Heartworm disease is a very serious parasitic disease that has the potential to be fatal for your dog if he is not treated quickly. This parasite is a worm that can grow up to a foot long and lives inside the heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels of an infected animal where it will reproduce over and over. 1 апр. 2019 г.
Why is heartworm prevention so important?
One of the main reasons why heartworm prevention is so important is because of how heartworms are detected. In the early stages of the disease, most animals show few or no symptoms whatsoever. This makes it incredibly hard to detect.
How long can my dog go without heartworm prevention?
Most of the monthly heartworm medicines have a safety factor of at least 15 days of protection if a dose is missed. This means that if you're just a week or two late, your pet is likely still within that window of protection and would be unlikely to become infected during that time.
Should I give my dog heartworm protection?
Year-round prevention is best! Talk to your dog's veterinarian to decide which preventive is best for your dog. The American Heartworm Society advocates to “Think 12." Give dogs 12 months of heartworm prevention and get them tested for heartworms every 12 months.
How often do dogs really need heartworm meds?
Some holistic vets may recommend only treating every three months or so, receiving fewer doses of the medication (and as they perceive it, less of the risk) while still receiving enough of the medication to kill heartworms as they develop but before they have a chance to reproduce.
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