Heartworms in Dogs

Archive for September, 2007

Dogs are often infected by different parasites such as ticks and lice. One parasite that infects dogs but can not be seen by the naked eye is a heartworm. These parasitic worms are transmitted to dogs through mosquito bites. Dirofilaria immitis is the scientific name of the worm.

Heartworms in dogs mature in several months after infection. Little or no symptoms at all are seen in the six months period before the worms mature because heartworms do no harm to their host yet in their undeveloped stage.

Most heartworms in dogs end up in different parts of the body such as the eye, which in turn causes blindness. Dogs infested with the parasitic worms, although shows little symptoms, age faster than those clear of the worms. Heartworms in dogs damage the lungs, kidneys and the liver. These parasitic worms also affect the coat of infested dogs.
As the heartworms mature, infested dogs often experience chronic dry coughing because of bronchitis and the accumulation of fluid in the lungs. Active dogs infested with the parasites show classic symptoms of the disease which include severe wait loss and congestive heart failure.

Blood tests are performed in dogs suspected to have heartworms.

Efficacy of the treatment of heartworms in dogs depends on when the treatment was started after infection. Dogs to be subjected to treatments are evaluated. The conditions of their heart, liver and kidneys are assessed to ensure that they can survive the treatments. Arsenic compounds are usually used to kill adult heartworms in dogs. Melarsomine dichloride is currently the most recommended compound for treating dogs infested with the parasitic worms. Another form of treatment is surgery. Adult worms are surgically removed especially if they are present inside the heart.

Treatment of the infestation is a long process because treatments used to kill adult worms are different from those performed to eradicate their young.

Dogs that underwent treatment require full rest. They are not allowed to engage in extreme physical activities in order to give their body time to absorb the dead worms without harming their health. Dogs that exert effort after treatment may suffer from worms that may go to their lungs which may lead to death due to respiratory failure. Use of aspirin to cure heartworms is not recommended because of the lack of evidence to prove clinical benefits. Treatments are successful only if tests prove the inexistence of heartworms in the body of its hosts.

Heartgard Plus for dogs is a quality brand that provides effective dose against heartworm and intestinal hookworms and roundworms. Heartworm is a recognized deadly disease transmitted from mosquito bites. Preventive measures should be taken since once a dog is affected with heartworm illness, the treatment may be painstakingly expensive and difficult. This illness affects the heart and lungs of the infected dogs making them vulnerable to grave illness and death. Heart failure is the common cause of deaths among dogs due to heartworm illness.

Dogs are also potentially susceptible from intestinal parasites that are detrimental to your dog’s health. Heartgard Plus for dogs is an excellent preventive measure taken against the heartworm illness and it is as effective in preventing hookworm and roundworms too. Dogs suffering from intestinal infections caused by hookworm and ringworm are deprived of essential nutrients their body needs. Blood loss is also a significant health finding among dogs with hookworms. The dog may suffer from debilitation, severe anemia, respiratory distress, malnutrition and death when preventive measures are not taken against these dangerous conditions.

Although your pet may be properly groomed and well cared of, they are still potential preys for heartworm since the transmission of the illness comes from mosquitoes that might have bitten infected dogs, thereby transferring the illness to your pet dog through mosquito bite. This necessitates the giving of Heartgard Plus for dogs to ensure they are well protected from getting ill due to intestinal parasites and heartworm.

Heartgard Plus for dogs is a once a month preventive treatment that provides 100% reliable health protection for your dogs. The two ingredients found in Heartgard Plus for dog medicine are Ivermectin and Pyrantel pamoate. The former is effective in interfering with the nerve condition that will lead to the parasite’s paralysis and death. Te latter is an effective treatment against hookworm and ringworm’s nerve transmission that can cause the intestinal parasites death and paralysis.

Pet owners may begin giving the Heartgard Plus for dogs over 6 weeks and is found to be safe in pregnant and nursing dogs. Since the Heartgard Plus for dogs comes in beef flavor and chewable tablets, many dogs sure to like its taste. Its safety is proven with dogs of all sizes and breeds.

For pet owners who desire only the best treatment for their dogs, Heartgard Plus for dog is an excellent choice. It provides quality assurance and relevant preventive treatment that safeguards their dog’s health against the prevalent illnesses due to heartworm and intestinal parasites. Pet owners can be assured that their pet will attain excellent condition from Heartgard Plus for dog medicine with proven quality performance in pet care.

With so many variations of heartworm medication available in the market, the choices are so numerous that you tend to feel a dilemma which product may be best for your pet. A solution to this is to consult your veterinarian prior to making any purchase of heartworm medication.

Heartworm is a common and dangerous disease occurring in pet animals particularly in dogs and cats. Heartworm in dogs attack the animal’s heart and lungs that may result to respiratory distress, malnutrition and other symptoms that when left untreated may result to animal’s death. Cats are also as susceptible to suffer from heartworm as dogs. Indoor cats can still be vulnerable because the mode of transmission of heartworm is through mosquito bites. Mosquitoes will bite a heartworm affected dog and can transfer the disease to cats through its bite. Heartworm can be deadly to cats wherein it can cause allergic reactions and fill the cat’s lungs with fluids and can cause excessive inflammation that can lead to cat’s death. Oftentimes, diagnosis of the disease is late because no obvious signs of the disease are shown until the cat’s death.

Because of the intensity of health aggravation a heartworm can cause to pet animals, many heartworm medications were made available to counteract the disease. Heartworm medication is designed as a preventive measure against heartworm. Heartworm in cats is preventable with the use of heartworm medications such as Revolution and Heartgard. These heartworm medications act by killing the heartworm larvae within the cat’s body thus preventing its development into an adult worm that can cause severe damage to the cat’s body system.

There are more heartworm medication choices for dogs than in cats and the variation might be confusing sometimes. Most differences in heartworm medications for dogs vary from the ingredients used and the pill form. Some heartworm medications are prescribed for the treatment of heartworm along with intestinal worms that are also common among dogs. The variety among heartworm medications is on the kind of intestinal parasites that your pet dog may suffer from. Dogs may suffer from a variety of intestinal parasites such as hookworm, ringworm and whipworm.

Pet owners should be aware of the immediate medical treatment needed for heartworm in their pet dogs and cats as this can be a deadly disease when left untreated. Although there is a variation of heartworm medications available both in prescription and non-prescription form, the wisest thing to do is to immediately bring your pet to a veterinary clinic. A vet is the right person to make an informed decision on the right heartworm medication to use that will address to the specific health condition your pets may be suffering from.

The Food and Drug Authority (FDA) is the agency responsible for the safety regulation of foods and drugs consumed by humans. But not all may be aware that even animal products, food and drugs alike are also regulated by the same agency. The FDA ensures the quality and safety of animal products and requires proper labeling in every product sold in the market.

Heartgard dog medicine is one of the leading brands in the market for the prevention of heartworm disease which is a potentially dangerous condition that can afflict a dog and can lead to animal death. Heartgard dog medicine also known for its generic name Ivermectin is widely used as an effective dewormer in dogs. Dogs can be protected against hookworm and roundworms when Heartgard dog medicine is combined with pyrantel pamoate. This product is available as heartgard plus. The Heartgard dog medicine is available in unflavored or flavored chewable tablets that are well liked and tolerated by dogs. The Heartgard dog medicine is given every once a month all year round. The side effects of Heartgard dog medicine are rare when the recommended dose on the product label is strictly followed.

One issue affecting Heartgard dog medicine is the illegal heartworm products under circulation in the market. One of which is the unregistered versions of Heartgard dog medicine that are imported illegally and widely sold in the United States. Some of the heartgard product versions are legally registered in some countries but what is alarming is the omission of some important facts about their products especially warnings pertaining to its hazards in children. Another is other versions of Heartgard dog medicine use metric unit dose which can deleteriously lead Americans to accidentally over or under dose their pets.

Pet owner should be made aware that most of generic and foreign versions of Heartgard are not approved by the FDA. Illegal pesticides and other toxic products are contained in these products. Since it does go through FDA approval, some ingredients are unknown and can be unsafe for animal use. Illegal versions of Heartgard have similar packaging as the original which often lead consumers of pet products to mistakenly purchase the unregistered products instead.

It helps to know the difference between FDA approved and not FDA approved Heartgard dog medicines. The dose used by FDA approved Heartgard products is in pounds in contrast from the kilogram dose used on the unregistered version. Another difference is finding the label at the back side of the box that says “Approved by FDA” which is not found in unregistered versions of Heartgard. Safety warnings are also not found in the unregistered Heartgard versions which make it more unsafe to use.

To safeguard the health of your pet dogs, pet owners are advised to ensure buying the FDA approved Heartgard dog medicine. Being keen to observe the differences between the unregistered and registered versions of Heartgard can significantly save your pet dogs lives.

Dogs and cats are lovely pets at home but they can also be sickly patients at home if they’re not protected from certain parasites. Heatgard tablets are the best solution to ward off parasites that eat away at the intestine walls of our pet dogs and cats.

Parasites that harm the intestines and stomachs of our pet cats and dogs can be transmitted through a simple mosquito bite. Once the parasites gain entry they stick to the intestines and keep residence there, depending on the inner flesh of the pets for subsistence. If this is not remedied, the lethal condition may lead to death. Keeping pets indoors is not the answer. Heartgard tablets are the easiest way out for our pet dog and cat. Heartgard tablets are easy to administer, and dog and cats actually like them.

Heartgard tablets come with an ivermectin composition, which are chew-only tablets good for pet dogs. There are also the Heartgard extra-ingredient chewable tablets, and a Heartgard non-chewable tiny pill that may be administered to both a pet dog and cat. A flavored Heartgard tablet is especially designed for a pet dog. It is beef flavored and is easily loved by dogs. It comes with extra strength and includes pyrantel to fight off not only heartworms but hookworms and roundworms as well. Heartgard tablets keep these pests away from our pets.

Heartgard tablets also come in chewable form especially designed for our pet cats. Aimed at eliminating heartworms from pet cats, this chewable Heartgard tablets are mixed with flavors cats would readily love. It will not be difficult for obstinate pet cats to take Heartgard tablets, making feline elimination easier. Heartgard tablets also get rid of hookworm in cats.

There are also heartgard tablets that are designed for eliminating heartworms only. They are also chewable Heartgard tablets that do not contain Pyrantel, if the option is only to give them ivermectin. If, for some reason, the dog is unable to chew the other Heartgard tablet forms, there is a mini Heratgard tablet designed for such dogs. Some dogs get allergic reaction from some medication. If this is the case, this mini Heartgard tablet is the answer for a heartworm treatment and shield program against the parasite.

Heartgard tablets are very effective in curbing the incidence of heartworm diseases. Heartworm is a deadly parasite that must be eliminated the soonest possible time. Even if the pets are kept indoors, a regular Heartgard tablet treatment will keep out pet dogs and cats healthy and happy.