Heartworm Awareness Brought to You by Our Veterinary Team in Laguna Hills

Heartworm Awareness 

April is the American Heartworm Society heartworm awareness month, but it’s not the only time pet owners should be concerned about this disease. There are many available resources on heartworm to help keep you informed and to reduce the number of pets infected each year. For more information on heartworm and how you can protect your pet, contact your veterinarian at the Trinity Pet Hospital in Laguna Hills.

What Is Heartworm?

Heartworm is a parasite that is transmitted by the bite of a mosquito infected by the disease. Once a mosquito bites, it deposits an infected larva onto your pet which eventually migrates to the chambers of the heart or the blood vessels of the lungs.

Signs of Heartworm

It can take many weeks or even months for your pet to show any signs of heartworm. Usually, these signs are progressive, so you may not notice anything until the disease is significantly advanced. Also, because the symptoms may affect different organs, symptoms may vary from case to case. Typically, the first symptom is extreme fatigue. Your animal may tire extremely easily and show signs of shortness of breath or coughing.

Diagnosing Heartworm

Blood tests are the common way for a veterinarian in a veterinary clinic to test for heartworm. An in-house test may be followed by a confirmatory test in an outside lab. Other tests include x-rays of the chest and an ultrasound of the heart.

Treatment for Heartworm

Fortunately, heartworm is completely preventable with a month by month preventative from a veterinary clinic. Usually given in pill or chew form, these preventatives can start at six to eight weeks of age. In most cases, an infected pet will receive two types of medications orally to treat heartworm. In some severe cases, surgery may be necessary. A pet with heartworm is usually put on bed rest.

Don’t Let Your Pets Struggle with Heartworm

For more information on heartworm, contact the Trinity Pet Hospital in Laguna Hills at (949) 232-1788. We can schedule an appointment or answer any questions you may have.