Heartworms in Dogs

Archive for December, 2008

It is almost a miracle how human immune systems can combat many different diseases, yet we are not the only ones that have those kinds of defense mechanism; dogs, cats and other animals have this defense mechanism too. The biggest difference however is that the immune system in canines and felines works differently from the human system and protects their bodies differently. There are parasites that can go through this protection system and in dogs and in cats it is mostly a worm. Get heartgard for your cat and dog to prevent the worst of worms to spread itself in your pet.

Heartworms are potential killers for cats and dogs alike and they are the worst kind of parasitic worm that a cat and a dog can contract. Heartworms feed themselves from parts of the blood and tissue and they are located in the arteries and veins of the heart and the lungs of a canine and feline. Once there are too many heartworms in the heart and lungs, the animal can have strong reactions in the heart or lung which includes severe lung diseases and sudden death.

The worst is not so much the living heartworm, but the dead heartworm within the animal’s body because the dead cells can cause an even more severe reaction to the animal and the arteries and veins run danger of being clogged by the remains.

If you get heartgard for your dog and cat, you can prevent the heartworm from growing and spreading, which means that you have isolated the worm from causing damage.

The heartworm is being transmitted through a mosquito which means that you have to get heartgard for your pet in the beginning of mosquito or mild season. Get heartgard with the help of your vet, because your canine and feline has to be examined first and then you will be able to get a prescription.

You can get heartgard directly from your vet, from pet shops or even from convenience stores or supermarkets that sell dog and cat food. You vet will know best where to get heartgard and where it is the most affordable. Give your pet heartgard once in a month every month until the mild season is over and the threat of heartworm disease is gone. It is not hard to get heartgard for your animals and you should start protecting your loved ones before it is too late to do so.

The potential harm and fatal infection caused by heartworm disease that can distress a dog and can even lead to its death is one of the major diseases affecting canine. The heartworms are parasites that harbor growths from a dog’s bloodstream that generally affect the circulatory system with a resulting fatal infection on the heart with a resulting multiple organ failure owing to the blood supply deprivation on different body organs in dogs.

While it would be expensive to buy branded anti-heartworm medication such as Heartgard, many pet owners resort to considering their alternative option of buying generic Heartgard which is believed to be as effective as its branded counterpart.

The most common generic Heartgard product is Ivermectin which provides a 6 month supply of treatment and prevention of heartworm disease that is mostly deadly to canines. Ivermectin although just a generic Heartgard version works double hard to provide protection against the growth of heartworm larvae infecting your pet dogs.

Ivermectin is the active ingredient used for the prevention of the growth of heartworm making it the best generic Heartgard alternative to the branded and expensive products in the market. Ivermectin is known for its power action in killing both the external and internal parasites seen in humans and animals.

The regular use of the generic Heartgard can save the life of your dogs from great affliction from the heartworm disease. It can continuously provide protection to your pets even from the past 4 months of the last previous treatment.

One can say that Ivermectin is the effective generic Heartgard medicine to use in order to provide your pet dogs a safe heart protection against the fatal disease of heartworm without the need to pay at higher costs.

The generic Heartgard are said to be good medicine alternative against heartworm owing to its medicinal features that include providing protection against the deadly disease of heartworm. It rids of the larvae infecting the pet through its active ingredient of Ivermectin which is potentially effective as an anti-parasitic medication.

Generic Heartgard is also capable of controlling parasite infections from the past 4 months and is considered to be safe in breeding bitches. It also comes in delicious flavor of meat tablet that gives dogs more reasons to enjoy taking their generic Heartgard medication.

The administration of the generic Heartgard can be given in variety of ways either dissolving the tablet in water or may be given directly by mouth. It can also be mixed with dog foods. Pet owners should always ensure that the dog has consumed the entire dosage. In order for the generic Heartgard to be more effective with dogs of over 6 months they should be tested from heartworm prior to the administration of the generic Heartgard medication.

Every good pet owner knows how important it is to obtain vaccination for their pet dogs. However just because pet dogs have proper vaccination doesn’t make them immune to every serious canine disease. For instance, they can still be infected with heartworm. Heartworm is a deadly parasite that migrates from one animal to another via the bite of a mosquito. Its favorite target “hosts” are dogs. After much suffering, an animal can die from heart failure if left untreated.
 
Heartgard Plus is a widely used preventive cure against heartworm. With Heartgard Plus, you need not worry about this fatal disease attacking your best friend. It has been proven quite effective in keeping the heartworm parasite at bay.
 
Why Heartgard Plus? The original Heartgard contains only ivermectin, the agent that prevents heartworm. Later they added another ingredient, pyrantel and called the product Heartgard Plus. Pyrantel offers an excellent defense against other kinds of worms, namely the hookworm and the roundworm. These two other types of worm infect the intestines. Infected dogs may not show any symptoms. If you want maximum protection for your dogs, you should get Heartgard Plus. It is the most popular of all brands for dealing with deadly worm parasites.
 
Aside from its effectiveness against heartworm, Heartgard Plus is also convenient to use. It comes in meat-flavored pellets that your dogs will love. Just slice the medicine up to make sure they will be chewed and not just swallowed. The medicine should be given once a month all year round.
 
Heartgard Plus is manufactured by Merial. It is a mildly dosed, proven means to preventing heartworm and other worm diseases. The product is safe for puppies, mothers, studs and all breeds. It comes in both chewable form and non-chewable tablet form. It is not just for dogs, there are also Heartgard products for pet cats. Keep your pet safe and happy today with a good preventive medicine like Heartgard Plus.
 
Please be advised that Heartgard Plus is available only through a veterinarian. The vet will not prescribe it to your dogs until and unless they pass a test for heartworm. If it is found they already have heartworm, the vet will not give them Heartgard Plus or any other preventive medicine. These could only worsen the condition. Treatment for actual heartworm infection is different from the preventive measures. So do make an appointment today. Take steps to protect your dogs’ health. Start with Heartgard Plus.

Heartgard for dogs is a medicine that reliably provides protection to dogs against infection from heartworm disease that has a threatening effect that can lead to fatal death once left untreated. Prevention remains to be the best treatment option against heartworm disease.

Heartgard for dogs offers an effective preventive measure that can prevent the occurrence of heartworm disease among canine puppies. It is indicated for eliminating the growth of heartworm larvae within 30 days post infection.

Proper dosage must be followed when using the treatment of Heartgard for dogs which is vital for its effectiveness in heartworm disease prevention in dogs. The Heartgard for dogs is in tablet form which can be taken by dogs orally once a month. The recommended dosage would be 6 mcg of Ivermectin in every kilogram of the dog’s body weight.

Heartgard for dogs are recommended for puppies from 6 weeks of age and above. Pet owners should always observe the proper administration of Heartgard for dogs for its efficient action. The dog may swallow the tablet or can be mixed with their foods. It may also be dissolved in water as long as care is observed that the dog consume the whole tablet to get the complete dose.

In case a dose has been rejected or lost it is ideal to undertake a re-dosing of the Heartgard for dog tablet. The tablet can be given on a monthly basis particularly on months where mosquitoes that carry the parasite are likely active. The initial dose is initially given within 30 days upon infection from the first mosquito exposure.

The administration of the Heartgard for dogs tablet is effective in retarding the growth of larva to become mature parasites that become deadly once they invade the heart of dogs. Pet owners should learn to keep in mind important facts about the effectiveness of Heartgard for dogs.

The medicine is effective as a preventive treatment for preventing the larva to reach the adult stage once given below 6 months of age. Once the dog reaches the age of 6 months, it must be first tested and treated for heartworm before continuing the Heartgard for dog medications. This is because Heartgard is no longer effective once the parasite already invaded and infected the heart of a dog.

There is also a potential over dosage to occur once pet owners do not follow the recommended dosage for administering Heartgard for dogs. Among the adverse reaction of Heartgard for dogs include anorexia, lethargy, vomiting, ataxia, diarrhea, hypersalivation and convulsion.

In order to achieve the effective treatment against heartworm in dogs, proper dosage administration of the Heartgard for dog medicine should be observed.

Your canine might be at risk of contracting the heartworm disease from other contaminated animals, places and mosquitoes. There are only a few ways by which you can protect your canine and feline, one of which is all about prevention with chewable heartgard plus medication and the other is all about operation. Let us choose the less extreme version and try to protect our dogs and cats with chewable heartgard plus medication.

Heartgard plus is only available for dogs, because dogs have a different immune system than cats and are more susceptible to heartworm diseases and other parasitic worms. There is a plain heartgard available for cats as well which you can avail and which functions just like heartgard plus functions for dogs. The regular heartgard protects your canine from the adult heartworm. The heartworm itself is brooding in another dog, and as soon as a mosquito bites that host, the larvae of the heartworm are being transmitted to another animal via the mosquito. It will take 6 months for the larvae to reach the adult stage and that is where the heartgard plus comes in.

Heartgard plus prevents the development of the larva and thus it cannot grow and multiply which means that your canine or feline will not run into the danger of sudden death or lung diseases due to increased heartworm population in your animals body. The medication comes as table and as chewable. The chewable is easier to administer because it comes in beef flavor for both canines and felines which is more delectable than a boring bad tasting tablet. The chewable can also be mixed into the food if your animal rejects the chewable.

Before administering chewable heartgard plus medication to your dog, you need to have a check up with the veterinarian for present adult heartworms. If adult heartworms are already in the body, then they have to be removed first through a complicated and often dangerous operation. That is why it is much safer and healthier for you and your dog to start the heartgard plus medication in the mild season when mosquitoes start to brood. Heartgard plus also has an added feature; it removes other parasitic worms such as hookworms, so that you practically kill two birds with one stone.

Cats however do not need any check up before taking chewable heartgard medication and the plain heartgard already kills off the larva and other worms that are in the body of the cat. You now see that preventing heartworm disease is a little easier with the cat than with the dog. The dog however has a greater tolerance for the number of adult worms, wherein so much as one single heartworm can pose a serious threat to your feline’s health. Always protect your animals from the worst with chewable heartgard plus medicine.