Heartworm Control and Prevention
The heartworm parasite is very common in our local environment. Heartworm is transmitted to your pet through a mosquito. Dogs especially should be on preventative heartworm medication every year during the warm months. If a dog is infected with heartworm, they usually do not exhibit symptoms until late stages of the disease. Heartworm travels to the heart of the dog and overruns the heart muscle, ultimately resulting in death. Heartworm tests are very important. The Caradoc Animal Clinic always has heartworm tests available in clinic. Your dog should be tested for heartworm through a blood sample. This test detects any heartworm that is circulating in the blood, infecting your dog from the previous year. Heartworm tests are usually done in April of each year to ensure your dog is not infected. Then preventative medication is given to be administered either topically or orally once every month until the frost comes (when mosquitos have left the environment). Give us a call today to book an appointment for a heartworm test and medication at (519) 245-1001.
