given to your pet monthly in seasons where mosquitoes are active, and result in a protection rate of 99% Avoid extra costs and labour, and above all discomfort to your pet, by ensuring that your dog or cat is given the right drugs to prevent heartworm(s). After all, they are a part of the family!
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