We provide services to prevent, diagnose and treat heartworm infection.
Heartworm is a large parasitic worm of the roundworm family that thrives in a dog’s heart. It feeds on the nutrients in the blood stream and can grow to a length of 15-30 centimeters. In severe cases, up to 500 worms may infect a dog. If left untreated, heartworm can permanently disable your pet or eventually kill it.
Mosquitoes transmit heartworm infection. A dog or wild animal infected with heartworm serves as a reservoir, mosquitoes feed on these animals and then transmit the infective larvae to other dogs in subsequent blood meals.
Prevention
• There are a number of highly effective and convenient preventative medications available. Please consult with us for more information as to which preventative is best suited for your pet’s needs.
Testing
• We recommend that all dogs that have been on a preventative be tested for heartworm infection every two years. This is to ensure that the medication is doing its job protecting your pet from heartworm infection.
For more information on heartworm disease please visit the Pet Health Library on our site.
