April is Heartworm Awareness Month

April marks National Heartworm Awareness Month, a time for pet owners to brush up on how heartworm prevention can keep their pets safe from the serious and potentially fatal heartworm disease. Pet owners should take this month as a reminder to discuss with their veterinarians how to best prevent heartworm disease in their pets. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for heartworms in cats, and the treatment for infected dogs is complicated and costly. Immiticide, the product used to treat heartworm in dogs, is also only available in limited quantities due to a continued shortage. An effective prevention plan is the best tool a pet owner has when taking on this life-threatening condition. In contrast to the seriousness of heartworm infection, prevention is safe, easy and inexpensive. Prevention options include monthly chewables, monthly topical medications and, for dogs, a six-month injectable product. All of these options are completely effective in preventing heartworm development when administered properly on the schedule recommended by your veterinarian. Our clinic offers Revolution®, Pro-Heart 6®, and Heartgard® as current heartworm preventatives. Our knowledgeable staff can help you decide what product is best for you pet. The following links talk more about the shortage of Immiticide, heartworms, and heartworm prevention.

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm377386.htm

http://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources/heartworm.html

https://www.zoetisus.com/products/pages/revolution_dogs/home.aspx

http://www.proheart6.com/

http://www.heartgard.com/Pages/index.aspx

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