Doerr Animal Clinic Offers Heartworm Treatment and Prevention
Pets can be troubled by a variety of parasites, both internal and external. Heartworms are tiny worms that can lodge and reproduce in the heart and lungs, causing serious health problems for your pet. Without heartworm treatment, it can be fatal for your animal. At All Care Animal Clinic in West Palm Beach, FL, we can help prevent and treat heartworm disease.
Understanding Heartworm Disease
Heartworm disease is transmitted through a bite of a mosquito. If a mosquito feeds on the blood of an infected animal, that mosquito can then transmit the disease to the next animal. Through the bite of the mosquito, microscopic larvae can gain entry into the bloodstream and travel to the heart and lungs. Once in the vital organs, the worms begin to reproduce, multiply, and grow. As the number of worms grows, the animal can show debilitating symptoms, such as coughing, poor body condition, and reluctance to exercise. Dogs are a natural host for heartworms, but cats can develop heartworm disease as well.
Heartworm Testing and Treatment
A blood test can detect the presence of heartworms in your pet’s body. If the test is positive, our veterinarians will go over you your pet’s treatment plan. Treatment may require the use of approved medications, such as melarsomine, to help kill the developing worms in your animal’s system. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to remove the worms from the heart or lungs. Throughout your animal’s treatment, his or her activity must be severely limited to prevent damage to the body.
Heartworm Prevention
The best way to protect your pet against heartworm disease is to provide him or her with heartworm medication. Our veterinarians in Louisville can prescribe the right medication for your animal. This can either be administered orally or through a series of injections. Oral medicine is given monthly while the injections are provided every 6 months.
Contact Our Animal Hospital for Preventative Pet Care Services in West Palm Beach, FL
At All Care Animal Clinic, we have provided residents of West Palm Beach, FL, with pet care services for many years. Call us today at (561) 688-1154 for more information or to schedule an appointment with our veterinarian.