Using one of the heartworm medicines for dogs monthly throughout the year will protect your precious pet from heartworm disease throughout his life. Responsible pet owners know heartworm prevention is as important as vaccinations for their dog.
A dog with a light infestation of heartworm may show no symptoms of the disease until the problem is well advanced and perhaps life threatening. Severe cases may be found by your vet due to changes detected in the heart or lung function of the animal but a simple blood test will reveal the presence of adult heartworms.
The test strip used by your vet when testing your pet for heartworm will display a blue line when the disease is present. The line may be from light to darker blue with the color saturation indicating the level of the infestation. Symptoms may be difficult to see but one of the most common is coughing and your vet may hear unusual lung sounds during a routine visit. Dogs may lose consciousness briefly due to decreased blood flow to the brain and this may be confused with seizures which leave the dog disoriented for a few minutes.
A positive result from the blood test for heartworm may be followed up by an angiogram and ultrasound to determine the amount of damage caused to the animal’s organs. The antigen tests now used will not detect heartworm disease in its earliest stages but are accurate in detecting heartworms that are seven or eight months old. The blood smear exam that is often part of a routine examination will verify the presence of heartworm disease but is not sensitive enough to rule out the early presence of the parasite.
It’s sad that so many dogs develop heartworm disease each year as this parasite is so easily preventable. Mosquitoes carry the heartworm larvae and transmit it when they bite the animal. Dogs seem to be the perfect host though more than 30 species can be infected with heartworm disease.
Once transmitted by the mosquito, the heartworm larvae develop in the canine’s body and migrate after several months to reside in the lungs, the heart and in blood vessels. The mature worms mate and microfilariae are released by the female into the dog’s blood stream. From there the cycle begins again with mosquitos ingesting the microfilariae and transferring them to another dog.Adult heartworms are large with males reaching 4-6 inches in length and females measuring 10-12 inches. After a year of maturing, heartworms can live in dogs for five to seven years. A lightly infected animal may have one or two heartworms while another dog with a severe form of the disease can be host to as many as 250 of the threadlike parasites.
Heartworm medicine for dogs provides protection for the animal in a manner that is safe and cost effective. There are topical treatments applied monthly and injections that shield the animal for six months at a time. The most popular heartworm medicines for dogs are:
Heartgard – Can be used after a diagnosis of heartworm disease and may be part of the treatment. Tasty wafers also treat hookworms and roundworms.
Sentinel -Should not be used for any animal that has tested positive for heartworm disease. Tablets are given monthly to kill heartworm larvae before they can grow and develop into a problem.
Revolution (selamectin) – A spot on treatment with multiple benefits. Revolution is an effective heartworm medication for dogs and also protects from fleas and other parasites.
Interceptor – Can be used on puppies as young as 4 weeks and controls roundworms and hookworms, too. Safe to use on pregnant and lactating dogs.
Providing heartworm prevention for your dog is simple and inexpensive. Protect your dog from parasitic heartworms and painful treatments when you buy online from a veterinarian at http://www.petscriptsdirect.com.









