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Parasites can afflict pets any time of the year, however during the spring and summer months, they tend to be more prevalent. Our pets spend a lot more time outside when the weather is warm, and parasites breed more readily. Even if your pets spend all or most of their time indoors, it is possible for parasites to find them whether carried in on our clothes or by crawling through our screen doors. Here are some common parasites to look out for and ways to combat them this summer. Read More »

Hi Pet Blog Readers, Good Monday!  To start off the week, we have a post from guest blogger Karleia Steiner.  She has authored an informative article about heartworms in dogs.  Heartworms can be a serious problem for your dog, so it is a good idea to take preventative action and stop them before they affect your favorite canine.  Karleia has some great tips that should help keep your pooch happy and healthy.  If you have ideas that you would like to share, please let us know in the comments section.  Thanks!

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Heartworm disease is a condition where parasitic worms live inside of the pulmonary arteries. This condition may also affect the right side of the heart. It primarily affects dogs, but it can affect cats, foxes, ferrets, coyotes and sea lions. Heartworm disease can make an animal seriously ill and even cause death. There are treatments for this condition, but in many cases, the treatments result in complications. Fortunately, it can be prevented. Below are some tips that will help prevent heartworm.

Follow A Heartworm Prevention Plan

One of the best things that you can do to prevent your dog from getting heartworm is to follow your veterinarian’s heartworm prevention plan. Your veterinarian may recommend that your dog take chewables or tablets monthly or daily. Your veterinarian may also recommend injections. Heartworm medications will not work on an animal that already have heartworms.

All heartworm prevention medications work in the same way. They work by killing larvae heartworms. Heartworm medications do not work on adult heartworms. That is why it is very important for you to make sure that your dog consistently takes the heartworm medication.

You should also have your dog tested for heartworm at least once a year. Your veterinarian may recommend more frequent testing if needed. This will ensure your dog is heartworm-free before he or she continues taking the medication. Veterinarians can perform a blood test in order to diagnose heartworm. The test checks for antigens that the adult heartworms release into the bloodstream. However, the test usually do not detect heartworm infections that are less than five months old. You can visit Brimley-Lawrence Animal Clinic if you want to know more about heartworm testing.

Reduce Your Dog’s Exposure To Mosquitos

Infected mosquitos transmit heartworm. That is why you will also need to limit your dog’s exposure to mosquitos. The mosquitos are most active after sunset, so you should keep your dog inside during this time if possible. You may also want to consider using a product that is designed to repel and kill mosquitos. This will also reduce your dog’s chances of being infected with heartworm.

In summary, heartworm disease can be deadly, but there are some things that can be done to prevent it. You will need to take your dog to the veterinarian in order to get a heartworm prevention plan. You will also need to get your dog tested for heartworms regularly. Additionally, you should reduce your dog’s exposure to mosquitos.

Many people in the northeast have had a rough time with fleas this summer. A combination of a mild winter in 2012 and a humid summer have created the perfect storm for these tough bugs to thrive. The battle against flea infestations doesn’t end with the cooler weather of fall. In many areas, even here in the northeast, fleas are active until the dead of winter and can even continue living in your home during the cold winter months. Don’t let your guard down, the battle against fleas is never over.

I use a topical “spot on” flea preventative on my dogs every month. If you want to get specific about it, I use Sentry Fiproguard Max (it’s a less-expensive generic brand of Frontline Plus). However, these preventative measures weren’t enough for me this year.
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Parasites can afflict pets any time of the year, however during the spring and summer months, they tend to be more prevalent. Our pets spend a lot more time outside when the weather is warm, and parasites breed more readily. Even if your pets spend all or most of their time indoors, it is possible for parasites to find them whether carried in on our clothes or by crawling through our screen doors. Here are some common parasites to look out for and ways to combat them this summer. Read More »